With audiobook subscriptions and download costs rising, many readers don’t realise that public libraries already offer extensive audiobook collections for free. From mobile apps such as BorrowBox and Libby to online archives like Calibre Audio and the Internet Archive, library members can stream or download thousands of titles legally and without advertising. Library membership is free for most UK residents, and many authorities also extend access to workers, students, or residents of neighbouring councils.
Library apps for free audiobooks
BorrowBox
BorrowBox is the UK’s most widely used library audiobook and eBook platform, developed by Bolinda Digital. Available via desktop and mobile apps (iOS and Android), it offers fiction, non-fiction, and literary classics from major publishers — all free to borrow. Hundreds of library authorities, including Birmingham, Essex, Lincolnshire, Manchester and Suffolk, offer BorrowBox access. Rotherham Libraries became the latest to join in October 2025, making it their main eBook and eAudiobook platform. Users simply log in with their library card and PIN to browse, borrow, and listen offline.
Libby (by OverDrive)
Libby is a popular alternative used by many UK and international library systems. It provides eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines through an intuitive interface, with “Send to Kindle” support for eBooks. Audiobooks can be streamed or downloaded within the app, with automatic returns — no late fees required. Participating authorities include Kent, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Glasgow.
uLibrary
Less widely known but still active in several UK regions, uLibrary offers audiobooks and eBooks through an accessible mobile app. The service focuses on British publishers, with strong collections of crime, romance, and modern fiction.
Audiobooks for readers with print disabilities
Calibre Audio
Calibre Audio is a UK charity providing free audiobooks to anyone with a disability that makes reading print difficult, including visual impairments and dyslexia. Its library includes over 15,000 unabridged titles, funded entirely by donations rather than subscriptions. Members can stream online, download to a device, or receive titles on memory stick or MP3 CD. Registration is free for eligible listeners across the UK.
RNIB Talking Books
The RNIB Talking Books service provides another extensive collection, with over 37,000 titles available online, via app, CD or USB stick. Many local libraries also act as registration points or help users access the service.
Formats available include:
- Digital download via the RNIB Reading Services app
- Playback through Alexa-enabled smart devices
- DAISY CD (one book per disc) or USB stick (three books per stick)
Online and Open-access audiobook repositories
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive hosts tens of thousands of public-domain audiobooks and spoken-word recordings, including classic literature, poetry, radio drama and oral history. Recordings are contributed by volunteers and institutions worldwide, and are available for instant streaming or download without registration.
LibriVox
LibriVox is a volunteer-run project producing free public-domain audiobooks read by contributors from around the world. Titles range from Dickens to Darwin and are freely reusable. UK listeners can stream via the LibriVox website or through third-party apps such as Audiobooks HQ and Smart AudioBook Player.
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg offers over 650 human-narrated audiobooks, plus several thousand AI-narrated versions. All are available for free streaming or download.
BBC Sounds
UK listeners can access a wide range of free audiobooks and readings via BBC Sounds, including their long running Book at Bedtime programme on Radio 4 and other high-quality productions drawn from the BBC Radio archives.
University and National Library Collections
Some university and national libraries also provide public access to audiobooks or oral-history recordings, including:
- British Library Sound Archive – currently limited access (post-2023 cyberattack)
- National Library of Scotland – oral-history and local-voice archives
- National Library of Wales – Welsh-language and cultural recordings
Conclusion
Free audiobooks remain one of the best-kept secrets of the UK’s public library system. Whether you prefer thrillers, biographies or literary classics, services such as BorrowBox, Libby and uLibrary offer legal, high-quality listening — all included with your library card and a good pair of headphones.
