Is there a free audio book library?
Audiobooks are recordings of books or other written works that listeners can access through digital devices or streaming services. They offer many benefits, including being accessible for those who struggle to read print, providing entertainment for long commutes or during other daily tasks, and letting people experience stories through professional narration.
The main advantage of audiobooks is their accessibility. They allow people with vision impairments, learning disabilities like dyslexia, or other difficulties with reading print to enjoy books and expand their literary horizons. Audiobooks are also helpful for beginning readers, non-native speakers, and those with limited time for sitting down to read a physical book.
In addition, audiobooks provide entertainment and education while you’re doing other tasks like exercising, cooking, or commuting. They can transform mundane routines into opportunities for self-improvement. Many listeners appreciate the ability to experience engaging performances of books by professional voice actors. For nonfiction, the narrator’s inflection can help emphasize key points and make the content easier to understand.
Overall, audiobooks make literature, learning, and leisure available to more people through an engaging auditory format. With many options now available entirely for free, they provide a convenient way to bring more books into people’s lives.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is one of the largest libraries of free audiobooks online with over 5,000 audio books available. Founded in 1971, Project Gutenberg’s mission is to provide free access to digital versions of public domain books. The audiobook collection includes classic literature narrated by both human readers and synthetic speech.
Some key things to know about Project Gutenberg’s audiobook collection:
- Over 5,000 classic books available as free audiobook downloads.
- Synthetic narration for the full catalog and human narration for select titles.
- Listen online, download MP3 files, or get files for your favorite podcast app.
- Public domain books, so the audiobooks are 100% free and legal.
With its vast catalog and range of access options, Project Gutenberg is one of the top destinations for free audiobooks online.
Librivox
LibriVox is a platform founded in 2005 for volunteers to record public domain texts and create free public domain audiobooks. It has a catalogue of over 40,000 audiobooks contributed by over 5,000 volunteers. The books are available in many different languages. All books on Librivox come from the public domain, so there are no recent bestsellers, but there is still a wide variety to choose from including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. The audio books can be streamed on the Librivox website or downloaded in MP3 format. There are also mobile apps available for iOS and Android to access the catalogue.
Loyal Books
Loyal Books (https://www.loyalbooks.com/) is a website offering over 6,000 free audiobooks in genres like fiction, philosophy, history, and more. According to Audiobook Statistics in 2022, “Over the last 10 years, the share of US adults who have listened to an audiobook increased from 11% to 23%.” Therefore, services like Loyal Books providing free audiobook access are becoming increasingly popular.
The Loyal Books library is entirely free and does not require registration. Users can browse by genre, author, title, language, or search. They also offer themed collections like Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, mythology, and more. The audiobooks can be streamed online or downloaded for offline listening to mobile apps like the iOS and Android Loyal Books apps.
Loyal Books focuses on audiobooks and ebooks in the public domain. So while they don’t have the latest bestsellers, Loyal Books is a great source for classic literature and historical texts read by volunteer narrators.
Spotify
Spotify provides Premium subscribers with access to thousands of audiobook titles as part of their subscription. As of October 2023, Spotify Premium includes instant access to over 150,000 audiobooks. Over 70% of the audiobooks on Spotify Premium are bestsellers.
In addition to the full catalogue of audiobooks, Spotify Premium users also get 15 hours per month of hand-picked audiobooks they can listen to for free, without using their monthly listening credits. This allows users to sample top audiobooks before deciding what titles they want to fully dive into.
So while Spotify Premium itself isn’t free, the subscription does come with some complimentary audiobook listening every month. It provides a way for avid readers to access thousands of audiobooks as part of their existing Spotify membership.
YouTube
YouTube is a major source for free audiobook recordings. Some users legally upload recordings of public domain books or recordings they have permission to distribute. Popular audiobook channels on YouTube include Christine Kersey Books, English Audio Books, and LibriVox Audiobooks.
When searching YouTube for audiobooks, look for recordings of books that are in the public domain or check if the channel has permission to share the recordings. Avoid pirated recordings that violate copyright. Some tips for finding legal audiobook uploads on YouTube:
- Search for classic books that are likely public domain
- Look for channels focused specifically on audiobook recordings
- Read video descriptions to check if the uploader has rights to distribute the recording
As long as the recordings do not violate copyright, YouTube can be a free source for audiobooks.
Local Libraries
Many public libraries offer free access to digital audiobooks through services like OverDrive and Libby. For example, Libby partners with over 22,000 libraries worldwide to provide access to digital audiobooks that can be borrowed for free ( Libraries Get into the Spirit with Worldwide Digital Book Club). Fines are also often waived for audiobook loans during the pandemic. According to data from 2019, nearly all (98%) public libraries offer free public Wi-Fi access and digital resources (Internet Access and Digital Holdings in Libraries). With local library cards, patrons can access a large collection of current and popular digital audiobooks on mobile apps for free.
Free Trial Subscriptions
Services like Audible offer free first months for new subscribers. Audible offers an audiobook subscription that provides one free audiobook per month, along with discounts on additional audiobook purchases. New users receive a free 30-day trial, allowing them to try out the subscription service and listen to a few audiobooks for free before committing to a paid plan. This is valuable for audiobook fans who want to check out Audible or test it over an extended period before subscribing.
Other audiobook subscription services like BookBeat also offer free trial periods, usually ranging from 14-30 days. This gives users the chance to explore their libraries and listening experience before paying. While selection and features may differ across services, free trials let users compare and see what service works best for their tastes and budget.
Finding Deals
One way to get discounted or free audiobooks is to look for promo codes and deals. Sites like Audible, Audiobooks.com, and Downpour occasionally offer promo codes that you can use to get credits or audiobooks at a discount. You can find these codes on deal sites like Groupon or RetailMeNot.
Another option is to take advantage of free trial offers from audiobook services. Audible, Audible Escape, Audiobooks.com, Downpour, and Scribd all offer free trials for new members, usually 30 days. You can sign up for the free trials and listen to as many books as you can fit in during that period. Just remember to cancel before you get charged if you don’t want to continue the membership.
You may also be able to find free audiobook download codes on sites like Goodreads and LibraryThing, where publishers and authors sometimes offer giveaways. It takes some persistence, but you can occasionally score free audiobooks this way if you enter a lot of giveaways.
Borrowing from your local library is also an excellent way to access audiobooks for free. Library apps like OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, and RBdigital give you access to thousands of audiobook titles you can download or stream anytime for free with a library card.
Conclusion
There are several great options for accessing free audiobooks online. Project Gutenberg and Librivox provide free public domain audiobooks read by volunteers. Loyal Books also has a large collection of free public domain audiobooks. Spotify has some audiobooks available for free listening if you don’t mind advertisements.