Audiobooks that won’t Break the Bank

I lOVE me some audiobooks. They’re great when I’m too busy to crack a spine or scroll on an e-reader. Long ago, my mom got me into listening to novels. Back then it was uncommon for even the Library to have audiobooks. Actually, they were called Books on Tape as in cassette tapes. There were rental shops designed for reader’s ears. Even then one could rarely find a good listen for under $20. But here’s a way to score audiobooks for $5 or under.

LibriVox

My family LOVES librivox.org. They take public domain literature and bring them to life. Volunteer-based the quality of narrators is hit and miss. But there are definitely hidden gems within their massive library. Books I would never know existed if it weren’t for Librivox. PLUS THEY’RE FREE- making Librivox a budget-friendly way to listen. I love using it to supplement heavy classic lit in our homeschool. Sometimes I’ll let my students listen to the entire book as they read along or walk outside. Other times I only let them use Librivox for every other chapter. One thing stays consistent- Librivox is a lifesaver.

YOUTUBE

Yup, you read that right. YouTube often has fully narrated and abridged works of fiction. Again, narration quality is hit or miss. However, every once in a while, a modern author will offer their entire audiobook for free on YouTube. If you come across a gem like that, be considerate. Give it an up thumb, an encouraging comment, and then head over to an online bookseller and leave a review. This would really help an author out-and they might just be too polite to ask you outright.

Just make sure- as best as you can- that the channel acquired the books legally. Pirating hurts- I speak from experience!!! Books are a writer’s livelihood and audiobooks are expensive. Don’t rob the writer. Many people don’t realize they’re engaged in the act. – That also includes me- though I try my best.

A good rule is if the book is in the public domain you’re in the clear and if the author themselves published the video than you’re welcome to it. Other wise be careful!

Here’s a just a few channels where you can find audiobooks on YouTube:

Audiobooks and ASMR

BooksOnline

Alana Terry (she’s a christian mystery author so the books are hers.)

Audible

You know, AUDIBLE. Amazon’s giant audiobook seller. Authors and Publishers run deals on audiobooks all the time. Audible can drop the price of their books at any time. They can also offer members two for one deals. Making books much more affordable.

DON’T FORGET to look on the books Kindle page. Often an ebook will be a low price and after purchasing a customer can add the audio version for a lowered rate. One series I love has book one listed for free and adding the audiobook was only 3.99. THat’s two versions for less than one. Plus the audiobook version alone was selling for $24!!! THat’s a big discount!

Then there are always box sets on audio. Often you can score the first 3 in a series for under $20- that’s less than $7 apiece.

Chirp

Next comes Chirp! It’s an easy to use and membership free auidbook seller. They also run incredible deals! In fact, click here and type feartured deals into the search bar. You are sure to find many- many- MANY audibooks for under $5.

Deal them I sent you and then dive into your next great read.

Authors Themselves

As I mentioned before, occasinoally an author will be so excited about sharing their stories they’ll offer a deep discount to their loyal fans. Usually to find out about such deals you’ll want to be on their email lists and or following them on social media.

At the moment, I’m offering my first mystery on audiobook for only $5 on my Buy Me a Coffee site. My fans are able to share this link with their friends who can purchase Missing on Main Street for the same great price- thus widening my books reach and blessing my community of readers.

Or you can visit my Authors Direct site for more deals. 🙂

Where do you and your family score audiobooks?

Please leave your favorites in the comments. I’m always looking for a new book.