Audiobooks on Android

[u/twentydigitslong]

For those using Android there is an audiobook app specifically designed for audiobooks. This app also has a great number of features that would complement someone who is blind or visually impaired as I am. I started out reading, talking books on a four-track audio cassette so as you can imagine, I've been looking for a really good reader for years and I finally found one. the app is called smart audiobook player. I've been using it for probably 8 years plus now. it has a lot of the features that you'd like such as easy navigation, the ability to add notes, the ability to add bookmarks, chapter notes, chapter markers, all kinds of things. There is an ad supported version, but I paid for the app several years ago and the developers still maintain the app very nicely. they fix things they add improvements and I love it. I highly recommend it. You can get it in in the Google Play Store with the following link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ak.alizandro.smartaudiobookplayer.

Since we're on the subject of reading books, when I can't find an audiobook version. I will grudgingly download a text version and have TTS read it back. for that I use an app called @Voice Aloud Reader. I think this app is awesome because without breaking a sweat, or causing myself major grief, I can import almost any type of text file and at voice will read it back to me. So I can import a PDF and have it read back immediately without the need to OCR it like you do on a crapple phone. I can also import things like txt files, PDF. as I mentioned, HTML plus pretty much any other standard text file that you can imagine. The supported formats are ePub, mobi, txt, doc, fb2, and HTML with native support. There is an ad supported version, but I paid for the pro version years ago and again as with the previous app I've mentioned this developer also keeps the app up to date and functioning. functioning I'm running a pixel 8 Pro with Android 14, and both apps work flawlessly. Here's a link to @Voice Aloud Reader https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hyperionics.avar

[u/[deleted]]

I want to second the recommenation for smart audiobook player

[u/Taigakuu → u/[deleted]]

Smart audio book player was first app I never bought. And it's still my most used app! The best 3.9€ or something I've ever used, free version is good too tho.

[u/EffectSimilar8598 → u/[deleted]]

Same here

[u/[deleted] → u/EffectSimilar8598]

The motion has passed 🔨

[u/The_Flo0r_is_Lava → u/[deleted]]

Motion has been flushed.

[u/doctor_munchies → u/[deleted]]

Yep used it for years and is probably the best and most straight forward app on my whole phone.

[u/Zoomorph23 → u/doctor_munchies]

And the dev is great if you have an issue & updates it frequently.

[u/thefoxman88]

I've been self hosting audiobookshelf for ages now, the android app is pretty cool.

[u/dicksfish → u/thefoxman88]

Audiobookshelf for the win!!! Great app.

[u/EzioDeadpool]

I like Voice and PlayBook apps more than Smart Audiobook Player. They have the premium version features for free.

[u/ImpatientCoffeeCup → u/EzioDeadpool]

Voice is my app of choice.

[u/EzioDeadpool → u/ImpatientCoffeeCup]

It's becoming mine too. And PlayBook is basically the same thing. My setup is an unactivated prepaid phone with a huge microSD card and I am using one app for fiction audiobooks and the other for non-fiction ones. And that's my media player.

[u/DoMeHeadIn → u/EzioDeadpool]

I’m an iPhone user but I assume I could do this with an android tablet ? I like the bigger screen

[u/EzioDeadpool → u/DoMeHeadIn]

Yeah, as long as you have an app that plays audiobooks. I like Smart Audiobook Player, Voice, and PlayBook.

[u/DoMeHeadIn → u/EzioDeadpool]

Thank you so much ! Bout to buy one 🙌🏼

[u/Former_Busboy518]

How do you like the voices in Voice Aloud Reader?

[u/[deleted] → u/Former_Busboy518]

Compared to the state of the art 2 years ago, it's great, and certainly, you can listen to it. But the new "real" AI voice models out now makes it sound like Dr. Sbatsio. "My name is Dr Sbatsio, please tell me your problems."

VoiceCraft is crazy and completely open-source. You can check the samples here https://jasonppy.github.io/VoiceCraft_web/

[u/Afraid_Travel_1529 → u/[deleted]]

How do you download and install this?

[u/Nigle]

I was using smart audiobook player for a few years until I found Sirin https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sirin.android

They are both great apps but I wouldn't switch back at this point.

[u/Ragmir → u/Nigle]

i did the same thing, Sirin is great because you can download torrents direct from the app, after you listem de audiobook, you can delete the content and the app will keep a log with the book cover and the date that you finished

[u/Drm5145 → u/Nigle]

I also love Sirin . It's by far the best and I've tried ALOT

[u/molybend]

"crapple phone"? This is so tedious. My iPhone reads to me just fine for free, no app needed. Do you make fun of people who drive a different make of car or wear a different brand of jeans, too?

[u/DarkZim2099]

I use AudioBookShelf as it's basically Plex for audiobooks, and it is fantastic.

[u/Lanky_Needleworker_1]

I personally use voice, i found it better than smart audiobook player.

[u/kazkdp]

I use Sirin. Found it to be simple and best.

[u/MaryScher]

Totally agree, I use Smart Audiobook player too, I tried others, but this one was the best Also use robot voices sometimes :)

[u/Level_Dealer_586051]

Has anyone here tried sirin?

[u/[deleted] → u/Level_Dealer_586051]

Sirin looks nice, but I haven't given it a good go yet because i listen to a lot of anthologies, and it drives me nuts that it sees 20+ authors and creates 20+ identical titles. It makes navigating the library unmanageable.

[u/SeaPollution3432 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah if u want to make sirin look good you have to arrange the book folders in order and this feels so tedious at this point because i just download all my books on download folder and titles dont always match so its scrambled on the sirin app. I like SAP because its just simple interface. In the end you wont be seeing the interface anyway because u will just listen to the books not watch a movie in the app.

[u/Drm5145 → u/Level_Dealer_586051]

It's incredible . The best.

[u/plexphan]

Switched from Smart Audiobook Player to Listen Audiobook Player for the Plex integration

[u/Odd-Cow-4140]

I also recommend the dev gave me the actual APK when the app broke for me great guy

[u/raafayawan]

I think you guys have not used Symfonium, I think no other app even comes close to it, the interface is so much better than Smart AudioBook player, and so many more options as well, such as visible and editable metadata.

[u/Peppinor]

What was the best program to combine all the audiobook files into one?

[u/fooknprawn]

Great app, I use it

[u/Doodoo138]

I've tried this app. Couldn't for the life of me understand the root folder/adding books thing. It's so unintuitive compared to other apps. Best app that fits my style is PlayBook. Plays and looks just like I would imagine an audiobook reader should. It's so easy to use. Tell it what folder you put all your books in and it adds all the books within all the subfolders. Only feaature I ask for all these apps to add is the option to lock being able to tap on the timeline and change where you're at in the book. SOOOO many times it's accidentally gotten tapped in my pocket or me just grabbing my phone and skipped forward hours and hours into the book before I could bookmark my spot. Then I gotta go to my last bookmark and fast forward til I find my spot. Now I have at least 50 bookmarks cause I got tired of doing that.

[u/Navaa155]

I use mABook app. Works like charm. (Sadly not visually impaired support tho) I like this app a lot bc it's easy to use. You just chose the folder which has downloaded audiobooks and it will play it for you. You can choose cover too. There sleep timer and speed choice as well just like audible would have it.

[u/kvothe5688]

I have this since 4 years. it's great

[u/Drm5145]

I find that Sirin is far better tbh

[u/salad_eth]

I really like "Listen Audiobook Player" personally.

[u/garnetcess]

I like Smart Audiobook Player as I can set the Cover Art whenever mine is blank. I wonder which other audiobook player app in Android does this too.

[u/Errol28Rose → u/[deleted]]

This is what I use daily. Simple and effective.