Audiobookshelf
A self-hosted server for audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts.
Audiobookshelf is the polished, free, open-source media server for your personal audiobook, ebook, and podcast collection. It scans your library, fetches metadata and cover art, exposes a fast web UI plus iOS/Android apps with offline downloads, tracks listening progress across devices, and never asks for a subscription.
Deploy with Pier
- 1 Open the Pier dashboard and click Add service.
- 2 Pick Audiobookshelf from the template list.
- 3 Choose the version, set a service name, and Pier provisions the container, storage, and ports automatically.
- 4 Attach a domain if you want HTTPS. Traefik auto-provisions the Let's Encrypt certificate.
What is Audiobookshelf?
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted media server purpose-built for three media types that Plex and Jellyfin treat as second-class — audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts. It scans a folder structure on disk, fetches metadata and cover art from Audible/Google Books/OpenLibrary, presents a polished web UI, and ships free, open-source iOS and Android apps that download for offline listening and sync progress back to the server.
Use it to replace Audible for the books you own (libro.fm purchases, DRM-free indie audiobooks, converted Audible files), to self-archive podcasts the moment they publish, and to host a household ebook collection without paying for Kindle Unlimited.
How Pier deploys it
Pier uses the official advplyr/audiobookshelf image. Default port: 80
internally (behind Traefik). Two persistent volumes — /config for
settings and the SQLite database, /metadata for cached cover art and
parsed metadata. Plus you mount your actual media (audiobooks, podcasts,
ebooks) from host paths or Pier-managed volumes.
On first launch, create the admin user via the web prompt, then add a Library pointing at one of the mounted paths. The initial scan takes minutes for big libraries (10k+ books); subsequent scans are incremental. The mobile apps want the public HTTPS URL of your instance — attach a custom domain in Pier so the apps can connect.
When NOT to use Audiobookshelf
For Audible-as-shipped (DRM-locked files), Audiobookshelf can’t play them. For video / TV / movies use Plex or Jellyfin. For ebook management specifically (collections, conversions, sending to Kindle), Calibre is the better dedicated tool. Audiobookshelf is the purpose-built answer for audiobook + podcast + ebook listening on a personal server.
Key features
Audiobooks, ebooks, and podcasts in one app
Multiple libraries with different types. Audiobooks (M4B, MP3, FLAC), ebooks (EPUB, PDF, MOBI), podcasts (RSS or local). Continue from where you left off across devices.
Native iOS + Android apps
Free open-source mobile apps with offline downloads, sleep timer, variable playback speed, chapter navigation. Sync progress with the server.
Auto-metadata + cover art
Pulls metadata from Audible, Google Books, OpenLibrary, iTunes podcasts. Matches your files automatically and lets you edit.
Multi-user with libraries per user
Multiple accounts (family / household). Restrict libraries per user, track listening history per user, child-safe accounts.
Podcast manager with auto-download
Subscribe to podcasts by RSS URL, set "keep last N episodes", auto-download new episodes when published.
API + integrations
REST API for scripting; works with Plex AudioBook plugins, Tachiyomi (ebooks), Calibre exports, AudioBookshelf-Chromecast.
Use cases
Personal audiobook library
You own DRM-free audiobooks (Libro.fm, Audible-converted via libation, indie purchases). Audiobookshelf is the Plex of audiobooks.
Podcast archive
Self-hosted podcatcher that keeps episodes forever, even after they vanish from public feeds. Listen on any device with the mobile app.
Household ebook library
Family ebook collection shared across phones, tablets, and laptops. Read in the browser or sync to a reader app via OPDS.
Replacing Audible / Spotify Podcasts
One open app for both your owned audiobooks and your podcast subscriptions, no algorithmic feed, no ads, no DRM lock-in.
School / library
Audiobookshelf can host audio for accessibility programs, schools' digital audiobook collections, etc.
Code examples
# Pier auto-generates this — illustrative only
services:
audiobookshelf:
image: advplyr/audiobookshelf:2.19
volumes:
- /pier/data/abs/config:/config
- /pier/data/abs/metadata:/metadata
- /pier/data/abs/library/audiobooks:/audiobooks
- /pier/data/abs/library/podcasts:/podcasts
- /pier/data/abs/library/ebooks:/ebooksFile layout that works out of the box:
/audiobooks/Brandon Sanderson/Mistborn/01 The Final Empire/01 - chapter 1.mp3
/audiobooks/Brandon Sanderson/Mistborn/02 The Well of Ascension/...
/audiobooks/Brandon Sanderson/Mistborn/03 The Hero of Ages/...
Audiobookshelf auto-detects "Brandon Sanderson" as author and "Mistborn" as series.curl https://abs.example.com/api/libraries \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $ABS_API_TOKEN"OPDS URL: https://abs.example.com/feed/opds
Username: your_abs_user
Password: your_abs_password
Point KOReader / Moon+ Reader / iBooks-OPDS at this URL.How it compares
| vs Plex / Plexamp | Plex handles audiobooks but treats them like albums; metadata and progress sync are second-class. Audiobookshelf is purpose-built for audiobooks and podcasts and the UX shows. |
| vs Calibre / Calibre-Web | Calibre is the ebook library gold standard but does not handle audiobooks or podcasts. Run both — Calibre for ebook management, Audiobookshelf for listening. |
| vs Audible | Audible is SaaS with DRM. Audiobookshelf is self-host for DRM-free files you own. Many users pair them — buy on Libro.fm or Audible-with-libation, host on Audiobookshelf. |
| vs AntennaPod / PocketCasts (podcasts only) | AntennaPod and PocketCasts are great podcast clients but per-device — no server-side archive, no household sharing. Audiobookshelf gives you both. |
Frequently asked questions
Does it work with Audible files?
How does it identify books?
Mobile app cost?
What's the resource use?
Can multiple users have separate libraries?
Volumes I need to mount?
Backup strategy?
Related services
Deploy on your VPS
Audiobookshelf is the polished, free, open-source media server for your personal audiobook, ebook, and podcast collection. It scans your library, fetches metadata and cover art, exposes a fast web UI plus iOS/Android apps with offline downloads, tracks listening progress across devices, and never asks for a subscription.
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