according to stephen king, books are a unique portable magic. everyone is encouraged to read a book every day, even if it’s just for 30 minutes.
Thanks to technology, we have audiobooks that you don’t have to read, just listen. with this, you can read a book while doing any other task.
You are reading: Free books on tape for android
Most e-books written today include audio files that you can listen to. More preferably, you can make use of audiobook apps. these apps can read books with or without audio files.
The best free audiobook apps are listed below.
15 best free audiobook apps
1. audible
audible is the most widely used audiobook app available. The app is owned by Amazon, so it has all compatible books available in the Amazon Kindle store.
This app features books from different categories, including Business, Thriller, Horror, Romance, Religion, Fantasy, and Science Fiction, among others. you’re sure to find what you’re looking for and, in particular, it includes all of amazon’s best-selling products.
With Audible, you can play and listen to books anywhere, on any device. It doesn’t matter if you download a book from your mobile phone or PC, your library is automatically synced across all your devices.
The audio that is read in this application is done in a professional way. makes a story come to life as if you were watching it on TV. the app has speed up and slow down functions and either can be set to triple the normal speed.
there is a function to skip or go back 30 seconds that makes navigation much easier. Also, the app has a sleep timer.
audible has premium plans, but there is a collection of free audiobooks that you can download and listen to. These free books include new releases, classics, and bestsellers.
Also read: The best note-taking apps for iPad
2. fuss
hoopla is another free audiobook app on our list. You can not only stream audiobooks with the app, but you can also stream music and videos. the app is completely free to use and signing up is also easy.
This app features a public library with hundreds of thousands of audiobooks and other content. New content is added every day, so there’s always more to stream. Plus, you can download audiobooks to play later.
hoopla library works as a lending platform. is borrowing the audiobooks you download or stream, and once you’re done listening, the content will be deleted automatically.
However, with fuss, you’re not limited to just audiobooks in the app. you can also upload your own content from your mobile phone, pc or smart tv to play.
You can download the hoopla app on your smartphones. is available on their respective app stores. it is also available on amazon and chromecast.
One drawback to this free audiobook app is that most of the library’s content is licensed to Canada and the United States only.
explore: the best applications to create videos
3. loyal books
Owned by twist idea llc, this is a free audiobook app with a very simple user interface. was developed to make reading fun for users and the developers believe that books should be free.
The app allows you to build a local reading library on your device from thousands of free audiobooks. loyal books include fiction, mystery, and children’s books, among others.
In particular, there are more than 7000 free audiobooks available in this app. you have the option to stream the audiobooks directly or download them for offline playback.
each book includes reviews and ratings so you know which ones are of quality. Featured books are displayed on your dashboard to show you the ideal content to read. Similarly, the app features a top charts section where you can view trending books globally or in individual categories.
For convenience, the loyal books app has an adjustable playback speed. In addition, the book presented in the library can be translated into 25 different languages.
This application can be downloaded on iphones, android, ipads and tablets. the only downside is that the app has ads, but you can pay to remove them.
take a look: the best apps like wattpad
4. librivox
librivox is described as a platform with free domain audiobooks. these books were written by authors from different parts of the world and are free for anyone, anywhere to listen to.
The application is very interesting. authors can publish books for readers to help proofread/listen. Plus, anyone can design book covers or create m4b audio files for e-books.
Usually anyone can contribute, which makes the app one of the best for participation. there is an online forum where readers and authors can communicate through posts and comments.
This free audiobook app has over 15,000 audiobooks. of the batch, about 8,000 are novels, nonfiction stories, and poetry. Furthermore, the app has registered more than 11,000 readers since it was first launched.
librivox includes over 2000 non-English content. Also, most audiobooks in the library can be converted to 45 different languages.
As a reader, you can sort your audiobook library by author, genre, language, or title. Furthermore, you can simply search for any audiobook by entering a keyword. librivox is free, but there is also a pro version of the app.
Also read: The best phone monitoring apps
5. overdrive
See Also: Vikram Chandra’s top 10 computer books | Books | The Guardian
This application allows you to read, listen and enjoy audiobooks for free. In addition to audiobooks, the app also includes movies and TV shows.
overdrive features best sellers, classics, new releases and more. the audio player has simple navigation features for ease of use. this includes fast forward or rewind 15 seconds, previous, next, etc.
Also, you can adjust the speed settings of audiobooks. can be set to 2x or 5x normal playback speed. there is a quick menu from which you can easily access all the features of the app, such as the bookshelf and bookmarks.
You can customize the appearance of the application, including font, contrast, and margins. additionally, you can switch the app display between light and dark modes from the playback screen.
The mobile app can be downloaded on android and ios devices and all the audiobooks you download are synced across all your devices.
In addition, overdrive has a desktop application that you can also use for free. In particular, you can use the desktop app to burn audiobooks to CD or any other device.
Take a look: the best gif apps for whatsapp
6. sora
sora is an audiobook app developed by the same developers as overdrive. the app was developed primarily for students and has some very cool features.
with sora, you can read audiobooks with just one touch. the app keeps track of your reading stats. you can easily check how many books you have read and your reading time, among others.
The application allows you to borrow books from different public libraries. earn achievement badges the more you read audiobooks with the app and use its other features.
The audiobook player included in this app is very intuitive. features adjustable playback speeds and a timer. you can easily go forward or backward by sliding your finger on the book covers.
while you read, you can add books that you find interesting to your bookmarks and make notes and highlight the texts or words. The app features professional narration for select novels and other titles.
sora can be used by schools to assign class books and other texts to readers. The app is not only available for mobile devices, but also for laptops, desktops, tablets, and chrome books.
you may want to read: best apps like kinemaster
7. libby
Here’s another free audiobook app from the developers of overdrive. libby is a relatively well-known audiobook app. It is used by all major platforms, including buzzfeed, lifehacker, forbes, reader’s digest, and popular science, among others. was named the best free app of 2019 by pc magazine.
This application is very easy to use and suitable for any reader. supports offline reading/listening as you can download audiobooks. In addition, you can read on different devices while your content is synchronized on a cloud platform.
libby has a library of thousands of ready-to-play audiobooks. you can browse the library to find an ideal book or use the featured and curated content lists. there is also a catalog guide to help you.
Audiobook player has intuitive features including 3x adjustable playback speed and swipes to go forward or backward. additionally, you can set a sleep timer.
To use libby, you just need a library card from your library. the app is one of the easiest ways to listen to audiobooks.
explore: the best free drawing apps for ipad
8. google play
Apps, games, music, and movies aren’t the only things you can access on Google Play. you can also access audiobooks and you do not pay to use the platform. however, google play can only be used by android users.
Unfortunately, Google Play also offers premium audiobooks. However, there are many free audiobooks on both fiction and non-fiction, and in particular, Google Play features free Nightfire Audiobooks. both online and offline game modes are supported.
You can easily locate free audiobooks on google play app as they are uniquely grouped together. all you need to do is navigate to the audiobooks category. Plus, you can easily add an audiobook to your library and share it with others.
google play is a widely used platform, so one of the benefits you get from using this app is reviews. Hundreds of users leave reviews after listening to them and you can use them as information to know if an audiobook is worth listening to or not.
plus, google play syncs content across all devices. that way, you can play audiobooks from any device; you can even listen through a web browser without installing the app.
Also read: The best free meditation apps
9. ibooks
apple books is the default book and audiobook app on ios devices. If you have an iPhone or iPad, this app comes free with your device and with it you can play and listen to free audiobooks. android users cannot install this app.
You can access audiobooks in the ibooks app by simply selecting the audiobooks section within the app. books are grouped by genre, you can browse or search to find a specific audiobook.
In particular, the Apple Books app has a great Narrator feature that allows you to sort audiobooks by dub artists. therefore, you can listen to audiobooks of your favorite famous storytellers.
At ibooks, you’ll find free and paid audiobooks. In addition, some of the audiobooks have digital brochures. you can stream the free audiobooks with your data/wifi or just download and play them offline.
The application allows you to control the playback speed. you can rewind or fast-forward the audio 15 seconds with just one touch. additionally, you can set the playback speed to 1x and set a sleep timer.
Take a look: The best dating apps
10. audiobooks.com
See Also: What order should I read the Isadora Moon series in? – Harriet Muncaster
audiobooks.com is an application developed by rb audiobooks usa llc. is a fast and easy to use application, which makes reading more enjoyable. The app has been featured on top sites like Forbes and the New York Times.
There are over 250,000 ebooks on audiobooks.com and most of them are premium. however, around 10,000 of the lot are available for free. there are fiction, history, politics, health & wellness and mystery, among others.
You can find an ideal book by sorting the library according to genre. Plus, the app lists trending audiobooks so you know what others are listening to. the smart recommendation feature will automatically choose an ideal book for you to read.
Like most of the free audiobook apps mentioned in this article, this one supports downloading content for offline listening. the app also has a sleep timer.
In addition to free audiobooks, the audiobooks.com mobile app also offers free podcasts. there are over 100 million free podcast episodes available and you can set the app to notify you whenever there is a new one.
11. audiobooks & novels
This app is from the developers of audiobooks.com. It is ideal if you are more interested in reading novels. audiobooks & novels app is 100 percent free. none of the featured audiobooks are paid, though most are premium.
The only requirement to use this app is to download it and create an account. you can download the app on both android and ios devices.
audiobooks & novels features an elegant user interface that anyone will find easy to use. From your dashboard, you’ll see all available free eBooks grouped by category. plus, a book appears at the top every day.
thousands of audiobooks are available, so you can sort the library by title, author, or narrator. The app allows you to create a reading list of your favorite books so you can easily return to them later. As a user, you can rate the content and narration of the book after listening to it.
Most of the novels featured in this audiobook are epic and classic romances. however, there are other topics of fiction, history, health & welfare and children. in particular, audiobooks & novels features titles in other languages and has many biographies.
12. book partner
bookmate is a free audiobook app. The app features a stack of e-books that are available in about 12 different languages. there’s plenty to choose from and with a free account, you can access over 50,000 audiobooks.
A unique feature that you enjoy with this app is the smart suggestion. you can access the library of audiobooks created by other users. it’s like a social platform where you can follow users and get updates on the books they recommend. likewise, you can share your own library.
The app also recommends audiobooks based on your tastes. As you read, it checks the type of titles that interest you and presents you with possible titles.
Managing a personal library with this app is easy because everything is presented in one place. you can save audiobooks, specific book quotes, notes, and more.
The application is very customizable. you can adjust fonts, colors, change narration speed, set timers, and more. If you have epub and fb2 ebooks with compatible audio files, you can upload them to the bookmate app and listen to them as well.
13. audiobooks now
The 13th app on this list of the best free audiobook apps is now Audiobooks. audiobooks is now a free app as it includes free and paid audiobooks. there are about 150,000 audiobooks in total and about 1,000 free audiobooks. These include best-selling and classic titles from top authors and storytellers.
Audiobooks app now makes listening convenient for everyone. you can directly stream or download the audiobooks and listen to them offline. Also, the app has a sleep timer and you can set the playback gates.
You can download this free audiobook app from apple store or google play store. It is available for iOS and Android devices. All the book titles you download are saved to a cloud platform that syncs across all your devices.
You can create bookmarks and store audiobooks that you find most interesting. Notably, the Audiobooks app now has native support for CarPlay. With this integration, you can conveniently play audiobooks from your car while driving.
Audiobooks are now a product of booklender.com. If you’re a lender subscriber, you can access more free audiobooks, and if you want to buy premium books, you’ll get discounts.
14. audiomate
audiomate is a free audiobook app for listening to both audiobooks and podcasts. It features exclusive classic book titles and you can access all of them for free. However, iOS users cannot make use of this app; it is only available for android.
With this app, you get the two regular options of streaming online or downloading to play offline. Before downloading any book title, you can listen to a preview to see if it’s ideal or not.
There are thousands of free audiobooks available on audiomate and some are available in multiple languages. Featured categories include education, technology, business, and music, to name a few.
You can share audiobooks that you find interesting with other users and, conversely, they can share theirs with you. In particular, you can use audiomate if you are an audiobook creator. the app features simple upload tools for text and audio.
Even if the book is not yours, you can still upload an audio narration file with the permission of the original authors. With this, Audiomate’s content library is constantly growing. new audiobook titles are added every week.
15. bookamo
This list of the best free audiobook apps ends with bookamo. This is an application that you can use on Android and iOS, moreover, it is also available on the web. bookamo was developed to help people read without actually reading.
Using bookamo, you can create a personalized library and search for your best audiobooks. the app has thousands of free audiobooks that you can listen to on the go.
In particular, bookamo has registered more than 8,000 users since its launch with audiobooks from around 4,000 authors. in addition, there are books of about 140 different genres. from time to time you get a list of selected books for bookamo.
bookamo is packed with features to help any reader, yet easy to use. allows you to listen at your own pace, as you can slow down or speed up the audiobooks.
Also, while listening to audiobooks, you can create bookmarks or save notes. the app features separate ratings for narrator and author. it’s free to use, but occasionally, you’ll be prompted to watch an ad.
end result
Any of the top 15 free audiobook apps listed above will help you read more comfortably. the ideal to choose depends on the book you want to read. each app comes with a different library.
however, most authors today publish their books on amazon kindle. this makes audible the most recommended audiobook app on the list.
See Also: Ruth Rendell – Book Series In Order