I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks while I’m working or traveling. It’s my preferred way to “read” a book.
Like other digital media, such as music, TV, and movies, audiobooks are wrapped in a digital lock called Digital Rights Management (DRM). It is illegal for anyone to break that lock and modify the media so it can be used in ways other than what the owner of the content allows.
If you want to burn an audiobook to CD so you can listen to it in your old car that doesn’t have bluetooth, if that book has DRM, you are out of luck. If the Audiobook app that verifies the DRM stops working on your old phone because it requires an OS update you can’t do or your phone will go slower than molasses, you are out of luck. Even if you have a disability and need an assistive device to access the book, if it doesn’t work with the official app, you are out of luck.
Of course, these are not problems most people have. They are edge cases, but I’ve been burned enough times with media stores shutting down and losing access to the media I “purchased.” It’s not just small companies that shudder services. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all done it.
Now when I spend my cash on digital media, I think about its value to me now and what it could be in the future. I may not listen to a book twice, so it’s not a big deal to borrow it from the library or license one from a subscription or streaming service, but if I have the choice, I’ll go with the DRM-free option.
Audible’s Dominance
Audible.com is the undisputed champion of the audiobook world, commanding the largest market share by a considerable margin. It’s the platform most people think of first when they hear “audiobook.” If you want the latest bestseller, a self-published indie, or a niche self-help title, Audible probably has it.
The service offers a subscription for monthly credits or the option to buy books à la carte. Subscribers get discounted prices on individual purchases and access to a rotating library of free books included with membership.
Monthly credits you acquire with a subscription vanish if you cancel. You have to spend them or you lose them.
Every audiobook in your Audible library is locked down with DRM, which means you can only listen to them through Amazon’s apps and devices. Books are yours “forever” as long as Audible hosts the file. You are licensing the books rather than owning them.
It is technically possible to download your Audible books and strip the DRM … for now. But I’m not going to explain how to do that here, and there’s no guarantee Amazon won’t close whatever loopholes exist. The fundamental issue remains: you’re renting access and not buying books.
My Favorite Alternative: Libro.fm
Like Audible, Libro.fm offers both subscription and pay-as-you-go options, so you can choose the model that fits your listening habits. Subscribers receive one credit per month (just like Audible) and get a 30% discount on any additional audiobooks they want to purchase beyond their monthly credit.
Subscription and book prices are about the same as Audible and there are frequent sales.
The audiobook selection isn’t as large as Audible, but it covers most major publishers and new releases.
Here’s where Libro.fm starts shine: your credits never expire. Cancel your subscription for a few months because money’s tight or you’ve got a backlog to work through? Those credits are yours to use whenever you’re ready.
With Libro.fm you actually own your audiobooks. Every book is DRM-free. Download your purchases and listen to them in any app you want. Their app is pretty good, but I like the app Bound or side loading into my favorite podcast app. You can throw it on an old iPod if that’s your jam. You can do whatever works for you.
The best feature of Libro.fm is a percentage of every purchase you make goes directly to a local independent bookstore of your choice. You’re supporting your community with every book you buy, which feels good if you care about keeping local bookstores alive.
SWITCH (as of this article’s publish date.)
Audible vs Libro.fm
| Audible.com | Libro.fm | |
|---|---|---|
| Market Position | Largest audiobook platform | Growing independent alternative |
| Pricing Model | Subscription or pay-as-you-go | Subscription or pay-as-you-go |
| Subscription Benefits | Discounted prices + free book library | 30% discount on additional purchases |
| Credit Expiration | Credits lost if subscription cancelled | Credits never expire |
| Selection | Largest catalog with exclusives | Large selection, most major publishers |
| Book Ownership | No - DRM-locked to Amazon ecosystem | Yes - Completely DRM-free |
| App/Device Flexibility | Amazon apps and devices only | Any app or device you choose |
| Community Support | None | Percentage goes to a local bookstore |
Other DRM-Free Audiobooks
Downpour
Another DRM-free audiobook option is Downpour. Most of the audiobooks available on the platform are DRM-free, but a select few have DRM and must be played using Downpour apps. They have a subscription membership and the option to buy individual books. The credits given from the membership will expire after one year.
I’m not a fan of the Downpour website. Search is about useless and clicking on an author’s name doesn’t return a list of their books. It does a search with the name and you get a ton of non-relevant junk. When I tried to see books by “Stephen King,” I just got a list of weird, summary books, what looked like podcast episodes, books with “king” in the name, and his actual novels sprinkled in between.
Prices there can be good with frequent sales, but you have to know exactly what you want and hunt for it.
One advantage of Downpour is the option to purchase books in formats other than digital, such as audio CDs, MP3 CDs, hardback, or paperback editions. (Credits are only for digital audiobooks.)
Free Audiobooks
These aren’t DRM-free books, but they don’t cost anything to listen.
Libraries
Libraries are amazing and if you haven’t looked into their digital offerings, you should! My library uses Hoopla and Libby. They are services that let library patrons borrow digital media.
You browse the app for an audiobook and borrow it like any other physical book. There is a limited number of copies that can be lent out at a time and sometimes there is a long wait for popular titles.
You can get in line and the book will be checked out to you when available. In some apps you can let the person behind you go ahead of you if you aren’t ready to listen to the book at that moment and still be next in line. Once the check out time is up, the book automatically returns, so there’s no one holding up the line with an overdue book!
Libraries also have audiobooks on CDs that you can borrow. You can rip these to your computer with audiobook creation apps. I’ve used Audiobook Builder for years and it works great.
Check out your local library and see what they offer.
Librivox
Librivox is mostly public domain books. They are all DRM-free files, but the quality can vary a lot. A portion of the books are narrated by the community. Free is free and I’m sure there are some hidden gems to find there.
YouTube
YouTube is full of poor quality Audiobooks that use a robot voice to read the book and are not official releases. I would avoid this unless you are desperate.
Spotify
Spotify includes limited steaming hours of audiobooks with a premium subscription. Once you use up those hours, you have to wait until next month to finish a book if it’s longer than the allotted time. There is no option to purchase books.
Other Audiobook Store Options
These are other stores were you can purchase licenses to audiobooks. They all have DRM and tied to a brand ecosystem. I tend to pass over them because they have all the downsides of Audible without any of the benefits.
Kobo
Kobo has a subscription or pay as you go option, much like Audible, and a catalog of free audiobooks for Kobo Plus subscribers. The Library selection is smaller than Audible, but books tend to cost less.
The big advantage of Kobo is the Kobo Plus subscription has a tier that combines ebooks and audiobooks.
Books and audiobooks are locked to Kobo apps and devices.
Google Play store is pay as you go with no subscription option. There is a limited selection of books available and with DRM, can only be listened to on Google apps and devices.
Apple Books
Apple Books is pay as you go and tends to be more expensive. The selection is smaller than Audible. It uses some of the strongest DRM on the market and locks purchases to Apple devices.
Mix and Match
There isn’t a need to pick one service over the other. They all have their pros and cons. If you can get a book for free at the library, start there. If a book you want is an Audible exclusive, subscribe with a coupon for a month or two and pick it up. If Kobo has it for the lowest price and you’re out of credits elsewhere, snap that one up! You don’t have to lock yourself into one ecosystem or another.
I start with the library first and if the book I want isn’t available or the wait is too long, I’ll use a credit at Libro.fm. Since their books are DRM-free and I can listen to them on any app or any device I want. I’m not renting those books. I own them. That’s what makes Libro.fm my preferred shop for audiobooks.
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