Audiobooks have absolutely grown in popularity in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why.
Today’s lifestyle means most people spend a lot of time on the go, whether it’s commuting to and from work, juggling a few different jobs, or managing household matters. people are often looking for something to fill that time, especially “down” time like travel that would otherwise be spent in silence or listening to the radio.
You are reading: Free audio books youtube
and this boom is a big deal! Audiobooks make books more accessible, and having an easier way to read means people are likely to read more. however, audiobooks can be expensive, and while some people will come back and listen to audiobooks over and over again, many readers may be hesitant to spend that much money on a book they’ll listen to once.
so how do we fix that? free audiobooks! let’s talk about them.
can you listen to audiobooks for free?
Buying audiobooks is a lot like buying a physical book. there are plenty of places you can go to buy audiobooks individually the way you want them, just like you can stop by your local bookstore to get a book whenever you want. You definitely don’t have to break the bank to enjoy audiobooks if you know where to find them.
Here are some ways to find audiobooks for free, either to rent or rewatch as often as you like!
libraries
It’s no surprise: your local library probably has audiobooks available for rent. Some of these may be physical cassettes or CDs, and sometimes libraries have online copies available, which can be more easily used on a phone or laptop.
Check your library’s catalog to see what kinds of options they have for audiobooks. you might be surprised how many there are! these will be rented the same way you would rent a physical book, and you may have to wait on hold if there’s a wait for a popular title.
libby/overdrive
Libby, an app released by Overdrive, can be accessed through your library card (if your library offers access). The app works like a library catalog and through it you can choose ebooks and audiobooks just like you would in your library. these are rented for a period of about two weeks, and you may have to wait a while if there is a waiting list.
Since libby is available as an app on your phone, this is an especially useful format for people on the go, as you listen directly from your app. this is very convenient if you listen to audiobooks on the go.
audible subscription test
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subscription services like audible offer a monthly fee in exchange for credits, which can be used to get audiobooks. If you’re an avid audiobook reader, this can reduce some of the total cost of listening to audiobooks, since you don’t have to buy them individually.
however,
audible does have a free trial period so you can try out the service and see if audiobooks are for you. along with this comes a free audio book. this only gives you an audiobook, and you’ll want to set a reminder to cancel your subscription before you’re charged. if there’s a specific book you’d like to hear and you’d rather not wait to hear it, this might be a reasonably easy option!
Quick warning, though: Audible subscriptions can be a little tricky to cancel, so make sure you understand how to access your account and cancel your subscription if you just want to get your free book and bounce.
public domain
The public domain encompasses books that are not copyrighted. this copyright may have expired, been confiscated, or never existed in the first place. We often think of classics when we think of public domain works, but this umbrella actually covers more than you think.
Because public domain books are not subject to copyright law, they can be freely shared and distributed as the public wants. This means that it is legal to share free PDF files, physical copies, or even, yes, audiobooks.
there are copies of public domain stuff you can buy; For example, if you go to a bookstore, you will realize that you cannot take a copy of Macbeth without paying. This is because even if the intellectual property is in the public domain, the materials used to make the book and the work put into the format still cost money.
The same goes for audiobooks: you can buy copies of public domain works to listen to, but there are also companies that record these books for free. and these are more readily available online than you might suspect.
are there audiobooks on youtube?
Youtube has dominated online video consumption for years, and there’s also a fair amount of audio content, from asmr channels to ambient noise to audiobooks. YouTube is free to use and very easy to access from your phone or computer, making it a no-brainer for anyone looking to consume free audiobooks.
and there are free audiobooks on youtube, lots of them. Let’s go over what types of audiobooks you can find on YouTube, why certain types of audiobooks may be unethical to upload or consume, and which audiobooks you can access completely legally today.
copyrighted vs public domain
Before we continue, let’s talk a bit more about the public domain and copyrighted materials.
As we said before, public domain materials can be shared indiscriminately. there are no rules on how you can use that material, because it is no longer protected by copyright.
However, copyrighted material is not so relaxed. it is illegal to share copyrighted works without the permission of the distributor. For example, sharing a leaked pdf of an upcoming book from a publisher is illegal, because that material is subject to copyright law. Similarly, uploading a full-length audiobook that is currently copyrighted is illegal.
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Think of it in terms of plagiarism. You can’t just read a book you liked, write a copy, and print it as your own for quick cash. There are copyright laws to prevent that from happening, and it’s the same with audiobooks. These laws are intended to protect product creators from having their work stolen, and YouTube is notoriously tough on copyright violations.
what does all this mean for audiobooks on youtube? well youtube doesn’t want to have free copyrighted material floating around as it is a direct violation of the law and their terms of service. That being said…
are there any copyrighted audiobooks on youtube?
yes. much.
youtube tries to remove the audiobooks that are uploaded because, once again, it directly violates the law and its terms of service. However, people still do it all the time, and if you do a quick search on youtube, you will likely find numerous full length copyrighted books available.
there is a lot of debate about the ethics of consuming these books, but basically, they are available online until youtube removes them. and they often take them down, so a copyrighted audiobook isn’t likely to stay around for long.
There are audiobooks you can find on youtube for free that are completely legal to upload and consume, however, and that’s anything in the public domain.
Remember, works in the public domain can be shared and distributed in any way. This means you can record your own version of, say, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and upload it to YouTube without fear of copyright infringement. and many people have done just that. people upload themselves by reading public domain works or take recordings made by companies that record these works and upload them.
Either way, it’s fair game for readers looking for a free and accessible read.
You can find public domain audiobooks on youtube, but you can also find free podcasts and mp3s online for download, if either format suits you better.
what are some good audiobooks on youtube?
Looking for a place to start? Here are some places you can go on YouTube to check out some free and perfectly legal audiobooks to listen to while you go about your day.
let’s start with some channels:
- public domain audiobooks
- audiobooks
- best audiobooks
some playlists below:
- Public domain audiobook playlist
- c.s. lewis audiobooks
- jane austen audiobooks
- classic audiobooks
- theater, shakespeare and plays
- leo tolstoy audiobooks
- British literature, English audiobooks
and finally, some individual audiobooks:
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- the legend of sleepy hollow by washington irving
- bram stoker’s dracula
- homer’s odyssey
- the adventures of sherlock holmes
- eve’s diary by mark twain
- white fang by jack london
- tales of space and time by h.g. wells