I’m a bit late to have stumbled across this information, but it would appear that the final novel in the Harry Potter series will not be coming to the iTunes Store:
*HEARING HARRY*
You may have the seen the avalanche of press coverage about the new “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” hardcover selling 8.3 million U.S. copies in its first 24 hours of release. […] More than 225,000 audiobook cassette or compact disc copies were [also] sold the first weekend. Those were the best two-day results in audiobook history, according to Random House. […] What’s not available is an iTunes download for your iPod. The first six Potter books are available through iTunes at prices ranging from $33 to $50. But a Random House spokeswoman said no iTunes date has been announced for “Deathly Hallows” and that she has no other information about download plans.
So if you’re still waiting, I suggest running out to Costco and getting the CD version, which had the lowest price I’ve seen by $10, and then buying a copy of Audiobook Builder to make importing it into iTunes more pleasurable. The two together will still cost less than Deathly Hallows would have cost through the iTunes Store, and you’ll be able to use Audiobook Builder on other books in the future.
I have read all 7 Harry potter books 7 times. I guess it is the whole magic 7 thing. I don’t want to read #7 again before the movies, so I tried to download onto ipod.Just spent 30 minutes searching to find out that it will not be available on itunes. Not sure why, unless it was cost. I would have paid what ever it cost. Will it ever go to itunes??????????
I am hoping that, with the release of the 2 part movie, the audiobook will be released on iTunes. My copy is skipping on several of the CDs and I am hoping I don’t have to take all night to reimport them to my PC.
@Erica: While it’s possible the movies will bring all sides back to the table to negotiate rights again, I would not count on a successful resolution. It’s a complicated deal, and of the parties involved (writer, publishers, Apple, studios, etc.), at least half of them can say “fuck it, I don’t need this headache, it’s not worth it,” and walk away.
Anyone holding their breath for this is going to asphyxiate.
Has there been any update on Deathly Hollows going iTunes?
Actually, it will remain in Music. It is a “Subsection” of music. And on a side note: when will Order of the Phoenix Movie be put up again? it was there for a while, but then it got removed.
Here’s an update: I got the HPATDH CD set from Border’s (hefty $60 USD for 17 unabridged CD’s). I used the settings mentioned in another post about importing audiobook CD’s. Took an hour or 2 to join the tracks, submit the titles, import the CD’s. I went back into iTunes and changed the genre from Books & Spoken to Audiobook. I am using a Windows PC, not a Mac (although that will hopefully change by Christmas).
Synched my Nano (3G 8GB Video) and the CD’s (labeled Disc 1, 2, etc) are in Music>Audiobooks, with no album art even though I had the CD’s in my PC.
My next 2 accomplishments are to try to move the audiobook out of Music, and get the album art. I’m happy I finally got the books and I have 2.18 GB left over for more music.
Random House has refused to release the audiobook to any of the online stores, iTunes Store, Audible.com, or eMusic. Essentially, they are taking the extremely outdated (and typically Random House) approach of trying to force the public to buy the CD version. Unfortunately, that’s what happens when Baby Boomers are left in charge.
Deathly Hallows is still not available on iTunes a year after the CDs were released. Anyone know if it will ever be released on iTunes?
@Jason: Well, we can all hope that it does eventually come to the iTunes Store, but when the time comes that you’re ready to start it, I wouldn’t wait one minute for it to appear there. The CD version is ready today, it’s cheaper, and it comes with all the great artwork. I think that’s the way to go.
I’m almost finished with Order of the Phoenix. Hopefully they get Deathly Hallows up on iTunes sometime this winter.
@Tracy: You are correct that there’s nothing final about the blurb. In the end, it may be available on the iTunes Store. But as for “optimizing the revenue from CDs,” I doubt that very much. The CD versions of the books are regularly discounted (which I have seen as much as $15-20 less per book than the iTunes versions, of the six that are available). Add to that the cost of the physical materials of the CD version, compared to the virtual costs of the iTunes version, and it’s a pretty good guess that the iTunes distribution of the book would be a lot more profitable than the CDs. To say nothing of the profitability of a full set of all seven books; I would guess each set could represent as much as $100 more in profits than the CD version (which is not yet available).
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the delay is all about money, but I would be surprised that someone thinks they’ll make more money on the CDs than on the iTunes version…
Ok, I know I am optimistic, but it does NOT say it will definately not be coming to iTunes, only that they don’t have a date for it at present. Since it is still early, I am holding out for it to show up on iTunes. I can wait… and even re-read the good old-fashioned text version.
But I still think it will come out eventually. I think they are just trying to optimize the $$$ they get on the sale of the CD’s. Granted the iTunes versions are not cheap, but I suspect that they are just holding out to avoid lots of people sharing the iTunes version.
Just my thought.
Donna, in iTunes go to the preferences and check the “Advanced Tab” and chose “Importing”. Are “Play track while importing” and “Use error correction” checked? Uncheck them if so and iTunes will be MUCH quicker.
I successfully copied all 17 Deathly Hallows disks into iTunes and my iPod! Thanks for the tip on Audiobook Builder. Although it took three tries to find the best settings, I’m now happily listening to Jim Dale read the final chapter of this wonderful series.
BTW, the third try meant dividing the book into 11 two-hour parts (my first tries were too long – 12 and then 7 hours each).
Thank you for the recommendation!
Interesting. Oh well, I still got the CD on hold at the local library.
I’m not quite ready for a MAC yet though I love my iPod. What I don’t love is iTunes. It is far too labor intensive.
Ripping library CDs takes 16-20 minutes per CD on cable; I can rip a CD on WMP11 in 3-4 minutes. That is easier on my PC and my nervous system. I’ve had a number of 19, 18, 14 CD books lately and it would have taken all day on iTunes.
Have you checked out the Creative ZEN to be on the market in two weeks? In the brief previews I can’t really find anything wrong with it other than non-removable battery. Lots of new stuff out there and hopefully things for us Windows users will get better.