1 yr. ago • 95%

Audiobook Hosting

I want to get away from audible to save money and for privacy. I would like to keep buying audiobooks if possible and host them on my server to stream to my android phone.

I have an unraid plex server at home. Suggestions for hosting and streaming solutions?

Update: I ended up going with audiobookshelf. I love it so far and it does everything I need. More importantly (for me anyway) it's not reliant on a $17/mo audible subscription. Please reach out over DM if you find this post in the future and have trouble getting audiobookshelf to work on unraid!

22 comments

Audiobookshelf got an android app too.

37
Audiobookshelf works great and is very easy to setup using Docker. I get most of my audiobooks through Downpour. They have a subscription that gives credits to redeem for audiobooks similar to Audible, but they are drm-free. I download the audiobooks and move them to my NAS that has Audiobookshelf running on it. Audiobookshelf has a web client and apps for Android and iOS (TestFlight beta).

20
Audiobookshelf all the way.

13
Thanks for the responses! Sounds like audiobookshelf is the way to go.

9
- Audiobookshelf is da bomb! You are going to have a great time while installing it, using it and sharing it with friends and family.
  
  If you need help just send me a DM.
  
  3
Like everybody else here said...audiobookshelf is da bomb. I had an audible subscription for a while and found myself without the time to really listen to enough audiobooks to make it worthwhile so I cancelled. I know I could still access the audiobooks I purchased but I'm always concerned with these companies suddenly having a disagreement with a publisher and nuking a whole pile of media I paid for so I figured out how to download my purchased audiobooks locally to be listened to via audiobookshelf. Worked great.

6
Not what you're asking for and others have provided a lot of options... but if you still want to support authors and get DRM-free audio books, check out https://libro.fm. It works like Audibe credits and easy to pause and resume membership (more cost effective than buying books retail and you can buy extra credits). They also support a local brick and mortar book store of your choice with your purchase.

5
- I'm just looking at this now, supporting a local bookstore is pretty cool
  
  2
I'd also reccomend audiobookshelf. I'm running it using Docker on a VPS.

It has an option for ebooks too, but I don't like the ebook interface, so I use Kavita for those.

5
Sounds like you may have already settled on audiobookshelf, but Plex can easily be used to host all of your audiobooks. You just use a music library.

Someone wrote a great walkthrough here.

4
- I'll probably try both! Thanks
  
  0
  
  If you’re on iOS, Prologue is the best mobile audiobook experience: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/prologue/id1459223267
  
  Audiobookshelf is also very good (and free).
  
  2
Everyone loves audiobookshelf, but since you mentioned Plex, I thought I'd let you know that you can use Plex to host your audiobooks too.

Here's a guide:

https://github.com/seanap/Plex-Audiobook-Guide

I use Prologue for IOS to listen to them.

3
- I have a plex setup too, using Prologue.
  
  I never listen to audiobooks using Plex, and prologue manages listening state just fine for me.
  
  1
  
  I use an iphone, and this is my set up too. Does android have a prologue app?
  
  1
Tagging along on this question, is there a reasonably simple way to rip audible books to a non-proprietary/drm format?

1
- In @nerdias comment in this thread about setting up plex for audiobooks, there is also a section with a link about de-drm’ing your audible books.
  
  I havent troed it out myself, just stumbled upon it while checking out the thread, but I thought I’d point it out.
  
  2
Audiobookshelf user here. Definitely is the best solution at this moment.

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