10+ Best Audiobook Apps

One of the fastest-growing segments in digital publishing, Audiobooks make reading listening to bestsellers on-the-go a breeze. Thanks to advanced technology, audiobooks are more accessible today than ever before, which has led to its continuous rise in popularity.

This, in turn, has led to an increase in the demand for professional voice over artists for audiobooks, as a good audiobook narrator makes all the difference between an audiobook being a bestseller (ranking on the top of the list) or getting lost in the crowd.

If you are looking for the best audiobook apps for Android and iPhone, then I have got you covered with this extensive list of free audiobook apps and paid audiobook apps with subscriptions that you can choose from.

Also here are some audio narration tips to help you convey a strong message in society depending on the subject.

However, before we look at these popular apps for audiobooks, here is a quick glimpse at some of the latest audiobook statistics and trends.

What Does the Statistics Say About Audiobooks?

• Audible said it already had about “tens of thousands” of listeners who logged from India into the US website and mobile application to listen to its content. (EconomicTimes),
• Association of American’s Publishers released a report of the audiobooks’ statistics; it witnessed the elevation of 32.1% of revenue, earned by publishers alone from audiobooks. (Businessworld)
• 57% of frequent audiobook listeners are under the age of 45. (Goodereader)
• The audiobook and podcast market is expected to grow by 25 to 30% compared with the overall media and entertainment industry growth of just 4%, globally. (Financialexpress)
• The Audiobook Publishers Association (APA) annual consumer survey shows that 56% of audiobook listeners say that they are making “new” time to listen to audiobooks, and subsequently consuming more books.(Publishingperspectives)

Best Apps For Audiobooks

1. Audible – Listening is the New Reading

With over 200,000 English and Hindi audiobooks and original titles, including 400 titles by Indian authors, Audible is one of the top-rated audiobook apps. It has the biggest library of audiobooks which includes different genres; classic, fiction, non-fiction, technology, politics, fashion, health & wellness, romance, among others.

Browse through some of my works on Audible.

Audible India comes with a 30-day free trial, at the end of which you need to sign-up for a monthly subscription. It offers easy book exchange and returns. It allows you to listen to unlimited Audible Original shows for free. Most importantly, even if you cancel the membership, you can access all the downloaded audiobooks in your Audible library.

The Audible app is available for download on iOs and Android devices as well as Kindle and other Amazon products (Echo, Tap or Echo Dot). You can also directly listen on your computer via the Audible website. So, don’t wait and download the free Audible app to begin your trial today!

2. Spotify – Free Music/Audiobooks for Everyone

If you are looking for the best free audiobook app, then Spotify is a great choice.

Spotify is a Sweden-based music streaming platform that also offers its users a good selection of audiobooks. The audiobook app is available for all Android and iOS devices. Its library of books includes biography, popular fiction and non-fiction, storybooks for kids, sci-fi fantasy etc. The wide collection of audiobooks cater to the needs of all age groups; kids, teenagers, young adults, etc.

The best part about Spotify is that you can access the entire audiobook library for free, no subscription needed. Also, for an ad-free experience, you can switch to its premium plan that includes a 30-day free trial.

3. Audiobooks – Signup for a Free Trial and Get 3 Audiobooks Free

While the library of this cloud-based platform is not as extensive as Audible, the Audiobooks app does, however, have an impressive catalogue of 175,000+ premium titles. The different genres it offers include bestseller fiction & non-fiction, business & economics, classic literature, award-winning drama & comedy, mystery, thriller & horror, foreign language titles and much much more.

This free audiobook app is available for iOS and Android mobile devices, wherein you can live stream audiobooks or download it for offline listening. It also allows its readers to listen to over 1.2 million free podcasts. Click here to learn more about podcast voice over services. What’s more, it offers a free 30-day trial and offers you a flexible premium membership plan that you can cancel at any time.

4. Google Play Books – Home of Your Favourite eBooks and Audiobooks

As a cross-platform application, Google Play Books has over a million bestselling ebooks, comics, textbooks, and audiobooks. It offers a free preview of audiobooks before you purchase them. It allows you to easily move audiobooks across devices; smartphones, e-readers, desktops and tablets.

This app doesn’t work on any subscription-based model but allows for in-app purchases. It is available for download on iOS and Android devices. Plus, the good thing is, all downloaded audiobooks automatically get sync on all devices that are connected to your Google account, so you can easily pick up where you left.

5. LibriVox – Free Public Domain Audiobooks

One of the best free audiobook apps out there in the market, LibriVox is a good choice for beginners who want to try out audiobooks before subscribing to a premium plan. Librivox is a non-commercial, non-profit and ad-free project, wherein volunteers from all over the globe contribute recordings, in different languages, to the public domain.

It has a fairly good collection of 15,000 free audiobooks that includes classic, biographies & memoirs, gothic fiction, romance, poetries, and more. Also, users can listen to free audiobooks on their computers, mobile devices (Android & iOS), iPods or even burn it onto a CD.

6. Amazon Kindle Books with Audible

Now you can seamlessly switch from reading ebooks to listening to audiobooks with the Amazon Kindle app. If you already own a Kindle e-reader, then all you need to do is update your Kindle ebook with an Audible audiobook.

Next, the Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice feature will ensure the books that you buy via the Amazon Kindle Store is synced with their audio iteration, thereby providing you with a great option of listening to what you are reading on-the-go.

So get started and purchase a digital audiobook, which you can listen to on Kindle reading app, Kindle devices, Fire tablet, etc.

*On the Kindle App, books that have an audiobook will feature a headphones icon in the upper right corner.

7. Hoopla Digital – Streaming Audiobooks, Music, Video & eBooks

As a digital media service, Hoopla allows you to borrow audiobooks, movies, eBooks music, etc which you can then watch on your mobile devices, desktop PC, tablet or TV. It has a huge collection of hundreds of thousands of titles that you can browse through and choose. It allows you to stream digital content or you can download and watch it offline at leisure.

8. Serial Box – Best Audiobook & eBook App for Science Fiction & Fantasy Series

This is another best app for audiobooks that is free to download and browse. With Serial Box, you get both the audiobook & eBook for one price, which you can listen to or read on your phone, tablet or laptop. What’s more, you can also switch back & forth with a click-of-the-button with their Flow Reader feature.

This audiobook app offers bite-sized stories including but not limited to sci-fi/fantasy, drama, comedy, fiction, non-fiction and more. It also offers you a free preview of nearly all titles, so you can read/listen to the eBooks and audiobooks before you make a purchase.

9. Loyal Books – Free Audiobooks and eBook Downloads

A great option in the free audiobook apps for Android category, Loyal Books offers you a selection of over 7000 audiobooks and eBooks. Apart from the wide range of genres, most of the titles on this platform are available in different languages; English, Hindi, Tamil, French, Urdu and many more.

It offers you an easy search option, wherein you can search for eBooks/audiobooks by title, keywords or author. This free audiobook app is also available for iOS devices. Plus, it offers a preview of titles and allows you to stream online or download them for offline listening.

10. eStories – Discover over 120,000 Audiobooks

With over 120,000 audiobook titles, eStories is the best audiobooks app that can be easily downloaded for Android or iPhone devices. Its vast catalogue includes fiction and non-fiction audiobooks as well as mystery & thrillers, history, young adult books, NYT bestsellers, latest releases and more.

With personalised search, you can easily find your next favourite audiobook, which you can stream or download for offline listening. It can also automatically sync your audiobooks across (up to) 10 devices. eStories audiobook app offers unlimited cloud storage and has a 30 days return policy if you are not satisfied with your purchase.

11. Scribd – Discover the Best eBooks, Audiobooks, Magazines & more

Scribd is an American eBook and audiobook subscription service that offers easy access to over one million titles. The app is available for download on iOS and Android devices. It is the largest digital library, wherein subscribers can read/listen to unlimited eBooks and audiobooks any time, anywhere. However, its collection of audiobooks is pretty small (30,000), when compared to other audiobook apps mentioned in this list.

12. The Libby App by OverDrive – Free eBooks & Audiobooks

With this audiobook app, you can borrow and read eBooks & audiobooks from your local public library for free. From classics to kids stories to NYT bestsellers, you can pick your favourite and listen to it any time you want. Also, apart from streaming content, the Libby app allows for offline download of audiobooks, which you can then listen to on Android/iOS devices or Kindle.

13. Kobo – eBooks, Audiobooks, eReaders and Reading Apps

With more than 5 million titles, this app has a decent library of audiobooks that you can choose from. It offers both paid and free audiobooks for Android and iOS devices. Kobo is similar to Google Play Books and allows for in-app purchases for eBooks, while its audiobook subscription service is similar to Audible.

Conclusion

For anyone with a passing curiosity for audiobooks, these free and paid audiobook apps are the best place to start. Most of these apps come with a free trial, so you can pick one after giving each one a try. Thus, get started today and enjoy listening to your favourite books at your convenience. Also, if you are searching for an experienced voice over artist for Audiobooks, then get in touch to know how I can help!

Peter Abraham

Peter Abraham is a versatile voice-over artist based in Mumbai working in the voiceover industry since 2009. With a passion for storytelling and meticulous attention to detail in every project, he brings scripts to life with his captivating voice and professional delivery, exceeding client expectations. Whether it's a commercial or an audiobook, Peter specializes in a wide range of voice-over work, ensuring the highest quality.