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Whether you’re always on the go or you just prefer listening to reading, audiobooks can be a great way to bring more books into your life. Fortunately, there’s a great selection of free audiobooks available online and in apps.
In this article, I’ll take a look at 11 of the best websites and resources for finding free audiobooks. I’ve visited each of the websites listed below, and I’ve tested a few audiobooks from each to ensure quality and see what’s available at no charge.
This article was updated in September 2023 and I review it every six months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.
When you start looking for free audiobooks online, it won’t be long before you start coming across less-than-reputable websites. Some may require you to enter payment information while others provide access to pirated content. Still, there are several websites and apps that you can use to listen to and/or download free audiobooks legally. Among them are LibriVox, Project Gutenberg and Spotify.
If you’re looking for a full list of ways to find free audiobooks that you’d normally have to pay for, you probably won’t find it on this list. Instead, I’ve compiled 11 completely legal and free ways to find free audiobooks online.
Resource Best For App Rating Download/Stream
HooplaDigital New Releases App Store: 4.8
Google Play: 4.7Both
OverDrive New Titles, Multiple Platforms App Store: 4.8
Google Play: 4.8Both
LibriVox Public Domain Titles, Poems, Short Stories App Store: 4.8
Google Play: 4.8Download only
Project Gutenberg Public Domain Titles, Multiple Formats N/A Stream only
Digitalbook Finding Something New N/A Both
Learn Out Loud Educational Resources N/A Both
Internet Archive Variety N/A Both
Open Culture Finding a Specific Title N/A Both
Loyal Books Classic Titles, Kids' Books App Store: 4.4
Google Play: 4.2Both
Storynory Kids App Store: 4.7
Google Play: 4.6Both
Spotify Spotify Users App Store: 4.7
Google Play: 4.4Stream only
Below, you’ll find detailed information on 11 different sites where you can legally stream and/or download free audiobooks.
Major Genres: Modern Classics, Fiction, Children’s
Best For: New Releases and Variety
Platforms: App (iOS and Android), Computer (download and stream)
Hoopla is the digital service of Midwest Tape, which is a leading provider of entertainment and media to public libraries across North America. You’ll find free audiobooks, e-books, movies, TV shows and more available from more than 8,500 libraries. You can visit the website or download the app to get started. As of September 2023, the app had a 4.8 rating on the App Store and a 4.7 rating on Google Play. When I checked out the service, I used the desktop version from my laptop.
Hoopla works just like a public library, which means you can instantly borrow free audiobooks at any time by using your library card. If you don’t already have a Hoopla account, you can sign up for one online. You will need to log in to be able to “borrow” anything.
Once you’re logged in, you can scroll over “browse” and click on “audiobooks” to see the entire available selection. When I checked out Hoopla, there were nearly 60,000 audiobook titles available. You can sort the titles or narrow your search results by format, user rating, date, language and more. Once you’ve found a title that interests you, you can click on it for more information. Below the cover image, you’ll see the “borrow” button that you can click to stream and/or download the title.
Major Genres: Biography, Young Adult, Fiction, Literature
Best For: New Titles, Multiple Platforms
Platforms: Libby App (iOS and Android), Computer (download and stream)
OverDrive also provides access to free audiobooks and e-books through your local public library or school. That means you’ll need to enter your library card number or school/work email address in order to access free titles through this resource. Once you’ve signed in, you’ll need to save the names of all libraries where you have borrowing privileges, so that you can see the entire selection available to you.
You can access OverDrive by downloading the Libby app for iOS (4.8 rating) or Android (4.8 rating). Additionally, you can access free audiobooks on your computer by visiting OverDrive’s website. Despite the app and website having different names, you’ll find access to the same titles online.
Once you’ve found a title you’re interested in, you can click it to see additional information. You’ll initially see information for the print copy at your nearest library, but if it’s available as an audiobook, you’ll see that noted as well. From this page, you can click on the link to your library’s website to borrow the title or request a digital version. If a title isn’t available, you can also use this page to get on the waiting list for it.
Major Genres: Children’s Fiction, Action & Adventure, Poetry, Short Stories
Best For: Public Domain Texts, Poems, Short Stories
Platforms: App (iOS and Android), Computer (download)
LibriVox brings together volunteers worldwide who read and record public domain texts in order to create audiobooks. You can download the files to your computer and listen to them that way, or you can download the app for your iOS or Android device. The app has an average rating of 4.8 stars between the App Store and Google Play.
When you first visit the website, you can choose between reading as a volunteer or browsing the catalog to listen to audiobooks. Again, all of the books, poems, short stories and plays that you’ll find on LibriVox are public domain. You can search by author, title or reader. You can also browse the catalog by author, title, genre/subject or language.
When I visited LibriVox, I used a computer to access the full website. After I indicated that I wanted to listen instead of read, I was immediately able to begin browsing the catalog without creating an account. After finding a title I wanted to listen to, I simply clicked “Download” on the right-hand side of the screen. Then the MP3 file was downloaded to my computer and ready to play.
Major Genres: Classic Literature, Educational Resources
Best For: Public Domain Titles, Multiple Formats
Platforms: Computer (stream)
Project Gutenberg was founded in 1971, making it one of the oldest digital libraries. The website relies mostly on volunteers to upload digital files including e-books and audiobooks. There are more than 60,000 free titles available, and you don’t have to create an account to access them.
When I checked out Project Gutenberg, I visited the website on my computer.
While the website focuses on e-books, many of the titles you’ll see are available as audiobooks as well. You can see a complete list of audiobooks on this page. Once you’ve found a title you’d like to listen to, you can click on it to see a list of files available for streaming. As I clicked through the titles, I found that most of them were available for streaming online, but none were available to download. Additionally, some audiobooks are read by volunteers/authors while others are digital renditions “voiced” by computers.
Major Genres: Fiction, Classics, History
Best For: Finding Something New
Platforms: Computer (download and stream)
Digitalbook.io is a great resource for finding free audiobooks, e-books and podcasts. There are no apps available, but the website is extremely easy to navigate. You can search for a title directly from the homepage, scroll down to see top-rated and trending books or browse by genre.
When I visited the website, I clicked on the fiction genre to begin exploring. Along the left-hand side of the screen, I was able to narrow my search results by format (audiobook or e-book), author, rating and more.
Once you find a book you’d like to listen to, you can click the play button on the book’s cover image to begin streaming. Note that some files are available only from third-party providers (like Gutenberg or LibriVox), but you’ll still be able to download them on Digitalbook.io.
Major Genres: Education, Biography, Literature, Self-Development
Best For: Educational Resources
Platforms: Computer (download and stream)
Learn Out Loud is a resource that specializes in audio and video learning. In addition to audiobooks, you’ll find courses, documentaries, podcasts and more. Unfortunately, not all of the content is available for free.
While there isn’t currently an app for Learn Out Loud, the website is quite user-friendly. From the homepage, you can click “Free Audiobooks” to narrow your results, browse by category and sort by popularity, date or title. There are 4,136 free audiobooks available on Learn Out Loud.
Once you’ve found a title that interests you, you can click on it for more information. Some audiobooks are available for online streaming while others only offer an audio sample. On the right-hand side of the screen, you’ll see a box containing the link(s) to free file downloads. Lower on the page, you’ll see a description of the title and reviews/ratings from other listeners.
Major Genres: Classic Literature, Poetry, Philosophy
Best For: Variety
Platforms: Computer (download and stream)
Internet Archive has an entire section dedicated to audiobooks and poetry. There are 74,970 titles included in the collection. While there isn’t currently an app available, you can visit the website online and get started without having to create an account.
When I first visited the website, I clicked on the image of the speaker at the top of the screen to see the audio categories. From there, I selected “Audiobooks and Poetry.” Once you’ve made it to the audiobooks section, you can narrow your results further by using the filters on the left-hand side of the screen.
After you find a title that you’d be interested in listening to, you can click on it for more information. You’ll see the streaming player across the top of the screen ready to play the selected title. You can also scroll down to see the download options along the right-hand side of the screen. Below that, you’ll see comments and reviews from other listeners.
Major Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Classic Literature
Best For: Finding a Specific Title
Platforms: Computer (download and stream)
Open Culture is a little different from some of the other resources on this list because it compiles free audiobook files from across the internet. Once you’ve found a title you’d like to listen to, you’ll be redirected to another site (like LibriVox or Loyal Books) that offers the file for free. Still, you’ll find a list of more than 1,000 titles.
When you first visit the website, you’ll see a banner across the top of the screen displaying categories including online courses, certificates, degrees and mini degrees, audio books, movies, podcasts, K-12, eBooks and languages. I clicked on audiobooks to browse the free selection.
You’ll see all of the titles divided into genres on the same page. While it’s hard to narrow your search results any further, you can use the “find” tool in your browser to search the entire page. I entered a few keywords like “Fitzgerald” and “Frankenstein” to find that most popular classics were included.
Major Genres: Kids, Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery
Best For: Classic Titles, Kids’ Books
Platforms: App (iOS and Android), Computer (download and stream)
Loyal Books is another great resource for finding free public domain audiobooks as well as e-books. On this website, you can choose to stream audiobooks or download the files to your device. You can also download the Loyal Books app for iOS or Android. It has a rating of 4.4 on the App Store and 4.2 on Google Play.
When I checked out Loyal Books, I visited the website from my computer. Along the left-hand side of the screen, I was able to browse by popular genres (which includes a Top 100 list), more genres and languages. You can also search by title, author or keyword at the top of the screen.
After you find a title you’re interested in, you can click on it for more information. You’ll see the original author, a summary of the text, related links, a streaming widget, available audiobook downloads and available e-book downloads. You can click play to start listening immediately or download the files to listen offline.
Major Genres: Fairy Tales, Classic & Original Stories
Best For: Kids
Platforms: App (iOS and Android) Computer (download and stream)
Storynory is a great resource that offers a variety of free audio stories exclusively for kids. You can download the Stornory app on your tablet or phone or visit the website online. The app has a 4.7 rating on the App Store and a 4.6 rating on Google Play, but I used my computer to access the online version.
As you can tell from the homepage, this resource is for children. Across the top of the page, you’ll see a banner with popular categories including original stories, fairytales, classic authors, myths/world stories, educational stories and poems/music. As I browsed, I saw tons of original titles in addition to classic texts including “Alice In Wonderland” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
Once you’ve found a title to play, you can click on it to see the audio player and download button. You’ll also see the full text on the same page so kids can read along with the audio. If you scroll down, you’ll also be able to see comments and reviews from other listeners.
Major Genres: Classic Literature, Short Stories, Plays
Best For: Spotify users
Platforms: App (iOS and Android), Computer (stream)
When you think of Spotify, free audiobooks probably aren’t your first thought. Still, you’ll be surprised to know that there is a selection of audiobook recordings available to Spotify users with free accounts. Of course, that means you will have to create an account if you don’t already use Spotify.
I logged in on my computer, but you can also check out the Spotify app for iOS and Android devices. Between the App Store and Google Play, reviewers give the app an average of 4.55 stars. Personally, I thought the website was also easy to use if you’d rather log in on a laptop or computer.
When I started searching for free audiobooks, I immediately stumbled across this section that includes 21 free audiobooks. I also found that several users have created playlists with free audiobooks. For example, this playlist includes free audiobooks ranging from Shakespeare plays to Colleen Hoover novels!
Once you find a title you’re interested in listening to, simply click it to begin streaming instantly. Unfortunately, downloads aren’t currently available.
Ultimately, any of these websites/apps are worth checking out if you’re looking for free audiobooks.
To see what’s available at your local public library, be sure to check out HooplaDigital and OverDrive using your library card. For general public domain texts, try LibriVox, Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg and Loyal Books.
Loyal Books is also a great resource for finding free children’s books, but Storynory provides the biggest selection for kids, and they can read along with the on-screen text. To find educational resources for all ages, be sure to check out Learn Out Loud.
If you’re looking for a specific title, searching Open Culture is a great way to see a compilation of free audiobooks from across the web. If you’re looking for something completely new, Digitalbook is designed to help you find a free audiobook you’ll love. Lastly, if you’re a Spotify user, you’ll be happy to know that you can find a selection of audiobooks available for free there.
No matter where you decide to listen to/download free audiobooks, just make sure you’re doing it legally and safely. While you may have to disable your ad blocker online or enter your library card number to create a free account, you shouldn’t have to download any software or enter any payment information.
What are your favorite websites for finding free audiobooks online? Let us know in our Clark.com Community!
This post was last modified on October 24, 2023 4:49 pm
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