Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free: The Audiobook

My pal Cory Doctorow says:

I’ve independently produced an audiobook edition of my nonfiction book Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free: Laws for the Internet Age, paying Wil Wheaton to narrate it (he did *such* a great job on the Homeland audiobook, with a mixdown by the wonderful John Taylor Williams, and bed-music from Amanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls.

Both Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman contributed forewords to this one, and Wil reads them, too (of course). I could *not* be happier with how it came out. My sincere thanks to Wil, the Skyboat Media people (Cassandra and Gabrielle de Cuir and Stefan Rudnicki), John Taylor Williams, and to Amanda for the music.

The book is $15, is DRM free, and has no EULA — you don’t need to give up any of your rights to buy it. It should be available in Downpour and other DRM-free outlets soon, but, of course, it won’t be in Itunes or Audible, because both companies insist that you use DRM with your works, and I don’t use DRM (for reasons that this book goes to some length to explain).

Audio edition:
http://craphound.com/?p=5387

Homeland audio:
http://craphound.com/?p=5146

I loved reading this book, which is described by the publisher, thusly:

In sharply argued, fast-moving chapters, Cory Doctorow’s Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free takes on the state of copyright and creative success in the digital age. Can small artists still thrive in the Internet era? Can giant record labels avoid alienating their audiences? This is a book about the pitfalls and the opportunities that creative industries (and individuals) are confronting today — about how the old models have failed or found new footing, and about what might soon replace them. An essential read for anyone with a stake in the future of the arts, Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free offers a vivid guide to the ways creativity and the Internet interact today, and to what might be coming next.

Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free takes its place next to The Purple Cow in my library of essential books for independent creators and Makers, and I’m proud and privileged to read the audio version.

8 thoughts on “Information Doesn’t Want To Be Free: The Audiobook”

    1. It’s probably an .mp3 file, since that’s what “Little Brother”, Doctorow’s free book is, so even though you’re not buying it through iTunes, you should be able to import it into your iTunes music library, then right-click on the file name and choose Get Info, go to the Options tab, make sure to check Remember Playback Position, and THEN (not first) change the Media Kind to Audiobook. When you click OK, the file gets moved to the Books section of your library. Then sync as usual, and it will be in the Audiobook section of the Music app, with the ability to go forward and back 15 seconds with just a tap, as well as change the speed to 2x or .5x. I’ve done this with CD audiobooks after ripping them to .mp3 files so I can play them through bluetooth in my car.
      If you don’t use iTunes to sync your phone, it will probably just play as a long music file, and any music player in the app store should handle it.

      1. Thanks for the excellent instructions, ArbysMom. I’ve only used Audible and the Podcasts app, which mainly work by means of fairy dust, since I don’t need to use iTunes for them, but now I know how to set up an audiobook in the Music app through iTunes, thanks to you. Much appreciated.

        1. Glad I could help! You can do a lot by playing around with the Get Info function, and if you do something wrong, you can always delete the file from iTunes (though NOT from your computer; click Keep file) and start over.

  2. So… What other titles are in this fabled ‘library of essential books for independent creators and Makers’?

  3. With such a wonderful working relationship you and Cory Doctorow have, it’s easy to see how the two of you end up running for President in the future. 😉

  4. Just finished it today. It’s a good book and a good read by you.

    Though I think I did notice a mispronunciation of a German word once somewhere around chapter 3 or 4 though. Just a slip of the tongue, you’d pronounced it at least once before and after fine. Nevertheless, I expect this is “not your problem” now.

    (FWIW, I paid for it before I listened to it).

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In order to survive, I disassociated for much of my childhood, but I clearly remember the books. That's where I found comfort, companionship, inspiration and validation. It's where the imagination that powers everything I do creatively in my life today was born. And it all started in that library, with that librarian. She was one of the first people I can remember asking me, "What do you like? What's important to you? What do you want to know more about? How can I help you find it?"

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