Audiobooks are wonderful ways to pass the time during long commutes or to relax and listen to at home. Online audiobook retailers like Audible have a huge selection of current and popular books to choose from, but there are thousands of free audiobooks available as well through public domain sharing sites such as LibriVox.
LibriVox's library alone has over 2400 audio book titles to choose from, mostly in the form of classic literature whose copyright has expired. Other libraries such as Books Should Be Free also offer a more modest selection of titles as well.
Avoid Free Audiobook Sites That Charge Fees
There are several sites on the Internet that advertise the ability to download free audiobooks but require a small subscription fee to be granted access to them. While these sites are totally within their rights to do this, there is no need for a consumer to pay such a subscription for access to audiobooks that have already been released as public domain or that have been released under a Creative Commons License. For example, searching for a classic such as Huckleberry Finn will return hundreds of potential sources to download the audiobook. Most of these copies of the audiobook are read by enthusiasts or even school teachers that wanted to provide the book in a narrative format for their students. Other versions are more professionally done, with readers that have honed their storytelling skills. If a site produces an audiobook on their own they have the right to charge for it, but as mentioned before most, if not all, classic pieces of literature are available for free in audiobook format on other sites.
Stick With Respected Sites and Readers
One of the things that makes commercial audiobook sites like Audible so popular is that they go to great lengths to hire talented readers that bring life into a story's narrative. If that is important to you then it may be worth it to spend a few dollars a month for a subscription to a pay site. This would also allow you to download current best sellers and other titles that are still under copyright. However, there are still many thousands of audiobooks available through a simple Google search that are every bit as interesting to listen to as the high price versions on the pay sites. Take a look at both options and decide for yourself if free audiobooks are truly worth it for you as a listener.
