101

submitted 8 months ago by Rizoid@programming.dev to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

38 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Is there any good sites for audiobooks that aren't behind private trackers? I have a great set up with normal ebooks but my wife's job has here driving for multiple hours a day so she wants audiobooks and I can't seem to find any consistent sites.

all 42 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[-] peanuts4life@beehaw.org 36 points 8 months ago

Not piracy, but if you're in the US and get a library card, you can use the Libby app, which has tons of free audiobooks on demand. Definitely worth it, imho. You can download for offline use easily too, which makes it excellent for travel.

Piracy? I've been converting my epubs into html files and then using the edge browser's excellent voice to text to read it out to me, but that's my own special brand of insanity.

[-] imkali@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 8 months ago

Libby works in Australia, too, fyi.

[-] queue@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Libby often had any popular books often taken up by other users, so I couldn't read until someone else "turned in their copy".

I get libraries in real life that have limited stock of books, but it's a epub file hosted somewhere. The only limit is the server space and bandwidth costs.

Also the app was so laggy on even my (at the time) midrange device, that it felt like I was browsing books on molasses.

If they've fixed that, that's incredible. I haven't used it since, it left such a horrible impression. Trying to limit an endless digital supply, like making ebooks into early NFTs.

[-] wren@sopuli.xyz 13 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

There’s better licencing options for libraries now that allow librarians much better control over getting their patrons the books they want, you should give it another go.

Libraries can buy metered access and one copy one circ, and depending on how the library’s consortium agreement is, usually home patrons holds will get advantage over same-system-but-different-home-library holds; so those will still have the ‘limited like a physical book’ restriction, but you’ll have priority if your library bought a copy. We also use Cost Per Circ, and so as long as our monthly budget hasn’t been met, any books I’ve added as part of our CPC collection can be taken out instantly by my patrons even if the wait time would’ve been months long due to how many people are on hold. If the budget has been met, those holds on CPC titles will be filled once the 1st of the month rolls around and the budget resets.

Give it another try, and put the books you want on hold. Librarians have a harder time knowing what their patrons want when they don’t have data because patrons don’t place holds. I’ll add books to CPC whenever I can, even if there’s only one or two holds on a title

[-] xspurnx@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Look, someone who's good at their job!

[-] bigbadmoose@lemmy.world 35 points 8 months ago

Ive been using audiobookbay.is/

[-] Sharpiemarker@feddit.de 5 points 8 months ago

This is the way

[-] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 8 points 8 months ago

This is a way. Mando aside, the audiobook bay is better than spending money but it's not anywhere near as good as private trackers like anonamouse

[-] Blxter@lemmy.zip 3 points 8 months ago

They have not been working for me as of late have not tried in a couple days though.

[-] Symphonic@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

It wasn't working over VPN for me either. I use protonvpn. Then I figured out if I connect to Netherlands, disable netshield and go to the .nl website, it works. I think it has something to do with tracker blocking that is not letting the website load.

[-] datavoid@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

I can't connect without tor personally

[-] abieNathanTheyThem@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 months ago

If your is device rooted, check the hosts file located at “/system/etc/hosts” If anyone has tampered with it, that's unusual!

Otherwise, I recommend using a privacy-hardened browser such as Mull. https://www.f-droid.org/packages/us.spotco.fennec_dos/ https://gitlab.com/divested-mobile/mull-fenix

For context, personally using ProtonVPN with a custom NextDNS for extra security.

[-] sandpiper@lemmy.world 27 points 8 months ago

Libby all the way.

I use Libby every single day. It’s free and linked with your library card. Sometimes books have waits, depending on your library availability, but there are still millions available. When I worked as an Amazon driver, this got me through the long shifts.

[-] EmpiricalFlock@beehaw.org 15 points 8 months ago

Until someone comes in with a valid option, MyAnonaMouse has open sign ups with a relatively short interview. That was my first private tracker and I passed the interview despite barely knowing how to torrent. I've heard invites are easy to come by if you know someone, too. Ratio is incredibly easy to maintain, too.

It is not a public tracker, and as such does not answer your prompt. Just wanted to provide a stopgap until a valid option is suggested.

[-] azerial@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 8 months ago

I love MAM

[-] blindsight@beehaw.org 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

MAM is one of the better ones for ebooks, too, isn't it? I should probably look into getting on it.

The "best" tracker for ebooks is, apparently, impossible to get an invite for.

Edit: lol, I should have clicked the link first. Self-described, but "You have found your way to arguably the best private tracker for ebooks..."

[-] DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 8 months ago

I don't really read ebooks, MAM has been supremely adequate for audiobooks for me though. I've never gone looking for an audiobook and been unable to find it there.

[-] thagoat@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago

So what is the "best" ab tracker?

[-] blindsight@beehaw.org 2 points 8 months ago

Bibliotik, apparently, but I don't have a membership to check. It's basically impossible to get an invite, from what I've heard.

[-] thagoat@lemmy.ml 2 points 8 months ago

Ah, OK. Haven't heard that name. Thanks 😁

[-] blindsight@beehaw.org 11 points 8 months ago

Audiobookbay.nl is the best public audiobook tracker.

[-] jlow@beehaw.org 1 points 8 months ago

[-] CatZoomies@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

Check your local library. I used to visit my local library a lot before the pandemic when I lived closer to one. I borrowed audiobooks all the time and ripped them to my PC.

[-] Vendetta9076@sh.itjust.works 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Audiobookbay or myanonamouse are my goto's.

MAM is private in name only.

[-] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 2 points 8 months ago

Yes, but it's private enough to not get any DMCA letters.

[-] Firenzebel@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

I know it sucks but in the worst case if you really need a quick fix, Android ebooks readers like "fullreader" will read your existing ebooks through the android TTS

I tried searching for another app using better quality voices (some do use amazing AI voices) but they're of course not free and I couldn't find a working cracked version as they use a remote server for the AI

It lacks the tones and quality of a real voice actor, but until you find a reliable source...

[-] TheMadnessKing@lemdro.id 3 points 8 months ago

I have been thinking of maybe having some way that Audiobooks (split in mp3s) are available directly to stream using Podcast Apps like Pocket Casts.

I got to the point where I can split the M4B into Mp3s, and manually creating the XML File for the podcast. The only problem is where should I host it.

[-] xkb@aussie.zone 6 points 8 months ago

https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf

[-] TheMadnessKing@lemdro.id 1 points 8 months ago

The project looks good. Will try if someday I decide to self-host stuff.

[-] navi@lemmy.tespia.org 3 points 8 months ago

ABTorrents is one of the good ones. Private though.

[-] tradingBuddhist@kbin.social 1 points 8 months ago

Private as in its a private tracker?

[-] overzeetop@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

yes(?), but it appears to have open signups at the moment.

[-] Mr_Blott@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I've been using mobilism dot org for over a decade. A bit hit or miss, but I have myanonymouse as a backup

I devour audiobooks and it's very rare I can't find something between those two

[-] BrownianMotion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Do you use Usenet? Then any spotweb(spotnab) site will give you tons.

Oh and I believe Readarr can do Audiobooks as well as regular ebooks (Not tested it myself).

[-] glans@hexbear.net 2 points 8 months ago

https://the-eye.eu/ https://eyedex.org/ had a massive collection of audiobook torrents. 1 torrent per letter of alphabet according to author last name. I assume it's still in there somewhere

I had some luck with this project https://gitlab.com/LazyLibrarian/LazyLibrarian I plan to re install soon.

[-] Cassa@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 8 months ago

might be too few for you, but audible gives you free books every time you sign up for trial. this applies to ALL their different domains. .au, .com, .co.uk, so forth.

then you just use inaudible and bam. free audio book

[-] nostradiel@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

fmhy.net

[-] njordomir@lemmy.world -1 points 8 months ago

My suggestion is a little more old-timey. I worked at a number of Goodwill Stores (Thrift Store Chain). The stores I worked at all had a huge selection of audio books on CD, usually for only $1-2. If your car doesn't have a CD player, you can always choose to rip them to disk. These were well known, mainstream books. Finding niche titles might be harder.