When you tap on the downloaded ZIP file you should be given the option to Extract the mp3s from the ZIP file. Start by downloading and opening our audiobook ZIP file on your device – your downloaded file will either appear on the notifications bar or can be found in the My Files app, in Downloads.
Note: these instructions are for newer Samsung mobile an other Android phones may differ slightly... Simple ABP Free should allow you to open the audiobook directly from your downloaded files (easiest) while Smart Audiobook Player has a smarter look, and is good if you have a larger library of audiobooks but requires a couple more steps before you can start listening. We have found Simple ABP Free and Smart AudioBook Player to be 2 of the best free audiobook apps for Android. However, a dedicated audiobook app will allow you to save bookmarks, pick up where you left off and help keep your audiobook separate from your music library. Your android device will play the mp3s contained in our ZIP file without additional apps. Screenshots showing importing an audiobook ZIP file to the BookPlayer iOS app Note, the step in 5th screenshot, where you create a playlist, is optional but worth doing as it ensures that all the chapters are kept together for better management. Open BookPlayer and follow the steps in this graphic to import the audiobook. By default the file will download to your ‘Downloads’ folder. Once the app is downloaded and installed, download the audiobook ZIP file to your device. Use this link or search for BookPlayer in the app store app. We have found BookPlayer to be the best free audiobook player in the iOS app store. See below for information on listening to the audiobook on specific devices:ĭownload the M4B audiobook file to your computer, open iTunes, go to File > Add to library to import the file and choose Audiobooks from the dropdown at the top left. The M4B file is a specially formatted audiobook file for iTunes users. In general, the ZIP file is the most universal format, suitable for most devices. Go to My Downloads in your account area to download. It doesn’t work with Audiobooks with DRM (Apple Books or Audible) but does work well with MP3, M4A, and M4B files.After purchasing an audiobook in Maggie’s shop you’ll receive 2 files.
If you use Plex, and love Audiobooks, you’ll love Prologue. The developer has a tip jar to support continued development, and I frequently use it whenever new updates come out. It’s a fantastic app, and it’s well worth the download.
Prologue is a free download on the App Store, and there is a one time $5 in-app purchase to unlock offline downloads and the collections features I mentioned earlier. It also supports voice boost (similar to Overcast), variable playback speeds, sleep timer, bookmarks, and Siri support. It has a great CarPlay version, so it’s perfect for listening to books in the car. If you build “collections” in Plex (think: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc.), they will show up as Collections in the app. Playback progress syncs over iCloud to listen on your iPhone and your iPad without losing your spot. Instead of having to load your books manually, you sign in to your Plex server, and all of your books are available to stream or download offline. Once that is all set up, the Prologue app becomes the best audiobook app on the App Store. There is a step-by-step guide for configuring it on the Plex Forums. While Plex doesn’t support it out of the box, it’s a pretty straight forward process to add a section of your library for books. Once I discovered it was possible to put these files into Plex, it became an audiobook dream setup for me.
I will often find cheaper copies of books on CD from Amazon, and then use Audiobook Builder to combine them into an M4B format that works great for audiobooks. I’ve had an Audible subscription since 2008, and I’ve listened to hundreds of books during that time. I’ve been an audiobook fan for as long as I can remember. Earlier this year, I added a new type of media to my server: Plex audiobooks with the Prologue app.
Plex is an essential part of my media life for TV and Movies. I then have my setup rounded out with a Backblaze subscription to keep everything backed up. After that, I used an Nvidia Shield for several years and recently moved to an Intel NUC with a 14 TB external drive to house all of my media.
I set up my first very Plex server running on an old MacBook Pro I had, and it worked well for several years. When I moved in 2013, I decided I was done with physical media for TV shows and movies and ripping all of my DVDs into digital format.