Audiobookshelf

App in the BluixApps catalog

What it is

Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server — manage your audiobook library, sync progress across devices, listen via web/mobile apps, with chapter support, sleep timers, sleep mode. The OSS Plex/Audible alternative for audiobook collectors.

For audiobook lovers with growing personal libraries, Audiobookshelf is the canonical self-hosted answer.

What it's for

  • Audiobook library management — organize personal audiobook collection
  • Cross-device sync — listen on phone, web, tablet, position synced
  • Podcast subscription — RSS-based podcast manager
  • Family sharing — multi-user with separate progress tracking
  • Audio format breadth — MP3, M4B, MP4, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, WAV

Who it's for

  • Audiobook collectors with personal libraries (purchased / ripped)
  • Privacy-conscious listeners rejecting Audible's DRM lock-in
  • Families sharing audiobook collections across members
  • Podcasters managing their listening queue without Spotify
  • DRM-free advocates building libraries without platform dependency

Why teams pick Audiobookshelf over alternatives

  • GPL-3.0 — fully open
  • Native mobile apps — iOS + Android with offline support
  • Multi-format — handles any audio format
  • Chapter support — proper chapter navigation
  • Privacy-friendly — no tracking, no ads
  • Active development — frequent releases

Integrations

  • Mobile apps — iOS + Android with auto-sync
  • Podcast feeds — RSS subscription + auto-download
  • Metadata providers — Audible, Google Books, iTunes for metadata enrichment
  • Authentication — local users; OAuth via reverse proxy
  • Cast support — Chromecast for living-room playback
  • Audio formats — MP3, M4B, M4A, MP4, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, WAV, WMA
  • OPDS — Open Publication Distribution feed for ebook clients

Notable users & community

  • 9k+ GitHub stars
  • Active Discord and r/selfhosted community
  • Backed by single dedicated maintainer
  • Featured in self-hosted media tool roundups
  • Strong release cadence

Tips & operations

  • Library scanning is slow first time — bulk metadata fetch takes time; let it run
  • Use M4B for chapters — best format for audiobooks; chapters embedded
  • Mobile auto-sync — progress syncs across devices; explain to family members
  • Persistent volumes — library config + metadata + audio files
  • Backup metadata — re-scanning rebuilds; metadata backup is fastest restore path
  • Storage planning — audiobook libraries grow; size VPS disk accordingly

What we ship in BluixApps

  • Docker compose: Audiobookshelf + persistent volumes
  • Pinned ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest (release-tagged)
  • HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
  • Admin user via env config
  • Persistent volumes for config + library mounts
  • Mobile app pairing documented in install report
  • Backup hook covers config + metadata (audio files opt-in due to size)
Read this app's deep dive on bluix.app ↗

Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan

Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.

TierTenantsCatalogSupportWhite-labelMonthly
Stacks119 curated stacksStandard$19/moDetailDeploy
Starter10Full catalogStandard+$15–25/mo$49/moDetailDeploy
Pro25Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$149/moDetailDeploy
Growth100Full catalogPriority bugfix+$15–25/mo$349/moDetailDeploy
Scale500Full catalog7-day window+$15–25/mo$799/moDetailDeploy
EnterpriseUnlimitedFull catalogPriority 7-dayBundled$1,499/moDetailDeploy

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