A Simple Guide To Audiobook Services (With Book Recs)

August 8, 2025

By Ariana Copeland

As an avid reader, I'm always eating up books in one form or another. As much as I love reading physical books, sometimes I prefer to immerse myself in the wonder that is an audiobook (especially if it's dramatized - more on that later).

Listening to an audiobook is an entirely different experience from reading a physical book . For me, it's my primary way of taking in stories. As a mom with young kids, I have to find a way to read to help me get through the everyday tasks of child-rearing. Being able to put on my earbuds or take out my phone, grab a book, and listen as I go about my chores makes hitting my bookish goals for the year so much easier.

What Are Audiobooks?

Where you might be used to hearing the "voices" in your mind as you read along, an audiobook presents those voices to you externally, via literal narrators. The fun thing about audiobooks is that each is its own unique experience, especially if you decide to try out a full cast audiobook, one with multiple narrators, or even just one very well-experienced narrator who knows how to immerse you in the characters and plot (bonus points if they're a celebrity you like!).

Some books, especially in the fantasy genre, are adapted into dramatized audiobooks (think Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros or A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas ), where sound effects and music accompany a full cast of narrators. These audiobooks are super immersive, and I like to listen to them with my eyes closed as I relax and take in everything that's going on.

Audiobooks have grown in popularity in recent years thanks to their convenience and accessibility. Now, many books are being adapted into either word-for-word or abridged (shortened) audiobooks, and you're likely to find a book you're looking for in this format.

Do Audiobooks Count As Reading?

Yes, listening to an audiobook is definitely reading! Don't let naysayers convince you otherwise. We all know that a child who is read to by their parents is more likely to become an adult reader, but we also know that it counts as reading to them! No one has ever discounted a "storytime" event for kids, so why do we discount audiobooks as real reading? We are taking in stories – much like many cultures did and still do through oral traditions.

For many people, finding the time to sit down and read a book can be difficult, and audiobooks are the perfect solution to get through more pages throughout your day. It's as simple as popping in your headphones when you go for a walk or listening while you shower. The best part is that you can set the audiobook to x1.5 or x2 speed and get through the book in around half the time!

Where To Listen To Audiobooks?

Best Way To Listen To Audiobooks for Free

Libby/Hoopla

If you are looking to try out some audiobooks without worrying about money, then send up a happy cheer for the wonders that are our libraries.

My guess is that if you're a reader, then you already have a library card… or several. So let me show you how you can use that card to access audiobooks. Either on your browser or through your phone apps, you can find Libby and Hoopla – library-based sites that provide you access to both ebooks and audiobooks connected to your library.

You put in your library information, specifically your library card details, and voila, you have audiobooks at your fingertips! Hoopla gives you a set monthly amount of instant borrows, which means you can immediately start reading. The specific amount and terms depend on your library. Libby will let you check out books based on your own library's set amounts. Mine goes up to 20 holds and 20 borrows.

Get ready to browse, try out something new, or dip your toes in by listening to a book you already know. If it helps, you can go to the FAQs for each site and get more details for yourself.

Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/faq

Libby: https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/categories/frequently-asked-questions.htm

Audiobooks on Libby / Hoopla, which I highly recommend (these are also past OwlCrate books subscription box choices):

Together We Burn and What the River Knows, both by Isabel Ibanez, narrated by Ana Osorio on Libby.

On Hoopla, you can try out Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, Pete Cross, and Matthew Frow, or A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld.

The fun thing about these two audiobook services is that fairly often, if you don't find a book in one, the other might have it.

YouTube

YouTube is another service that gives you access to a range of free audiobooks. Now, be aware that these might come with a little reservation. While some authors have their own channels and post their books as audiobooks freely (examples include: Anastasis Blythe, Mary Mecham, Daniel Greene), that is not always the case for all the audiobooks you might find on there, so if you want to support authors or small businesses, I urge you to use Libby, Hoopla or a paid audiobook subscription service.

Paid Access Audiobook Services

Apple Books

For anyone fond of their Apple products, Apple Books is one of the few services that doesn't work on a subscription basis . Apple Books gives you access to a library full of ebooks and audiobooks where you can buy titles individually, and then they're yours!

As a bonus, you can share your purchased books with up to 5 family members, and through iCloud, you can sync your books across your devices, allowing you to access them wherever you go.

Great audiobooks available on Apple Books (which were featured in past OwlCrate boxes):

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, narrated by Natalie Naudus.
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen, narrated by Yetide Badaki.

Spotify

One service that offers varying degrees of access and details is Spotify. With a Spotify Premium subscription, costing $11.99 a month, you get 15 hours of audiobooks per month , plus access to their music and library.

If you don't use up all 15 hours in one month, the leftover time does not roll over at the renewal of the month. However, if you reach the 15-hour limit and want to listen to more books, Spotify has 10-hour top-ups available that you can purchase as part of their Audiobooks+ add-ons option.

You can also buy audiobooks directly and listen to them at your own convenience without a time limit. Do note that you can find some titles for free on Spotify, mostly classics, but occasionally other kinds of books as well.

Now, Spotify does have the option of Spotify Audiobook Access for $9.99 a month. This gives you 15 hours a month and access to their audiobook library, but if you still plan to listen to music, that will only be on their free, ad-supported service.

Great audiobooks available on Spotify (which were featured in past OwlCrate boxes):

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison, narrated by E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee.
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, narrated by Therese Plummer and Ben Holtzmuller.

Honorary Mentions For Paid Subscription Services

All the services below offer audiobooks in their own way, and some also provide ebooks. If you're interested in trying any of them out, you're in luck, since most have some sort of offer available to trial them for free/cheap.

Libro.fm

Price:

$14.99/month - 1 credit a month (which allows you to get 1 audiobook)
$23.99 / month - 2 credits a month (which allows you to get 2 audiobooks)

What you get in addition to credits: 30% off additional audiobooks. Unused credits roll over to the next month. By choosing Libro, you're also supporting local bookshops, making it a great choice!

New Subscriber Perk: Get two free audiobooks with the cheaper subscription when you use the promo code SWITCH.

Kobo

Price:

Kobo Plus Listen: $7.99/month (gives you access to audiobooks only)
Kobo Plus Read & Listen: $9.99/month (gives you access to both ebooks and audiobooks)

What you get: Unlimited access to more than 150,000 audiobooks (and 1.5 million ebooks, depending on the subscription you choose), allowing you to listen to as many as you want / can during the month.

New Subscriber Perk: First 30 days free.

Everand

Price:

Standard plan - $11.99 per month (1 unlock)
Plus plan - $16.99 per month (3 unlocks)

What you get: Access to over 20,000 ebooks, audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals (exclusive stories from a range of authors, available only on Everand). Ability to unlock titles from their premium catalog of 1.5M+ ebooks and audiobooks.

New Subscriber Perk: Free for 30 days.

BookBeat (Best For Those In The UK)

Price:

Basic - £6.99/month (20 hours/month)
Standard - £10.99/month (40 hours/month)
Premium - £17.99/month (100 hours/month)

What you get: Access to 1 million books (audiobooks and e-books). Ability to add up to 5 other profiles for £4.99 per extra profile/month.

New Subscriber Perk: Free for 60 days with 40 hours of free listening to audiobooks.

Examples of audiobooks which you can listen to on Everand or BookBeat:

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros (dramatized audiobooks)
Duneby Frank Herbert
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
Hunger Gamesby Suzanne Collins

Now that we've reached the end, I hope you now have a better understanding of the world of audiobooks. I'm always looking for a good audiobook recommendation, so if you have any, drop them below!

Ariana is wife to her cinephile husband and mother to her three littles. Whenever she’s not chasing her kids, she is a part-time licensed counselor. She lives in South Carolina and goes about her days with an audiobook in her ears and a new storyline in her mind. She can be found on The Nest and StoryGraph as “starlightfox” and on Goodreads as “Ariana Copeland.”