Libro.fm for Audiobooks
Bookish besties, do I have a TREAT for you! I’ve been experimenting with different apps to get the most of my audiobook listening and I think I‘ve found a winner!!! As someone who gets through a lot of her novels in the car or while doing chores around the house, I have quite a few requirements for the perfect platform. My friend, Kyra introduced me to Libro.fm and I was immediately sold. After about a month or two in, here’s why I’ve stuck with Libro.fm and ditched the bigger organization alternatives!
Introducing Libro
As a social purpose corporation and employee-owned company, Libro prioritizes the success of small book shops! They are currently the only audiobook service that supports local and independent bookstores while offering the same, if not better, customer support and products than competing companies.
No Membership Required
One of the many things that separate Libro from its’ competitors is the ability to purchase audiobooks without committing to a monthly or yearly membership! Once you’ve signed up for free, you can visit the website and purchase audiobooks to listen to on the app. While browsing, you’ll see the original price without the membership and the discounted cost with the membership. To proceed without a membership, simply select “add to cart” and continue with your transaction.
I chose to purchase The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller prior to purchasing a membership! Not only was it a bookseller pick, but it was also on sale: even better!
Once you’ve purchased the audiobook, it will automatically be available for download on the app! Now it’s yours to listen to on any device, at any time.
While there is many opportunities to sign up for a membership during the checkout process, Libro is unlike other platforms in that they don’t require or push you to sign up. There aren’t any pop up ads to click out of or hidden script to trick you into a commitment. Libro simply offers popular and new titles that support independent book stores with each and every purchase!
They are quite transparent with their pricing, which is another feature I appreciate. You’ll always have access to the membership price versus the independent purchasing cost of each audiobook.
2. Support Indie Stores
In a world where large companies are quickly taking over, it’s important to support independent and local businesses when able. Rather than handing over more money to the billionaires, let’s buy from small business owners so that they can continue to share their passions, feed their families, and give back to the community.
Libro is passionate about supporting independent book stores and currently partners with over 4,000 of them! You can learn more about their story and goals, here. Every purchase gives back to a local book store and the best part is, you can choose which store to support! Check out their list of partners to see if your favorite book shop is available.
I’ve been a member of Libro for a couple of months now and love supporting my favorite book store, Book Love in Plymouth! Check out their website for amazing bookish events and be sure to stop in on the weekend while I’m on staff!! Everyone there is so kind and helpful and are just DYING to chat books with you!
(ps. I highly recommend asking Noah about the Amulet series, Jamie about romance book recs, or Kyra about her current read - she always has something new going on and keeps us on our toes with releases)
3. All The Best Features
The most important things that I looked for when downloading Libro were the features available in the app. As I was searching for the perfect platform to listen to audiobooks, I found that many of them were missing my favorite features. Spotify doesn’t allow you to bookmark and limits your listening hours. Audible doesn’t allow you to sort your library or roll over any of your paid credits. Libby is a great option to support local libraries, but you have to wait for the books to become available, if they are, at your particular library.. I love Libro most because it’s an extremely well-rounded platform - you can truly tell that it was made by readers for readers!
This graphic is directly from Libro.fm itself! They offer sooo many features that rank them above Audible.
As soon as you open the app, your library acts as a home page. At the top, you can access every audiobook that you’ve purchased. Below that, they are automatically broken into the books that you’re currently listening to, have already finished, have yet to start, and have downloaded to the device.
Furthermore, your audiobooks can be sorted alphabetically (A-Z or Z-A), by genre, listening time (longest vs shortest), language, series (oldest vs newest), and publication date (oldest vs newest). For those who download many audiobooks at once, this makes it so much easier to find and sort them all!
Another feature that Libro offers is live listening statistics. While you are actively listening, you’ll have access to how much time you’ve listened to and what percentage you have completed. Even better than this, you can tap it once, to change the feature and see how much time and percentage you have left! This dual feature is amazing for readers who like to track their daily or weekly reading. Furthermore, you can access this information after the fact in your account via “Your Libro.fm stats.” When I tell you I GASPED when I found this feature - it has changed my life! Just look how cute it is!!
4. Book Recommendations
Every platform has their own curated lists of recommended titles to browse from. Not only does Libro provide catalogs for new releases and best sellers, their indie partners offer their very own staff recommendations!
I’ve had so much fun recommending some of my favorite audiobooks on Libro - check them out along with my coworkers’ recommended books, too! My steamy romance girlies will want to follow Heidi’s picks, while my YA and cozy readers will lean towards Colleen and Miki’s picks. Elizabeth and Katie are great at recommending fast-paced heavy hitters with gripping plots, including memoirs and general fiction. Libro and Book Love have proven that there truly is something for everybody!
5. Credits Don’t Expire
Unlike other services that only allow downloads to a single device, limit the time you have to listen, or require points to be used by a certain date, Libro makes sure you’re getting the most of your money spent! Once an audiobook is purchased on the website, it’s yours for good - just as if you purchased the book itself. You can listen to it at your own pace and on any device that’s logged into your account.
If you sign up for a membership, you’ll obtain 1-2 credits monthly to redeem on an audiobook. Many platforms will require you to use these credits within 30 days or a year before the expire. Not Libro - your credits will carry over to the next month if you don’t happen to use them! This way, you’ll never lose out on a discounted book and always get the most of your paid membership.
Similarly, you can purchase credits without a membership that will never expire! They have many different packages available to best suit your needs. With this option, you can access discounted audiobooks that support an independent book shop without the monthly commitment!
6. Gift an Audiobook
Just in time for the season of gift-giving, send a fellow reader an audiobook! Whether they live far away or prefer audio over paperbacks, Libro allows you to send one virtually. On their website, you can choose from a wide selection of audiobooks to send to one, or multiple, friends!
With just their email, you can schedule and send a gifted audiobook or listening credits to a fellow book lover. You can also print a gift certificate to mail or hand to your friend rather than sending it electronically. Once purchased, this can be accessed and printed under “Gifts” on your account!
Gifting credits is a great option for those who may be wary of books that their friend has already read or purchased. To make this gift even more special, consider including a few book recommendations that you think they’ll enjoy or remind you of them in the personal message of the email/gift certificate.
7. Free Book Clubs
Looking for a book club with no commitment? Libro’s got you covered! Gain access to a selection of audiobooks, subscribe to a monthly newsletter, and you’re in! They currently have three different clubs - kids club for young audiobook listeners, YA club for young adults, and the kiss club for romance lovers. Each month, you’ll find a large selection of audiobooks that are on sale for you to listen to. You can purchase multiple of them, or wait for the next month if you don’t see any that interest you. That’s the best part - no commitment unless you’re interested!
Each month, the book clubs announce their selections and reading schedule (recommended, but certainly not required). Then, you’ll be able to follow the host on Instagram for a final discussion of the book! Learn more about the book clubs and selections on Libro’s blog.
8. Audiobooks for Children
Reading is crucial for children’s development and creativity. Libro offers a wide selection of children’s audiobooks for all ages! There are so many categories to choose from, including best sellers, disabled authors, LGBTQ+ authors, Spanish audiobooks, and truly many more. You can see the expanse of options on their website or learn more about audiobooks and their benefits for young readers!
I am so grateful to have found Libro as a platform for my audiobooks. Supporting independent book stores, getting to share my own recommendations, and having the opportunity to gift audiobooks to my friends all in one place is everything I’ve been searching for! With all the features that matter to me and a shared goal of supporting local shops while promoting a love for reading, I’m certain Libro will keep my business. Make sure to check it out and, if you’re interested, support my local shop, Book Love!
