Host your audiobook and podcast collection with Audiobookshelf — a self-hosted server with mobile apps, progress sync, and automatic metadata fetching.
Grab the automated bash script from GitHub to follow along with the video.
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mhmdali94/Docker/main/media/audiobookshelf/audiobookshelf-ubuntu.sh
chmod +x audiobookshelf-ubuntu.sh
sudo bash audiobookshelf-ubuntu.shwget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mhmdali94/Docker/main/media/audiobookshelf/audiobookshelf-ubuntu.shchmod +x audiobookshelf-ubuntu.shThe script installs Docker if needed, then sets up the service automatically.
sudo bash audiobookshelf-ubuntu.shOpen your browser and navigate to:
http://<your-server-ip>:13378Go to Settings → Libraries and add folders for your audiobooks and podcasts. Audiobookshelf scans the directory and matches books to metadata automatically.
| Port | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 13378 | Audiobookshelf Web UI |
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server with first-class mobile apps for iOS and Android. It tracks listening progress across devices, fetches cover art and metadata automatically, and supports chapter navigation, sleep timers, and variable playback speed — everything a dedicated audiobook listener needs.
Audible locks your audiobooks in DRM — you do not own them, you license them, and your library can disappear if Amazon changes terms. DRM-free audiobooks purchased from Downpour, Libro.fm, or stripped from Audible via tools like audible-activator belong to you permanently. Audiobookshelf stores and serves them with a listening experience matching Audible: chapter navigation, bookmarks, sleep timer, variable speed, and automatic progress sync across devices.
Audiobookshelf serves on port 13378 by default. For mobile app access from outside your home network, proxy through Nginx Proxy Manager with HTTPS — the app requires a valid HTTPS connection. Your audio files are streamed directly from the server — ensure sufficient upload bandwidth for smooth mobile streaming (at minimum 1 Mbps per simultaneous listener at standard quality).
Navidrome (music streaming, not audiobooks), Jellyfin (plays audio files but no audiobook-specific features like chapter sync or sleep timer), Booksonic (older, less maintained), Plex (audiobook support but requires Plex Pass for mobile sync). Audiobookshelf is the best dedicated self-hosted audiobook and podcast server available.
Skip Audiobookshelf if you only listen to music — Navidrome is purpose-built for music with Subsonic API compatibility. Also skip it if your audiobooks are DRM-protected Audible files you have not stripped — Audiobookshelf cannot play DRM-locked content. For a handful of audiobooks with no need for server-side sync, a local app like Voice (Android) or Bound (iOS) may be sufficient without server infrastructure.
PrismaTechWork provides end-to-end infrastructure services — from initial deployment and security hardening to ongoing monitoring, automated backups, and dedicated support. Whether you need a single-server setup or a multi-site network, our team ensures your infrastructure is built right, secured properly, and maintained reliably.
Audiobookshelf supports M4B (the standard audiobook format with embedded chapters and metadata), MP3, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, AAC, and WAV for audiobooks. M4B is strongly recommended — it stores chapter markers, cover art, and author metadata in a single file, enabling chapter navigation in the player. MP3 files work but have no chapters unless an external chapter file is provided. For podcasts, standard MP3 and M4A episode files from RSS feeds are downloaded automatically.
Audible provides DRM-locked books you license, not own — your library can change if Amazon modifies terms. Audiobookshelf plays DRM-free files you own outright. Feature-wise they are comparable: both have chapter navigation, variable speed, sleep timer, bookmarks, and mobile apps. Audible's advantage is its vast catalogue and seamless purchase experience. Audiobookshelf's advantage is ownership, privacy, no monthly fee, and no DRM. Many users use both: purchase from Audible, strip DRM, and serve via Audiobookshelf.
Yes. In Settings → Libraries, create a Podcasts library type. Add a podcast by entering its RSS feed URL — Audiobookshelf fetches the feed, displays all episodes, and lets you subscribe for automatic downloading of new episodes. Episode downloads happen in the background. Listen history, progress per episode, and auto-delete after listening are all configurable. For households, each user has independent podcast listen history.
Yes. In the Audiobookshelf iOS or Android app, open a book or podcast episode and tap the download icon to save it locally for offline playback. Downloaded content plays without an internet connection. Progress is synced to the server the next time the app connects. This is ideal for flights, commutes in areas with poor connectivity, or simply avoiding mobile data usage while listening. The app manages local storage and lets you remove downloaded content when done.
Progress is stored server-side, tied to your user account. When you listen to 45 minutes of a 10-hour book on your phone, that position is sent to the server immediately (and buffered locally if offline). Opening the same book on a tablet or in the browser shows chapter 3, position 45:00, with the option to resume or start from the beginning. This works for both audiobooks and podcasts. Unlike Audible's Whispersync, all sync goes through your own server — no data leaves your network.
DRM-free audiobooks can be purchased from: Libro.fm (independent bookstore supported), Downpour (monthly plan), Speechify (subscription), directly from authors, or from public domain sources like LibriVox (free, volunteer readers) and Internet Archive (historical recordings). For Audible books you have already purchased, tools like OpenAudible or audible-activator can remove DRM on your own purchases for personal use — check your local laws. Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks provide free public domain text, some with accompanying audio productions.
For audiobooks and podcasts specifically, Audiobookshelf is superior to Plex: it has chapter-aware playback, proper audiobook metadata (narrator, series order), podcast RSS management, and a dedicated mobile app designed for long-form audio. Plex requires a Plex Pass subscription for mobile sync and lacks native chapter support in audiobooks. If you also have a large music collection, combine Audiobookshelf (audiobooks/podcasts) with Navidrome (music) for complete self-hosted audio coverage.
In Settings → Backups, configure automatic scheduled backups. Audiobookshelf creates a zip file containing the database (with all progress, bookmarks, user accounts, and metadata) and configuration files. Audio files are not included in the backup — back those up separately since they are large. Store backups on a different disk or remote location. To restore: deploy a fresh Audiobookshelf instance and import the backup zip from Settings → Backups → Restore.