Downloading digital audio books
How many times can I download each digital audio book?
Digital audio books from the Pottermore Shop can be downloaded for your personal use up to eight times, at no additional cost. If you want to share your Harry Potter digital audio book with your own children, that's absolutely fine with us too, so long as they are under 18. Actually, we'd encourage it! However, once they are over 18, they will need to buy their own copy.
You might want to download a copy to your laptop, your MP3 player, and your child's mobile phone - whatever the combination - you have eight available downloads per book. There's no time limit to use up your downloads, so if you lose your device or close an account with one of our partners, come back at any time to take another copy.
Eight downloads will normally be plenty, so you won't need to buy again. However, if you do download a book more than eight times, or want to buy it as a gift, you will need to purchase it again. For more details on downloads and how they can be used, please see our Terms & Conditions.
How do I download digital audio books from the Pottermore Shop?
It's quick and easy to download Harry Potter digital audio books to your computer, for use on your Sony Walkman, Apple iPod, mobile phone or MP3 player.
- Purchase your digital audio book (or collect it, if it is a gift)
- The book will then appear in 'My books'
- Click the 'Select' button under the book you wish to download
- Choose the 'Your computer' option
- Click the 'Yes, download this book' button. Your digital audio book will then be prepared and downloaded to your computer. If you are prompted to save it to your computer, click 'Yes' or 'Save', taking care to note where it is being saved
- Transfer your book to your chosen device or listen to it on your computer
Take a look at our How to download your digital audio book
video for more information.
How long will my digital audio book download take?
The speed of your download will depend on your computer's Internet connection, and you can check your download speed by contacting your broadband supplier. Please bear in mind that digital audio book files are fairly large so the download may take many minutes, or when the shop is busy longer, so we recommend beginning the download process only when your Internet connection will not be interrupted.
What happens if my download is interrupted?
If your download is interrupted, your download count will have been reduced by one, and you will need to start the download process again. To avoid this, please ensure you don't close your browser or alter your Internet connection during download.
Please Contact us in this situation and we will try to help.
What happens if my downloaded digital audio book is corrupt?
If your downloaded digital audio book is corrupt, or will not open on your computer using Windows Media Player, iTunes or your chosen digital media player, it is possible that the download process was interrupted.
Please ensure that your computer is connected to the Internet and close any programs that may also be using your Internet connection before starting the download process again.
If you have followed these steps and your downloaded digital audio book is still corrupt, please Contact us and we will try to help.
My download didn't complete. What happened?
If your download did not complete, the most likely causes are a problem with your Internet connection or a lack of space on your computer. Please verify that your computer is connected to the Internet and clear any unwanted files from your computer before starting the download process again. The approximate file size of your digital audio book is shown in My books.
I have downloaded a digital audio book zip file. What next?
After you have downloaded the zip file to your computer you will need to 'unzip' it so you can listen to the individual chapters of your Harry Potter book, which are in MP3 format. See What is a zip file? to find out how to access your MP3 chapter files.
What is a zip file?
Digital audio books are supplied as MP3 files - one per chapter - which are contained in a single zipped-up folder, or 'zip' file. Being composed of one file rather than many, zip files are easier to download than multiple individual MP3s, although you will need to take additional steps after you have downloaded a zip file to access the MP3 chapter files.
How do I open a zip file and access my audio files?
You will need to extract the files from the zip file once you have downloaded it to your computer. To do this, please follow the relevant steps below.
Windows PC
- Right-click the zip file
- Click 'Extract All' or 'Extract'
- Follow the prompts to unzip the files
Mac
- Double-click the zip file
You can also use third-party software such as WinZip or WinRAR to open a zip file.
Are zip files from the Pottermore Shop safe to open?
Yes, zip files that you download from the Pottermore Shop are safe to open. The MP3s within zip files are also completely safe to open.
If you are concerned about keeping your computer safe from viruses, we recommend that you install anti-virus software. Additionally, most Windows and Mac computers come with built-in firewalls that help to keep your computer safe.
How do I open a digital audio book?
Once you have purchased a digital audio book, downloaded it to your computer and unzipped it, you should be able to double-click on any MP3 file to start playing it.
Since our digital audio books are delivered as multiple files, you may want to use iTunes or Windows Media Player to create a list that will play the book through as one. (Click on either link for help to create a play list.)
You can drag and drop digital audio book files in to either of these applications.
I've downloaded a digital audio book on to my computer but I don't know where it is. How can I find it?
When downloading your digital audio book from 'My books', your computer will automatically save your book to your default download location. If you are unsure of where this is, please follow the steps according to the computer you are using.
Windows PC
If you have downloaded your digital audio book on to a Windows PC, please click the 'Start' menu on the bottom left of your screen. Enter part of the title of your audio book into the 'Search' box (e.g. "Chamber of Secrets") and click the magnifying glass icon or press 'Return'. Your computer will then guide you to the location of your audio book.
If you are using Internet Explorer 8 you will need to make a change to your security settings in order to download your book. Go to Tools > Internet options > Security > Custom level and enable "Automatic prompting for file downloads" to ensure your download works successfully.
Apple Mac
If you have downloaded your digital audio book on to a Mac, please click the magnifying glass icon to the top right of your screen and enter part of the title of your audio book into the 'Spotlight' box (e.g. "Chamber of Secrets") and you will be directed to your audio book.
