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Audiobooks

Where to Find Free Audiobooks

Mara Franzen

Staff Writer

Mara (They/Them) has accidentally on purpose made their entire life about books and stories. Mara graduated with a B.A in creative writing and theatre and is halfway through an MFA in Creative writing. In addition to writing for Book Riot, Mara also has written for The Independent Book Review, Wargamer, and The Other Half, to name a few. They also work as a fiction editor with The Minison Project. Nearly all of their published articles can be found here.

View All posts by Mara Franzen

Ready for a summer full of reading? It’s no secret that once summer rolls around paperbacks are shoved into beach bags, and accidentally doused in sunscreen. But, there’s of course more than one way to read. Audiobooks are a spectacular way to read. Since all you need is a mobile device they are perfect for any summer vacation, and they save your physical books from being entombed in sand. While there are paid options for audiobooks, this isn’t always the most accessible, especially if you’re an avid reader. So instead of worrying about book credits, or monthly subscription fees, here’s how to find free audiobooks with these audiobook apps.

Want to find free audiobooks for kids? Check out this post for some options!

Where to Find Free Audiobooks

Loyal Books

Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, this app has over 7,000 free audiobooks. Most of there are books in the public domain, so it’s the perfect app if you’re looking to catch up on your classics reading.

OverDrive

If you have a library card with your local library, or through your school, there’s a good chance you can get access to OverDrive. Borrow audiobooks directly from your library into your phone, read, and return without ever having to step foot in your library. OverDrive loans you books for 21 days and will automatically return them once the time is up to avoid late fees.

Hoopla

If your library doesn’t use Overdrive, there’s a good chance they use Hoopla instead. Similar to OverDrive, you can borrow audio and ebooks from your local library for a limited time. With a huge selection and the ability to borrow multiple books at a time, this is a great resource.

Libravox

With both audiobooks and e-books, Libravox is a great online platform for finding books in the public domain. Allowing you to search via author and title or genre, it’s a great way to find new audiobooks. As a bonus you can search for books in different languages, great for those working on learning a new language.

MINDWEBS

MINDWEBS was a radio program that used to do audio productions of books, now it’s a free sight where you can listen to full cast productions of books and short stories. While this site doesn’t have the newest releases, it helps bring the classics to life. This is a great resource for those making their way through the classics canon.

Open Culture

Open Culture has links to tons of audiobooks and is essential for finding that audiobook you just can’t seem to locate. This is not a strictly audiobook website, but it does have roughly 1,000 audiobook options.

Spotify

If you already have a Spotify account, you can now use it for audiobooks. While the options are limited when it comes to adjusting the listening speed, there are tons of options for books. Broken down into chapters, this a great option for those who aren’t sure they want to commit to audiobooks, and want to try them out for the first time.

Project Gutenberg

A treasure trove of audiobooks and ebooks, Project Gutenberg is dedicated to making literature accessible. Both a website and Android app, Project Gutenberg has one of the largest digital libraries out there.

Sync

Sync is a sight made up of free audiobooks for teens through AudioFile. While Sync only lasts during the summer months, it’s full of great YA and New Adult reads. The books available change from week to week, so it’s best to check back often to find the books you want.

YouTube

You read that right! YouTube has a large amount of audiobooks for you to choose from. The downside being that you can’t bookmark favorite parts as easily as with sites and apps dedicated to books, you can use all the typical YouTube tools to create books playlists, and follow your favorite audiobook channels.

DigitalBook

DigitalBook is a website that allows you to find and read tons of books in the public domain. You are able to filter by genre, language, and rating so it’s great for finding new favorites. It also has an ebook and podcast library if you get bored of the audiobooks!

Google Play Books

Only available through the Google Play app store, this app has tons of book options. While some of the books on the app are paid, you can filter those out to find free books either in public domain, or self published books. You are able to download these directly into your phone to take with you no matter where you go.

Apple Books

Available only through iOS devices, Apple Books is full of free reading options. With a night mode and a day mode, this app is easily configured to fit your reading needs. Some of the books on the app do cost money, but you can easily filter these out to focus on the free books.

Internet Archive

Similarly to Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive is dedicated to keeping old records accessible and this includes audiobooks. With thousands of audiobook options to choose from, Internet Archive is a great place to find the classics.

Libby

A library app made by OverDrive, this app allows you to borrow books directly from your library. While you need internet to initially borrow books, you can download them temporarily to your phone for any “off the grid” travel. You can place books on hold and renew them through the app as well, making it perfect for a busy summer.