Name: Downpour.com
Rating: 3.5 (135 reviews)

Updating

Downpour.com

Blackstone Audio, Inc

Released: 2012-09-10

Free 0%

Version 3.2.1

Free 0%

Version 3.2.1

Released: 2012-09-10

iPhone Screenshots

iPad Screenshots

Description

This free app gives your iPhone and iPod Touch instant access to every audiobook in your Downpour library. Download audio books directly over Wi-Fi or cellular network and begin listening as soon as the first track downloads. The Downpour app features an attractive interface with traditional audio controls in addition to variable speed narration, sleep timer, bookmarking, and variable track scrubbing.

Downpour Features

• Instant access to your entire Downpour library

• Attractive, easy-to-use interface

• Download audio books directly over Wi-Fi and cellular networks for offline listening

• Multitasking for background downloads and background audio controls

• Resume playback functionality

• Remember important parts of the book with bookmarks

• Sleep timer: 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 minutes or when the current track ends

• Variable track scrubbing

Questions or comments? Get in touch on Twitter @downpour_com

What's New in Version 3.2.1

Fixed a bug with the "skip forward/back" feature (thanks to Eduardo for the find)

Seller

Name

Blackstone Audio, Inc

URL

http://www.downpour.com/?app=ios

Information

Developer

Blackstone Audio, Inc

Version

3.2.1

Size

10.2 MB

Game Center

VPP Device Licensing

Yes

Rating

Rated: 4+

Compatibility

iOS 7.0 or later

Devices

iPad Air (Cellular), iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Air 2, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone XS Max, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPhone XS, iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPod touch (6th Generation), iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad mini 4

Languages

English

App Store: Customer Ratings

Ratings & Reviews

3.5 of 5 (135 Ratings)

App Store: Customer Reviews

2017-08-30

Really bad app

I love blackstone audio but their app is pretty terrible. It crashes constantly. It looses its place in the book every time I pause. I have to take screen shot before I pause the app so I can find my place again. It wipes books that have been downloaded and then they are inaccessible. Just really a bad app.

2017-08-12

Barely competent audiobook player

Although it does a decent job of managing files, the playback user interface is a real disappointment. For example speed control is buried in the settings (not accessible from the player), on the lock screen the advance-reverse 15 seconds buttons are missing (the only movement buttons are skip to beginning or to the end of the entire chapter), and the app often looses place (sometimes using an external process to resync -- a new addition).

Given this, I have to conclude that the publisher doesn't really care about the quality of this app. That's sad because they are in the business of producing and selling audiobooks, and the quality of this app materially determines whether or not I (for one) will buy from them in the future -- which is unlikely at this point (given the state of the app).

2017-07-24

Keeping track

I keep a pen and 3x5 card close by so I can note my place each time I stop because the app doesn't sync accurately nor keep bookmarks. There is no excuse for this flaw.

2017-07-19

Does not play continuously

Using for more than 6 months now. Books stop frequently mid-chapter requiring the user to navigate back to the app and push play. Playback stops multiple times during a 30 min listening period. You can not purchase audio books through the app.

2017-06-29

Constantly losing my place

This app is just terrible. I pause my book then hit play 5 minutes later and it starts playing 5 chapters back and then I have no clue where I was. I use this app at work hitting pause and play via headphone remote. Highly not recommended. 5 stars if this problem ever gets fixed, otherwise I'm unsubscribed.

2017-06-21

App No Longer Works

Crashes on login. Deleting and reinstalling does nothing.

2017-06-20

Sync and bookmarks don't work!

I hate losing my place every time I open this app. I try to circumvent that by bookmarking but that only works about 1% of the time.

2017-05-02

Good audiobook app

I've left my original review below. When I tried the app on my iPad, I got the old problem back again: if you have the playback rate set to anything other than 1.0x, the app stops the playback when the phone goes into sleep mode.

I was so excited when I didn't get the problem on my phone this morning that I posted the review immediately. That was a mistake. This is such a glaring bug, and such an obvious use case, and has been a bug for so long - YEARS at this point - that I can't rate the app at anything beyond a single star. If the company wants to take on Audible, they have to do better than this.

=====

For some reason I always find myself rooting for the underdog. In the audiobook world, Downpour comes in second behind Audible. But for me, that's all the more reason to support it: I get nervous when one company has such a dominating presence in the marketplace.

Downpour has most of the standard features: access to your online library, a monthly subscription, the ability to buy additional credits, the ability to speed up playback, to sleep after a specified time, to apply bookmarks.

One thing to note: for a long time, there was a bug in the app that caused it to stop playback when the phone went to sleep, IF you were playing back at any speed other than 1.0x. To my surprise this morning, I found that the app now functions correctly, at least when playing back at 1.5x on my iPhone 6s. That happens to be the speed I use most often to listen to audiobooks. Since there haven't been any app updates in the last few months, I wonder if the problem was somehow fixed by a recent upgrade to iOS.

If this remains fixed after using the app for a few weeks, I will up my rating to 5 stars.

As others have noted, one advantage of Downpour is that the audiobooks are DRM-free. It gives a little extra peace of mind - if the service goes away, you won't lose your investment.

2017-04-28

Doesn't work!

This app worked for me for a bit, but now just closes out every time I sign in, and therefore, I cannot even use it. I purchased a membership, so this is very irritating! I contacted app support, who said "Our app team has fixed this, and the new version should work. I recommend uninstalling and reinstalling the app again. If that doesn't work, please give Customer Care a call..."

I have deleted and reinstalled, but it made no difference. Also, the app doesn't even show that the version has changed, so one can only assume that it was not updated. I will have to call them now, which is super inconvenient.

2017-03-13

Frequently loses my place

This app aggressively pops up an alert asking if I want to resume playing from my most recently synced position. This occurs after pausing the audio for only a few minutes. If I do not select this option then the app rewinds my audiobook and I permanently lose my place.

I control playback through my earbuds. I never see this alert on screen and can not respond to it, so the app defaults to rewinding the audio. Each time I pause and resume playback there's nearly a 100% chance that I'll need to waste the next five minutes manually scrubbing through the audio to figure out where I left off.

Resuming playback from the most recent position is the choice that people will reasonably make 99% of the time, so this needs to be the default behavior.

2017-03-01

Desperately needs improvement

Probably the worst of the audio book Apps. Can't download in background, doesn't que books for download. Books which have been painstakingly download vanish apparently randomly. I travel a lot, this is just totally and completely aggravating. Please, even Overdrive is better than this. Please see Graphic Audio, iTunes or Audible for how an app can be clear and functional.

2017-02-23

Good but room for improvement

I like this app, I needs more features, but I like the fact that titles can be played on any device and are DRM Free. I like having options.

2017-02-20

Nice App, but

The app stops playback when a chapter ends. Aside from that, the downloads are quick and the play back is smooth. I still wish that the bookmarks would include AM or PM on the time stamp. I'd even settle for military time (13:00 vs. 1:00PM)

2016-12-23

Very good

Really nice app enjoy it my books downloaded fast and I had really good service definite 5 stars

2016-11-20

Syncing needs work

The app is ok but the syncing functionality needs work. Every time you pause the recoding and leave the app it asks if you want to sync. I'm not even using multiple devices. Of course I want to return to the last place I was in the book. Please fix this to just return to your place. This can be frustrating when you lose your place because of this.

2016-10-30

Still needs some work

I've had a lot of difficulty downloading over a normal wifi connection, bookmarks don't work, and it doesn't play nice with Bluetooth speaker pause/play. :-(

2016-10-19

5 star service, 4 star app

This service is a great alternative to Audible but cheaper and DRM-free. Yes, there are alternatives for LibriVox books, so don't buy those here.

As for the app, PLEASE fix the bug that is making the audio stream stop when the phone goes to sleep. It is highly annoying.(Otherwise it is really great)

2016-10-13

Titles Taken from LibriVox free domain

This sight sells audio books that have been narrated for free through LibriVox. Access online with your computer. Please note smart phones have a 'LibriVox' app that is not the true domain ... but ... is an excellent app and the books are free to listen to.

2016-08-31

Still stops playback when screen times out!

It's been a known issue for months, maybe even a year now, but they still have not fixed the glitch that causes playback at speeds above or below 1.0x to stop when the screen turns off. Ridiculous.

2016-08-25

Glitchy even after update

Had given up on DP because of numerous glitches, but I decided to give it another try.

Well I can't get past the first chapter, it starts the intro & stops. Take time to reload & same issue over & over, typical of older version where you needed to download several times to get going!

When you are ready to listen you don't have time to work out the kinks. I agree w/ previous reviewer stick w/ Audible !! No Problems! Not to mention a lot of the improvements on the last update is stuff they copied from Audible!

2016-08-23

No Sleep Timer

Update: figured out how to access the sleep timer function (as well as variable playback speeds and the bookmark function) by tapping on the book's artwork while it is in play mode. So, I have increased my rating from 3 stars to 5 stars even though I didn't receive a reply from the app team when I sent them my request for help with locating the sleep timer. It really is a fantastic app once you figure out how to use all of its functions. The only downside is that some of the functions (namely those delineated above) are not intuitive to access.

Super fast download speeds, but missing one of the most important features (and one that is advertised as being part of the app): a sleep timer. I have an iPhone and all my software is updated. Hoping this sleep timer issue gets resolved ASAP - will give more stars when this happens.

2016-07-22

I love almost everything about downpour

Downpour as a service is great. They sell drm free audiobooks that I actually own instead of license. Their membership plan is great when I'm reading a lot of books easily, but it's also incredibly easy to cancel it if I need to for a while. I have a tendency to read in spurts, so I may have a membership for a few months then cancel it to catch up. There's no guilt tripping when I cancel and I can start it up again whenever I want. In addition to the monthly book, membership also gets you access to discounted books and book sales, which are usually great.

So why only 4 stars? The app still needs some work. There's a known bug where playing at a faster speed will cause the book to stop if your phone falls asleep. I'm sure they will fix it eventually and in the mean time, since I actually own the books there's nothing stopping me from downloading them on my computer and playing them in another app. Thanks Downpour for no DRM!

2016-05-01

So far, Great!

Very easy to setup and use. Seems to function perfectly. Quickly downloaded all tracks; up and running in no time.

2016-03-24

Audiobooks

Its great so for !!! Just got the app

2015-12-15

Great audiobook app!

I use it everyday! It's well designed and functional!

2015-12-07

Crashes within seconds of opening the app

Wasted my time

2015-08-30

Subpar

It's a decent app. However, if Downpour really wanted to set itself apart and ahead of Audible they should at least match Audible's playback capabilities (specifically, play speed settings) and maybe think about making it possible for Downpour customers to actually buy or rent an audiobook through the app. That's something the Audible app for iOS still hasn't managed, and instantly make Downpour my go-to audiobook app.

2015-06-15

Works great

I was an audible user looking to see if there were any alternatives and thought I'd give downpour a try, works just as expected

2015-05-16

Great service, pour app

The downpour service is great, try it for audio books. The app has two major issues:

You download your books as a series of tracks, so far on the books multiple tracks downloaded incompletely and the app does not complete these despite showing a message asking if it should resume. You have to swipe delete that track and then download again, playback stops at these incomplete tracks.

The second issue is for some reason the app times out on your login after a few days of no use. This is pain because your content is already there and if you use a significant password you also likely use a password manager, if that's on a computer and not the device it's a hassle. This part makes no sense, I can see it logging out for a password change at the site but the content is local so what is the value of doing that. so far this has happened when I was away from the computers but wanted to listen to a audio book.

2015-04-03

Stellar app

Super easy to use and exceptionally stable. As a long time consumer of audiobooks stretching back to the days of cassettes, being able to swiftly switch between books and not have to waste time queueing where I left off, the app makes me marvel at how far technology has come.

2015-01-30

Great app

I love using downpour. I like the interface, ease of use and download. Perfect!

2015-01-19

Really like but....

Want to play faster like audible and if using headphones or Bluetooth you can just restart without going to app. Please update

2014-12-17

Needs multi speed playback

Love the app, but they need to bring back the fast play functions from previous versions quickly.

2014-12-02

Not designed for iPad

This app will only work in vertical view. Not horizontal as iPad users often prefer.

2014-11-07

Bluetooth headphones annoyance

When I pause playback with the button on my Bluetooth headphones, I'm not able to resume using the button. I have to unlock my iPod and switch back to the app before I can resume the audiobook. Very annoying.

2014-10-27

Works great

My only issue is that it would be nice to be able to stream the audio from my library, without actually downloading the tracks. (Perhaps it's possible, and I just haven't figured out how yet.) iPhone storage space is always at a premium, and storing audio files takes up a lot of real estate.

2014-10-16

Love app but...

Would love this app even more and would give 5 stars if there was a way to rotate the orientation. Landscape mode would be wonderful!

2014-10-01

First time I've ever rated an app!

And for good reason. I'm highly impressed with it. It's simple and elegant and easy to use. Way to go Blackstone! I'm proud to work for this company!

2014-09-29

You had me at Stephan

I have Audiobook and Audible, and I plan to give this newly found treasure a try. I have been listening to a wonderful series read by Stephan Rudnicki who's voice I could listen to all day. The story features a character named Lord Valentine and it is so far charming ang a bit whimsical.

2014-09-13

Very easy & functional

This is way better then most audiobook listening apps!

2014-08-29

Great app!

Works exactly as expected.

2014-08-18

Great Reader!

Have only recently encountered Blackstone Audio but I am most favorably impressed with the quality of the app and the content. No clicks or pops or other audio imperfections and the readers do a very professional job. Recommend without reservation.

2014-08-06

Downpour

Very unhappy with this app. Having the hardest time downloading anything at all. And customer service was most UNHELPFUL. Have receipt for book in library, but no book. Very bad.

2014-07-22

not too good

Lousy app

Poor Website

Crummy service

Too expensive

NOT ONLY WILL THIS APP NOT DOWNLOAD IN THE BACKGROUND IT WILL NOT EVEN DOWNLOAD TRACKS NOT APPEARING

ON THE SCREEN

2014-07-09

Love it!

This app is easy to use. It integrates really well with going back and forth between my headphones and my car. I use the 30 rewind often and it works seamlessly. All around great player. I like it better than Audibles.

2014-07-08

Work well, and that's all I need

The app works really well. Can resume mid-download, keep track of chapters, etc. Basically what one would expect. No drm, unlike audible, makes downpour my audiobook provider of choice.

2014-06-19

Great addition to the audio lovers' world

I love Audible, but I find Downpour a great addition to the audio book world. The app is easy to use once you get to know its quirks, and Downpour has some great prices, really low ones, each week. It's good to add some competition to the audio lovers' world. It makes everyone better.

2014-04-26

Love blackstone audio and Grover Gardner

I'm just trying this so my opinion is limited but I very much like it that I can get a wide amount of Blackstone Audio content.

2014-04-25

Easier than Audible. Great App! No dumb passwords needed in iTunes

Great selection. Great service. Their website needs some work, but just click on Become a Member and you'll see how their approach can save you on some great audiobooks. The app is pretty slick too.

I'm very happy, and I just ordered a bunch of $5 audiobook CDs in their sale.

I called and gave them hell on the phone because I couldn't find the overview on membership, but their customer service was great. I'm done with Audible. These guys are the real deal.

--An initially critical buyer who's now a very happy user halfway through his first book!

2014-04-16

Review the Reviews

Why do so many of the Downpour reviews here read like they're staged? And so many reviewers have only one review ever, just for this app. Odd. Downpour is ok. Getting better. But Audible still does it all better IMHO.

2014-04-03

Wonderful audio book app

I listen to audio books when doing artwork. This app has a good selection of books and allows easy access from either my computer or my IPhone.

2014-03-29

Best I've found

Best audiobook option I've found. Multiple users can download the purchased library which adds real value. Joining for $12/month means you always have a credit or two available when you want something new. I like the sleep timer option, too. Neat feature.

2014-02-17

Great Apo

Great app. It is easy to use and has worked without any issues so far. The only thing I don't like is how it handles phone calls. It does pause and save the position when you answer a call. It closes the app completely however. So when you are finished the call you have to restart the entire app and start playing the book instead of the book just automatically playing where it left off. Fix that and it's an automatic 5 stars.

2014-01-29

Downpour Reigns...

I have always enjoyed the conventional method of reading a book. So when I came across audiobooks I was intrigued. Being able to "read a book" without actually reading was a crazy concept. With the Downpour App I am able to take this concept to new levels. Monotonous car rides to work become dangerous adventures. Boring workouts become fun and motivating. All because I am able to listen to my favorite books with the Downpour App. I have to say when I first downloaded the app it had its problems. With the updates and improvements I am able to use the app easy.

2014-01-22

Better but still not as good as Audible

Tried listening to The Death of A President, which is a 33 hour book. It become stuck repeatedly in the last part and despite multiple downloads on different platforms, took me days to complete. How about some quality control?

2014-01-13

LIKE IMPROVEMENTS!

The new and improved Downpour app has new features that are helpful and easy to see and use. The selection of audiobooks is large with something for everyone and in many different genres. I found that although the customer service hours are limited the helpful staff will walk you through any questions or procedures with ease. I will recommend the Downpour app for all those wanting an affordable downloading option for audio books.

2014-01-09

Great audiobook app!

I have had a wonderful time listening to audiobooks with this app. It's bookmarking feature is great for people with terrible memories, as well as those who switch back and forth from music to audiobook throughout the day. The icons are big enough for my sausage fingers, and it has an aesthetically pleasing layout to it. Many quality...wow.

2013-12-19

This App is Awesome

I love this app it's so easy to use and they keep making more improvements that make even better . However the thing that really does it for me is the wonderful selection of great books Downpour has it all find a nice find. Give it a go you'll be glad you did .

2013-11-27

HUGE IMPROVEMENT-- I love Downpour

This update fixes all the issues identified with the first release. Usually I prefer to read a book, but this app lets me take my favorite books on my evening walks or long commutes. I love the sleep timer and the 30 sec playback. Huge improvement!!-- Thanks Downpour for the new fixes and features!!!

2013-11-13

Download tip!

We use this app a lot and everyone complains about difficulty in downloading their books. This can be a problem (and I hope the authors are listening and will fix it soon), but here's the workaround that always works for me: First, plug the power adapter into your iPhone, Second set your iPhone's lock mode time to "never". Now open the Downpour app and start the download of your book. (If you had already started it and it stalled, delete the book and start again.) After tapping download , the little circle starts spinning on the book cover and it should open the download page. If not tap the book cover as if you're going to start listening. Then Tap the icon in the top right to show the transfer progress. Now put the iPhone down and wait for it to complete. This works for me 100% of the time. Something about navigating away from the download page breaks the download. Enjoy...

2013-07-08

Huge problem with app

This app has a major problem on iPhone 5 - if a section of a book doesn't complete it's download, the only resolution is to delete the Downpour App, redownload & install it, then begin to download the book again from the beginning...and I haven't yet been successful in downloading an entire book yet. One would think just rebooting the iPhone would allow one to restart the App then allow you to begin downloading the next section of any yet indownloaded section of the book - but it does not.

This is very disparaging as it can take a bit of time to download sections of a book...only to have to begin again later when the download stops for one reason or another.

Users may want to stay away from Downpour and stick with Audible until this issue is resolved. I purchased 4 books but haven't yet been able to download an entire book. This is very discouraging.

---------------------------

Update:

Today I took my iPhone to a high speed wifi area, deleted the app, reinstalled and successfully downloaded all four audio books. So, the key is high speed wifi.

But it would be nice if the app was tweaked so that a stuck download could be restarted without uninstalling the app.

Thanks Downpour. Love your service and great prices!

2013-05-16

So-so app - very little flexibility

App functions very basically: it plays audiobooks with limited other features. Here are some features which would improve its functionality a great deal:

1) Sleep timer. (It is very inconvenient to figure out where you stopped listening when you like to listen to a book before going to sleep and it just keeps indefinitely.

2) Back Button: a "button" to click when you want to go back in small increments to re-listen in case you want to hear it again for any reason (momentary distraction or just want to listen again). A 30 second increment is good or perhaps one to choose a set increment of listener's choice. Without such a button, it is much more laborious to use the forward/reverse slider within the chapter section. It is still good to have the slider and the FF and REV buttons, but an added small incremental function would be VERY helpful.

3). A choice to display entire library or currently downloaded books only would also be very helpful.

Without these functions available, the number of books I buy from

Downpour will be limited as the current incarnation of this app lacks quite a few functions that I want & need in order to be able to most enjoyably use the app.

2013-01-05

Great audiobook service, crappy app

Doesn't resume after a phone call. If you listen for more than 20 or 30 minutes the app will crash when you choose the "now playing" screen. Reopening the app starts where you started on the previous listen. Yes, where you STARTED, not where you stopped when it crashed. Basically it acts as though the entire listening session that ended in a crash never existed. Extremely frustrating to listen for several hours and then spend 15 minutes trying to find where you left off. That said, the prices are better than audible, although the selection is noticeably smaller.

2012-11-14

Good Fixes with new version of App

This app provides all the essentials of a good audiobook player -- and now that the bugs have been worked out on remembering where you left off -- it is better than most. On the old version it would sometimes not remember where you left the book, so when you tried to resume play it would be a challenge to find your place. The swipe gestures are very intuitive and it has some very pleasant UI features -- volume and chapter slide bars, etc. Makes listening to the downpour downloads quick and easy. Thanks.

2012-10-13

Can't remember where you stopped listening

EXTREMELY annoying -- almost always loses track of where you were when listening to a book. The book I bought is a short story collection, and it almost always can't remember where it was in the story when I paused and did something else for awhile. It's a pain to have to scrub back and forth, trying to find approximately where I was. When I'm driving long distances, I have to stop the car to spend 3 to 5 minutes doing so safely.

Sometimes it even loses track of which story it was I was listening to, so then I have to go to the table of contents and scroll down to where (I think) I was. Then I have to do the whole scrub thing again.

Sheesh! The books are good; the interface is terribly frustrating.

Downpour.com

iPhone Screenshots

iPad Screenshots

Description

What's New in Version 3.2.1

Seller

Name

URL

Information

Developer

Categories

Version

Size

Game Center

VPP Device Licensing

Rating

Compatibility

Devices

Languages

App Store: Customer Ratings

Ratings & Reviews

Really bad app

Barely competent audiobook player

Keeping track

Does not play continuously

Constantly losing my place

App No Longer Works

Sync and bookmarks don't work!

Good audiobook app

Doesn't work!

Frequently loses my place

Desperately needs improvement

Good but room for improvement

Nice App, but

Very good

Syncing needs work

Still needs some work

5 star service, 4 star app

Titles Taken from LibriVox free domain

Still stops playback when screen times out!

Glitchy even after update

No Sleep Timer

I love almost everything about downpour

So far, Great!

Audiobooks

Great audiobook app!

Crashes within seconds of opening the app

Subpar

Works great

Great service, pour app

Stellar app

Great app

Really like but....

Needs multi speed playback

Not designed for iPad

Bluetooth headphones annoyance

Works great

Love app but...

First time I've ever rated an app!

You had me at Stephan

Very easy & functional

Great app!

Great Reader!

Downpour

not too good

Love it!

Work well, and that's all I need

Great addition to the audio lovers' world

Love blackstone audio and Grover Gardner

Easier than Audible. Great App! No dumb passwords needed in iTunes

Review the Reviews

Wonderful audio book app

Best I've found

Great Apo

Downpour Reigns...

Better but still not as good as Audible

LIKE IMPROVEMENTS!

Great audiobook app!

This App is Awesome

HUGE IMPROVEMENT-- I love Downpour