Reading is a pastime that is quickly diminishing among the younger and even older demographics. With bite-sized media feeds and articles available online, the limited attention span of many makes reading more difficult and less of an attractive activity. For these reasons, the popularity of audiobooks has significantly increased in recent years as a result which allows for consumption of books without the need to read them. This article explores the best audiobooks available to help listeners multitask while they consume the knowledge of various books.
Audiobooks from Audible (iOS/Android)
Boasting over 150,000 titles in its store, Audiobooks from Audible is one of the most comprehensive sources of audiobooks available on the web and in the mobile space. With professional narrators reading the book, the best listening experience is given at all times. Instead of having to download the complete audiobook before it can be listened to, Audible allows for streaming of the audiobooks so that they can be consumed on demand at any time without the need to download and use up storage space on the mobile device. With varying paces at which the audio can be play as well as a dynamic recommendation system that recognizes the kind of content that a user listens to and then recommends related and relevant audiobooks, Audiobooks from Audible is one of the most popular and comprehensive apps that can be used to listen to audiobooks.
https://youtu.be/xd1S3_8eD8c
Free eBooks & Free AudioBooks (Android)
As a personalized reader instead of a pure audiobook player, Free eBooks & Free AudioBooks is an app that enables its users to play a series of audio files instead of having to download the preloaded audiobooks. For example, users are able to import their own text files in various formats as well as download the ebooks from the preloaded selection to listen to the audio files. In this way, users are able to get a virtual audiobook of any of their files, including audiobooks that they have downloaded from other sources. With a simple system to import the files, it becomes extremely easy to read and listen to a series of text files, both imported and downloaded through the app, making it a customized reader for nearly any document.
eReader Prestigio: Book Reader (Android)
As a comprehensive tool that is designed for both intuitive ebook reading as well as audiobook consumption, eReader Prestigio enables for reading of nearly all text files with a significant degree of customization. Users are able to personalize the app through the fonts, page turn animations, and various lighting settings. Similar to Free eBooks & Free Audiobooks, readers are able to upload their own text files and have the text read back to them so that they can have an audiobook of any text file or an audiobook on demand. With library management, various playback speeds, and multidevice syncing, eReader Prestigio is a great source of audio files for ebooks and imported texts.
NOOK Audiobooks (iOS/Android)
With one of the largest selections of audiobooks available at 60,000 titles, users are able to purchase audiobooks and then have instant access to them at any time, even without an internet connection. Implementing a pay-per-book system, users only pay for the books that they want to download instead of having to pay a monthly subscription regardless of how many books are listened to. Furthermore, many titles from across several different genres are free so that users are able to listen to sample books before a purchase needs to be made. With complimentary text that lets users read along with the audiobook as it is being played, NOOK is a versatile tool for those who want to either listen to audiobooks, read, or do both at the same time.
LibriVox Audio Books Free (iOS)
Although LibriVox Audio Books does not have as much of a selection as Audiobooks from Audible with only 24,000 titles, the high degree of customization gives the app a significant advantage. For example, users of the app are able to browse books by chapters, reviews, and create highly customized bookmarks to ensure that they can stop and continue from exactly where they want to. One of the best features of LibriVox Audio Books is that it has a built-in sleep timer so that the books automatically stop playing at a specified time if users are listening to audiobooks before they sleep. As one of the biggest names in the field of audiobooks, LirbriVox Audio Books has thousands of volunteers who update their selection of available audiobooks on a regular basis, making the app one that is highly recommended for those who want professional, well read audiobooks.
