2019 Camry has no cd player, but we Want to play audio book cd’s while traveling. Have used book disks rented from a highway restaurant chain in the past; where can we get them on usb compatible mode?
I’d look into streaming music services if I were you. Not USBs.
Many local public libraries offer downloadable audio books these days. You still have to check them out, whatever that means, then download them, for later playback. You have to later check them back into the library. I gain have no idea what that means either, b/c it is just a computer file. Has to do with copyright rights I guess. I’ve never used that service so there’s probably some restrictions on how this can be done. I’m guessing it is designed for downloading to a cell phone, then you somehow plug the cell phone into the car’s radio. Your public librarian could explain it better than I. If you can figure it out, that’s probably the best solution.
If the public library option doesn’t work out, there’s an audio book service called Audible I think on the internet that offers downloads.
The alternative if you only have physical CD’s, you can transfer the contents of an audio CD to a USB memory stick using a process called “ripping”. It’s done on your computer. This is easy enough to do, usually doesn’t require any new software be installed; but unless you are tech-savy you’ll probably need somebody (like a teenager) to show you how the first time. If you go that route then you just plug the USB memory stick into the car’s radio and listen away.
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Our local library system has audiobooks and e-books that can be borrowed for a certain amount of time. You can return the “book” early to get the next one on your wait list. It appears that they only have the rights to so many copies of each book so there could be a wait.
Audible could be a very good option as long as you’re not opposed to Amazon. $14.95 a month after the free trial and you can download audio books to the app on your smartphone and listen via bluetooth in the car.
Download where you can get free wifi and then add another title to the collection when you’re done.
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OP: Forgot to mention, one of Ray’s recent Dear Car Talk newspaper columns addressed this question. Click “Blogs” above left. As I recall his recommendation was to purchase a portable CD player that has the capability of outputting the sound via a USB cable, which you plug into the radio. I’m not sure if that configuration outputs the sound as a digital stream, then the radio converts it to analog for the speakers, or it just transfers it in analog format to the radio. Either should work ok for in-car use.