The Best Places to Find Free Audiobooks
According to Apple’s website, the audiobook industry is on the cusp of a major change with Apple’s new technology utilizing AI voiceover features that promise to make audiobook production more accessible to indie and indie publishers. This means that we, as audiobook listeners, can potentially enjoy a larger selection of audiobooks at lower prices in the future. In the meantime, though, here are a few ways you can rate audiobooks for free.
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You’ve probably heard of free movie show websites like Gofobo , where you can get an invitation to watch an upcoming movie before it’s released – there’s a website that does the same for audiobooks. Net Galley gives you access to the latest books and audiobooks by distributing digital galleys or Augmented Reading Copies (ARC) in exchange for an honest review with the intent to buzz the book.
You need website approval, but that’s easy if you’re using Goodreads , Amazon , or BookBub to write book reviews because you can sync those profiles when you set up your Net Galley account. Even if you have never used these accounts or written a book review, you can still apply; they want regular book advocates, in addition to professional reviewers, to review as many ARCs as possible.
Libby
Libby is OverDrive’s mobile app for free access to eBooks, audiobooks and magazines from your library. All you need is a library card from your local public library. Like the library, Libby only lets you borrow a certain number of audiobooks or e-books at a time, but the app lets you listen to or read borrowed content offline. Plus, all your devices are in sync so you can listen on your computer at home and then pick up where you left off on your phone when you get in your car.
Libby is for digital content only and is available for Android and iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge browsers, and the Microsoft Store if you’re on Windows. You can also send borrowed content to your Kindle if you don’t want to read it on your phone or computer (if you have one of the newer Kindles that supports this feature).
According to OverDrive, over 90% of public libraries in North America have OverDrive , so chances are your library uses it. You can check if they do it here . OverDrive originally had an app named after their company, but this was discontinued in early 2022 and replaced with Libby.
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Like Libby, Hoopla is an app that lets you borrow audiobooks and e-books from your local library for free if you have a card, but also gives you access to movies, music, and graphic novels. However, the way Hoopla borrows is different from Libby; instead of acting like an actual physical library, Hoopla allows you to grab any of their content immediately, without waiting. So you can get the latest popular audiobook no matter how many people are watching it at the same time. However, Hoopla limits you to 10 items that you can check out each month.
Hoopla’s interface isn’t as user-friendly as Libby’s, but it does have a wider selection of content. It also syncs across devices and picks up where you left off. They both have their pros and cons , but they are both free and can complement each other.
Public domain sites
Content that goes into the public domain is any book that is not copyrighted by anyone and therefore can be freely distributed. Most of them are converted into audiobooks and e-books by volunteers and distributed through many websites. Most of the content is old classics published before 1923, which means you can find nuggets like Homer’s Lliad and The Odyssey , The Richest Man in Babylon and The Great Gatsby . Here are some websites where you can get these audiobooks.