Audiobooks purchased via iTunes are not backed up by iCloud and can only be downloaded once. If purchased on a Mac, iTunes users can drag-and-drop the file out of their iTunes folder and drop the file onto another machine, though the file cannot be downloaded again directly from Apple. If purchased on an iOS device, users can sync the content back to their Mac or PC.
This poses a problem to iOS users that rarely (or never) sync their iPhone with their Mac or PC. This can also be an issue if you break your iPhone and get a replacement without backing up.
Audiobooks aren’t cheap either. When browsing the top audiobooks on the iTunes Store, I noticed that almost all of the books I saw were over $10 bucks a pop with some books exceeding $20.
If you’re an audiobook listener, keep this in mind the next time you pick up your favorite book to listen to. You may also want to revisit your backup practices to ensure you have your audiobooks saved in a safe place just in case you brick your iOS device.
