For those on iOS looking for a companion app, check out plappa for a great app to access your Audiobookshelf/jellyfin instance. It works flawlessly for me, no data collection, and it allows downloading books in advance for on the go if you choose not to have external access to your server.
this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2025
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I love Audiobookshelf, my main complaint is the Android app crashes when killed by Android (so when I try to open it I get a message about it crashing and then have to reopen it). That might just be a me thing.
I used the tool Libation to download my Audible books. There was a Firefox extension to download audiobooks from Libby but it's no longer working because Libby changed something and the dev didn't have time to fight the battle, anyone have a good solution to that?
I love Audiobookshelf, my main complaint is the Android app crashes when killed by Android (so when I try to open it I get a message about it crashing and then have to reopen it). That might just be a me thing.
Hmm, I've been using Audiobookshelf on my Android phone(s) for at least the last year without issues like that. Are you using the F-droid or Play Store version? I'm using F-droid if that matters.
F-Droid. Might be relevant that I'm on GrapheneOS.
It's working without issues on my gos
Good to know. I wonder what the issue is. It has always done it, for the year or more I've used it.
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Hmm. Perhaps. I'm just on stock Android, so I couldn't even test further if I wanted to :( Sorry, mate.
Also consider the Lissen app for audiobookshelf on F-Droid. I've been using it and find it to be a much more enjoyable experience
Ooh thanks for the reminder. It's installed on my phone but I've never actually used it. I think I forget to use it when it comes to actually listening.
If you already have a Plex instance running, Prologue is an app that turns it into an audiobook host as well. Plex doesn’t natively support audiobook metadata like chapters, but Prologue simply uses Plex’s remote access to reach the files.
All you do is throw the .m4b audiobook files into a music library on Plex, sign into your Plex account on Prologue, and Prologue handles all of the metadata for the audiobooks instead of using Plex’s built-in music player.
I mention this because I had massive issues trying to get ABS to work on my setup. It simply refused to read or write any data from my NAS. After a day or two of throwing myself at it to no avail, I found Prologue and haven’t looked back. I already had Plex running for some friends and family, so setting up the music library was as easy as dropping the audiobooks into a folder.
Thanks for the tip, unfortunately I don't use Plex I'm on the Jellyfin side but someone pointed out there's another app connected to Audiobookshelf so I will use that next time.
I've been liking the app 'Lissen' - works great https://github.com/GrakovNe/lissen-android (also on GrapheneOS btw)
Yip that's the other mentioned app. I'll try to remember to use it next time I am listening to something.
What I really want is a a similar project for epub files. I’ve not been able to find a web based library that allows easy download and auth based management.
I use Calibre to manage my librairy on my NAS, and COPS (https://github.com/seblucas/cops) to access it from anywhere. COPS just read the Calibre database saved on the NAS, and displays it as a self-hosted web site with all categories (authors, ratings, languages,...) and download links.
Oooo thank you for this. I already use Calibre but their web offering is imho kinda bad. This looks like it’s pretty much a drop in solution to my problem. If I throw it behind a zero trust page I can even open it up to the open internet.
Thank you for this!
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Yes, I am aware of where this is posted and am prepared for my inevitable crucifixion as a result of this observation. But, like... is this really a problem that requires a self hosting solution? That seems like quite the overcomplication to me unless you absolutely require access to your entire selection on multiple devices that will have 24/7 network connections for some reason. I imagine most people actually don't. And if you do, a simple file share is probably a less convoluted solution, and surely already exists on the server you already have.
MP3's take up negligible amounts of storage space on modern devices and can be played on anything, and can be easily taken with you anywhere including out of network range.
I guess teaching people how to drag-and-drop audio files onto their phone and open them with VLC would be a much shorter article.
(Ed: Punctuation.)
Its nice to share with others
Mostly agree. Audiobooks are not my thing, but of it were - I'd look for a way to resume where I left off, maybe some recommendation on what to listen to next.
In general - once you're into hosting stuff and past the initial barrier of setting everything up - adding another service is dead simple.
MP3s do not show artwork or keep your place, and they don't sync across devices.
Artwork
Yes they can, via images embedded in their ID3 tags. This is supported by a huge array of players in terms of both physical hardware and software.
Keep your place
Yes they can, via many players (including both VLC which is what I use, and also my car stereo).
Sync across devices
This much is true, at least in the players I use. There's probably a solution with some specific player somewhere.
But specifically for audiobooks, I don't... need... to play across multiple devices. I listen via only two methods: My headphones (which are driven by my phone) and in my car (which works with my phone). I only actually use one player. It goes with me everywhere. Ours go with most of us everywhere; we're naked without 'em.
If your use case requires a networked solution, you do you. I'm just saying, don't automatically get blinded by how the Streaming Era has kind of fucked up everyone's brain.
Edit: Downvoting me doesn't change the fact that what you said was false.
I'd rather not have my library files available to everyone in the house. My NAS only has secured access via these apps.
As mentioned they keep position, copy files over as you access them, tailscale allows access everywhere.
I transition from mobile phone to PC more than twice a day. Just because you don't want an app to do it doesn't mean others don't have the requirements.
I'm not saying nobody has that requirement, I'm just predicting that most people actually don't if they sit down and think about it for a minute.
Also, what jaroni just said about cover art and position saving is still patently false and has been since, like, 1994.
Yeah thats true but it's a fuck around via the gui without automation which these apps offer. I prefer m4a though.
Yup. Audio books aren't very big once converted to a reasonable format and with the amount of space these days, I can comfortably keep a dozen on me at all times.
I'd much rather choose the book I want to listen to by clicking on the book's cover than look for it on one of my many harddrives
I'm with you, but it'd still be nice to have an audiobook centered interface to drag those audiobooks from.
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My wife likes murders and romance, any suggestions for eBook?
Like where to find them?
I use the Voice app on Fdriod but it doesnt do syncing that I know about. I fully recommend instead of using Audible.
If you dont own the files, then you dont really own the media.
AudioAnchor + Syncthing for Android via F-Droid has been my mobile audiobook app stack. Takes some setting up and concatenating audiobook mp3s into mkv's for convenience, but I haven't had to touch it since... 2020?
@mesamunefire @cm0002 Voice + Syncthing-fork is what I use. It syncs between an audiobook directory on my laptop and my phone.
Has anybody any experience with storyteller?