At our home, audiobooks are a big part of our daily routine. My wife and I have built a collection of over 300 audiobooks, mostly from platforms like Audible and some older CDs. While I enjoy converting our physical copies into digital files and organizing them in the Books app on my Mac, my wife prefers the convenience of the Audible app.
But recently, that convenience vanished when the Audible app stopped working for her. The app would just show an endless spinning loading icon when she tried to access her library. We tried all the usual fixes—logging in and out, reinstalling the app—all to no avail. A quick search online revealed we were not alone; many users were facing the same issue, but there was little response from Audible or Amazon.
Frustrated with the lack of solutions, I decided to try something different: I set up Audiobookshelf.
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted server for audiobooks and podcasts. After using it for a couple of weeks, I can confidently say it’s an improvement over the Audible app. My wife can now enjoy her audiobooks without being stuck on a loading screen.
To get started with Audiobookshelf, you need a computer to run it on. It doesn’t require much power, so even a spare desktop works well. You can install it via a Docker image or directly on Windows or various Linux distributions. Once set up, it handles updates smoothly, which means you don’t have to worry about installing new versions manually.
In today’s fast-paced world, the audiobook market is booming. A recent report found that sales of audiobooks grew by nearly 25% in 2022, illustrating just how popular this format has become. The convenience of listening during daily activities like commuting or exercising makes audiobooks a favored choice for many.
With this growing trend, having reliable access to audiobooks is more important than ever. Users have taken to social media to share their frustrations and experiences with audiobook platforms, revealing a mix of loyalty and disappointment. A survey showed that 70% of audiobook listeners prefer user-friendly apps, which makes solutions like Audiobookshelf even more appealing.
Overall, Audiobookshelf not only solved our problem but also brought our audiobook collections together in one accessible place. It’s refreshing to see how technology can enhance our reading experiences and keep up with the growing demand for audiobooks.
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