You know how we love books at BooksRun. We can talk non-stop about them. Yet, while we’re all about traditional printed books, we love audiobooks, too. They are invaluable when you’re commuting and doing things around the house, cooking, driving, well, you know. In this post, we’ve decided to focus on the resources where you can find full-length audiobooks for free.
We are all about learning and reading resources becoming accessible and affordable, so we’re positive that sharing these most famous services to download free audiobooks is only fair and natural. So, here’s our list of free audiobook apps and websites you can check for all sorts of books, from classical literature to YA and so much more. Choose the one that suits you best and start reading listening!
Top 10 Free Audiobooks Download Resources
- Librivox
- Lit2Go
- Loyal Books
- Mind Webs
- Open Culture
- Libby by Overdrive
- Project Gutenberg
- Spotify
- Storynory
- SYNC
| Important note! We only support legal free audiobook resources. There’re plenty of illegal options online, but we do not encourage you to use them, as it violates the rights of authors or publishers. So please keep this in mind when you’re downloading them or using illegal copies. |
LibriVox
LibriVox is a free audiobook platform offering an extensive public-domain collection. They record books that were “published 95 full years ago or longer” and are therefore no longer under copyright. The platform is entirely volunteer-run, with a community of dedicated readers and listeners who contribute their time and effort to record and produce audiobooks. One of the significant advantages of LibriVox is its vast collection of classic literature and nonfiction works, all of which are available for free. Users can download audiobooks in various formats, including MP3, M4B, and OGG, making them compatible with most devices. The recordings are available in different languages. One of the downsides of Librivox is that the quality of the recordings can vary greatly due to the volunteer nature of the platform. Some recordings may have background noise or uneven volume levels, which can be distracting at times. However, this is a small price to pay for the vast collection of free audiobooks available on Librivox. If you’re interested in the project, you can even become a volunteer!
Lit2Go
Lit2Go is a free online collection of audiobooks and stories in MP3 format created by the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. The platform offers a wide selection of literary classics and children’s literature, making it a great resource for educators and parents. Each audiobook is accompanied by a PDF file that includes the text of the book and illustrations, making it easy to follow along or read independently. Lit2Go is a perfect tool to use in classroom education, as it’s designed to support literacy and language development and is an excellent resource for teachers and students alike. However, keep in mind that Lit2Go’s collection is very limited compared to other services where you can download free audiobooks, as it primarily focuses on classical literature. So don’t go looking for the latest bestsellers or contemporary books there.
Loyal Books
Loyal Books is a free audiobook platform that offers a diverse collection of public-domain books and modern titles. The platform has a user-friendly interface, making navigating and finding audiobooks easy. Users can browse various categories such as fiction, non-fiction, and children’s literature and download audiobooks in multiple formats, including MP3 and M4B. They can even bookmark their favorite books and chapters. The platform also has a mobile app (iOS and Android) that allows users to listen to audiobooks on the go. However, some users have reported that the quality of some recordings is subpar, with some readers lacking proper intonation and pacing.
Mind Webs
Mind Webs is a free audiobook platform that offers a collection of classic science fiction short stories. The platform was created by WHA Radio in Wisconsin and aired between 1976 and 1984. Now you can access the recordings by following the link on the Web Archive. There are about 190 classic science fiction short stories (e.g., Kurt Vonnegut and H. G. Wells, to name a few). The audiobooks are narrated by professional voice actors, adding to the immersive experience of listening to science fiction stories. Mind Webs stands out of the crowd because of its nostalgic air, as it souls like old-time radio. The stories are well-produced and expertly narrated, making them engaging and enjoyable to listen to. However, the collection is limited to science fiction, and non-fans of the genre may find the platform less appealing.
Open Culture
Open Culture is a free educational resource platform that offers a wide range of free audiobooks, online courses, and eBooks. The platform has a vast collection of classic literature, modern bestsellers, and non-fiction titles available for free. Users can download audiobooks in various formats, including MP3 and M4B, and stream them online. Open Culture has a comprehensive collection of free resources, making it a one-stop shop for all educational needs.
Libby
Libby by Overdrive is a free audiobook service that allows users to borrow digital audiobooks from their local library. With over 2 million books and videos and 30,000+ libraries, users can browse through the library’s collection of audiobooks and borrow them for a limited time. You can also download audiobooks for offline listening. Libby connects to local libraries and gives users access to a vast collection of audiobooks (and all the bestsellers, too!) without asking for payment. However, the availability of audiobooks may vary depending on the user’s local library, and some popular titles may have long waiting lists. You can install Libby on your smartphone or Kindle tablet for more convenience.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a free eBook and audiobook platform that offers a vast collection of public-domain books. The platform offers classic literature and non-fiction works that are available for free. Users can download audiobooks in various formats, including MP3 and M4B, and also read eBooks online or download them in various formats. There’re human-read and computer-read audiobooks, so you can choose the version you want (maybe the latter one is more appealing to you). Anyway, it’s great to have so many options, all of them freely accessible.
Spotify
Everyone knows Spotify. It’s a music streaming platform in the first place, and you may be unaware of its significant collection of audiobooks and podcasts that are available for free (with ads). The platform has a mix of classic literature, contemporary books, and original podcasts. Spotify integrates with other content, making it easy to switch between music, audiobooks, and podcasts on the same platform. It also has a robust recommendation system that suggests new audiobooks based on users’ listening history. However, not all audiobooks are available for free, and some may require a premium subscription to access. Additionally, the platform’s primary focus is music streaming, and the user interface may not be exactly optimized for audiobooks.
Storynory
Storynory is a free audiobook platform that offers a collection of original and classic children’s stories. The platform has a team of professional voice actors who narrate the stories, making them engaging and enjoyable for children to listen to. Storynory also has a feature that allows users to read along with the text, making it a great resource for literacy development. Storynory focuses on children’s literature, and it’s a really great resource for parents and educators. However, keep in mind that the collection is limited to children’s stories, and users looking for other genres may not find it as appealing.
SYNC
Sponsored by AudioFile Magazine and delivered by OverDrive, SYNC is a free audiobook program that offers a selection of two audiobooks per week for teens and young adults during the summer months. The program is designed to promote literacy and a love for reading among young adults and offers a vast collection of contemporary books and bestsellers, helping young readers stay up to date with the latest literature trends. Unfortunately, SYNC is only available during the summer months, limiting the availability of the best free audiobooks to a specific time of year. Additionally, the program only offers two audiobooks per week, which may not be enough for avid readers looking for a broader selection of books.
Where Else Can You Download Free (or Almost Free) Audiobooks?
It may happen that you can’t find the audiobook you need for free (no luck even with free audiobooks on YouTube). Then you can check the resources that offer cheap paid audiobook options.
- Audible is a popular audiobook platform owned by Amazon that offers a vast selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and original content. It’s not that Amazon offers free audiobooks, but you can make an exception for the book you really need. After all, you do get access to hundreds of titles you can’t find anywhere else, even without a subscription plan, so we recommend checking them just in case. So, you sort of get free audiobooks with Amazon Prime (in a way).
- Digital Book has many audiobooks and a modern nicely-looking interface.
- Learn Out Loud offers a range of educational audiobooks and videos.
- Free Classic Audiobooks has plenty of classics to choose from.
- Downpour offers audiobooks cheaply ($7.95 for a rental, for instance).
Many free audiobook services are available, each with unique pros and cons. Whether you’re a fan of classic literature or contemporary bestsellers, there’s an audiobook platform out there for you. There’s something for everyone, from LibriVox’s vast collection of public domain books to SYNC’s focus on young adult literature. With the convenience of these services, listening to your favorite books has never been easier.
And even if you prefer reading books to listening to audiobooks, we hope this list will be helpful to you. We also hope that by using these free audiobook resources, you’ll get access to the books you like without breaking the bank. So start browsing through our list of websites and apps and what they have to offer now! We are positive one of them will become your favorite free audiobook resource.
