Why I exploit Libro.fm over Audible for audiobooks in 2024

Audible and I had been two peas in an (Air)pod for years earlier than I discovered one other service that meets my wants as a voracious audiobook consumer. I paused, canceled, and re-upped my membership extra occasions than I can depend, however I at all times got here again when a good friend or colleague really helpful a brand new learn.

I used to be an instructional librarian for eight years earlier than transitioning over to be Pocket-lint’s copy editor, so I’ve adopted authors, publishers, and bookstores claiming that each Amazon and Audible adversely have an effect on their markets and providers. When a former colleague really helpful Libro.fm final yr, I jumped on the choice.

I’ve used Libro.fm all through the previous yr and really feel assured recommending it to audiobook listeners. No good librarian can cowl audiobooks with out mentioning that I am additionally an avid Libby app consumer by way of my native libraries, however there are instances I might moderately personal than mortgage my favourite books, and Libro.fm is my favourite platform for this function. With one small exception, I discovered Libro.fm superior to the Audible experience.

For a service to efficiently exchange some of the handy and enjoyable improvements in trendy studying, it has to really enhance the expertise. I believe Libro.fm does — by providing comparable pricing and assortment dimension to Audible, in addition to a greater user-experience. Libro.fm is a straightforward selection, and it ensures my hard-earned cash can assist my native unbiased bookstores moderately than Bezos’s subsequent house tour.

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1 You’ll be able to assist native companies with Libro.fm

A proportion goes to an unbiased bookstore of your selection

I might by no means say Amazon or Audible customers are unsuitable to assist a big company. I am unable to deny I nonetheless use Audible right here and there, and I choose getting my pet’s provides delivered to my rural handle moderately than shlepping a 20lb bag of cat meals from the grocery retailer.

It is a privilege to have the ability to choose and select the place your cash goes in a world that prices extra yearly and provides much less native choice, however one I attempt to be conscious of the place I can, particularly with bookstores.

With Libro.fm, I can assist native companies, significantly unbiased bookstores, at a comparable value to what I might be paying for on Audible ($14.95). With that in thoughts, I used to be a convert the second I noticed I may have a portion of my month-to-month $14.99 membership despatched to an unbiased bookstore of my selection. I discovered my favourite bookstore in my hometown of 4,800 folks is a taking part retailer. My eyes turned hearts, I paused my Audible membership, and I forked over my bank card to Libro.fm.

2 Audible’s audiobook licensing is a DRM mess

Audible doesn’t assure possession of bought media

Digital rights administration (DRM) is a scorching subject within the media distribution world. DRM-free, within the case of audiobooks, means there’s not a license on the media, limiting you from proudly owning the audio file. All audiobooks on Libro.fm are DRM-free. Audible audiobooks usually are not assured DRM-free, so once you buy the title, you buy the title to stream it on Audible or obtain to your machine for offline listening, however you don’t essentially personal the media recordsdata.

Not each audiobook listener cares about proudly owning the media recordsdata of their purchases. For instance, I do not thoughts this after I use Libby, the free audiobook loaning service by way of my native library, however the possibility is a crucial one after I’m spending cash on audiobooks. Just like the excellence between proudly owning the DVD and the digital copy versus viewing on a streaming service for TV and movie.

While you personal an audiobook file, you possibly can obtain after which add it onto different gadgets, equivalent to a children’s audiobook player like the popular Toniebox or Yoto. You’ll be able to then use the platform’s Inventive Tonies or Make Your Personal Card from Yoto to develop your kid’s audiobook assortment.

Whereas there are numerous guides and options round stripping DRM from Audible titles, the encompassing legality is messy, particularly should you intend to share it out extensively. There are third-party options to assist in turning your Audible assortment right into a DRM-free assortment, however having Libro.fm as an all-in-one app and retailer possibility that does not restrict entry, makes it the superior selection for me.

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3 Suggestions are higher on Libro.fm

Numerous, well timed solutions crafted by actual people, not bots

Onto Libro.fm’s user-experience, it couldn’t be extra environment friendly and pleasing to browse for brand spanking new reads and type by way of suggestions. The lists are all chosen by actual human beings, not robotically sorted and revealed based mostly on algorithms. The unbiased bookstore companions can create their very own collections for looking too, which I discover so cool and neighborhood oriented.

Libro.fm prioritizes collections that readers like me truly wish to see, from age vary suggestions, award winners, and area of interest matters — my private favourite, “Does it have a dragon in it?” Bookstagram and BookTok customers may also discover loads of well timed suggestions with related playlists up to date continuously with trending supplies.

I have not used Audible as an exploratory platform in years, because it’s too impersonal and commercial heavy, whereas on Libro.fm I truly discover new and attention-grabbing reads to queue up inside minutes of opening the app. The collections, or as Libro.fm dubs them: Playlists, are numerous in content material, style, and writers, bringing me extra solutions I might truly prefer to learn moderately than simply high bestsellers.

4 Libro.fm’s UI is healthier, from controls to advertisements

The Audible app homepage is cluttered with promotions and offers

I like the consumer expertise on Libro.fm. While you first open the app, the primary part you see is suggestions, then Playlists — no offers, ads, and membership pushes. In our trendy linked world, our eyes are continually spammed by advertisements, even when paying for a service.

I tremendously admire Libro.fm’s dedication to listeners’ time and expertise on its platform. Talking of membership pushes, Libro.fm has an incredible referral program. For those who get somebody to enroll together with your hyperlink, you may get a free credit score to reward your word-of-mouth advertising and marketing.

The app listening interface is extra intuitive for me in comparison with Audible. Similar to some people discover Android telephones extra user-friendly and useful than iPhones, all of it relies upon by yourself studying fashion. I choose the chapter view characteristic and app controls in Libro.fm. I’ve used Audible on and off for 10 years and nonetheless wrestle to seek out the desk of contents to skip round a ebook in some app views. The icon and placement don’t work for the way my mind is wired. With Libro.fm, I discovered all of the capabilities and carried out the duties I hoped for on the primary attempt.

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5 Libro.fm helps Freedom to Learn Assertion

Works to supply pulled books at low cost or free

On-line booksellers — Amazon included — libraries, and colleges rejoice Banned Books week yearly in September/October. They will share promotional reductions on famously banned books and spotlight the Freedom to Read Statement. These are all nice begins to encourage freedom of thought and the battle in opposition to censorship, however real funding tends to fall flat in favor of selling ploys for a lot of corporations. I have not skilled that as a lot with Libro.fm, which constantly highlights challenged books all year long and went a step additional throughout some main censorship controversies in 2023.

Final yr noticed disruptions in Florida’s excessive colleges on account of its ban on instructing Important Race Principle and details about the LGBTQIA neighborhood. The School Board, which aids in accrediting Superior Placement (AP) faculty credit taken in highschool, said if colleges in Florida deliberate to supply AP Psychology with out masking something surrounding LGBTQIA content material and communities, it will not fulfill the AP requirements and wouldn’t depend for faculty credit score.

The pilot AP African American Studies course first got here beneath hearth when the Florida Division of Schooling believed the course content material would violate its governor’s Cease WOKE Act. Additional response then got here from teachers and students inside the African American Research area after the School Board appeared to take away important course content material from its proposed framework after Florida’s criticism. This framework went through further changes in Dec. 2023.

On the time of those bulletins, I used to be nonetheless a school librarian, and it was an extremely scorching subject for months, and stays one after we handle library and academic establishments’ missions.

When the School Board first edited the framework, seemingly leaving out important content material, Libro.fm shortly created collections based mostly on content material banned in Florida surrounding race and schooling. Libro.fm provided three foundational texts free of charge and closely discounted the others. In apply, this was to develop entry for fogeys and college students who had opted into AP programs to be taught that content material, however felt they no longer had the option to through their public schools. Seeing Libro.fm’s response confirmed an trustworthy try and stroll the stroll as a substitute of the standard lip-service with regard to The Freedom to Learn.

6 Libro.fm’s titles obtainable rival Audible

Elevated title availability final yr to over 450,000 books

Libro.fm

All through 2023, Libro.fm added more titles and bookstores to its assortment, getting as much as a more-even stage to Audible. Whereas Audible holds over 500,000 titles, Libro.fm comprises over 450,000 titles. That means, sure, there’s nonetheless higher availability on Audible, however I am actually happy to see the elevated choices. My new favourite audiobook format, dramatized diversifications, are included in Libro.fm too — about 1,700 outcomes in comparison with Audible’s 2,300 outcomes.

I’ve hardly ever looked for a ebook and never discovered it to date in 2024, which wasn’t the case after I first began utilizing the app in early 2023. I sampled titles lots however ended up heading again to Libby and Audible usually, searching for a distinct title in my early months trialing the app. The title enhance is a formidable enchancment to the user-experience in simply over a yr. It is not fairly up there with Audible but, however I now really feel comfy utilizing Libro.fm as my principal app for buying audiobooks in 2024.

7 I am nonetheless holding on for Audible Exclusives

My one exception and why I hold each apps

With my function at Pocket-lint, I get to check new options on Audible, however it’s vital for me to have an account to take action. Whereas I take pleasure in attempting among the new and newest options in Audible, I hold a private account as a result of a number of of my favourite collection are solely obtainable by way of Audible Exclusives. Moreover, I’ve nearly 80 titles from my years of solely utilizing Audible that I am unable to simply obtain and take with me as a result of they aren’t DRM-free.

Whereas Audible will get a W for bringing me the most recent Sarah J Maas ebook, it’s counter-intuitive to what number of data professionals view entry rights. Even when different platforms, bookstores, or libraries want to buy a replica of the manufacturing for his or her assortment, it isn’t potential on account of Audible utilizing unique manufacturing and distribution.

This creates data entry limitations and forces readers to entry a specific format from just one vendor: Audible. When one vendor holds 63% of the audiobook market share, it may well additionally get away with some practices that don’t support authors’ creative time and work.