Best Audiobook Apps for Seniors in Australia: Simple Guide
Audiobooks are a quiet pleasure. Someone reads the book to you while you potter in the garden, rest your eyes, or sit with a cup of tea. For anyone who finds print tiring, they can bring reading back into the day.
All you need is a phone or tablet and one of these apps. Some are completely free through your library. Here’s how the main ones compare, and which suits different readers. If you are choosing a new television too, our guide to the best smart TVs for seniors is a good place to start.
Quick answer
Start with Libby or BorrowBox, free apps that lend audiobooks through your Australian library card at no cost. If reading print has become hard, the Vision Australia Library is also free and posts talking books to your door. If you want the widest choice and the newest titles, Audible is the biggest paid service. Kobo Plus and Apple Books are good if you already use those, and Spotify now includes some audiobooks too. For most people, a free library app covers it.
How the main options compare
| What you want | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Free audiobooks with no monthly cost | Libby or BorrowBox, through your library |
| Free books when print is hard to read | Vision Australia Library |
| The widest choice and newest releases | Audible |
| One subscription for lots of listening | Kobo Plus |
| Audiobooks alongside your music | Spotify or Apple Books |
The free library apps
Libby
Libby lends audiobooks and ebooks from your local library, free, using your library card. There’s nothing to pay and no late fees, since loans return themselves. The choice is large and the app is simple to use. For most people this is the best place to start, and we explain it fully in our guide to borrowing library ebooks with Libby.
BorrowBox
BorrowBox is another free app used by many Australian libraries, working in much the same way as Libby. If your library uses it, you borrow audiobooks with your card at no cost. It’s worth having both, as each library stocks different titles.
Free books when print has become hard: the Vision Australia Library
This is the one many Australians do not know about. The Vision Australia Library is a free service for people who find ordinary print hard going, and it is well worth knowing about as eyes get older. Membership is free for any Australian resident with what is called a print disability, and that is broader than it sounds. You qualify if you live with low vision or blindness, if a condition like arthritis makes it hard to hold a book or turn pages, or if something like dyslexia makes reading difficult. No card number, no subscription.
Members get access to more than 45,000 titles in audio across every kind of book, plus newspapers and magazines. You can listen on a phone, tablet or computer, and if downloading is a struggle, the library will preload up to five talking books onto a USB cartridge and post it to you, free, through Australia Post. You can join online at visionaustralia.org or by phone. For someone whose reading days seemed to be over, it can feel like getting the library back.
The paid options
Audible
Audible, run by Amazon, has the largest catalogue and the newest titles. It works on a monthly subscription, and the choice and quality are excellent. It suits keen listeners who get through a lot of books and want the latest releases without waiting for a library hold. One thing to watch: it renews automatically each month, so if you only listen now and then, set a reminder to pause or cancel.
Kobo Plus
Kobo offers a subscription called Kobo Plus that gives you a large library of audiobooks for one monthly fee. It’s available in Australia and pairs well with Kobo’s own eReaders if you have one. A good middle ground between free borrowing and buying titles one by one.
Spotify and Apple Books
If you already use Spotify for music, it now includes a selection of audiobooks. Apple Books, on iPhones and iPads, sells audiobooks too. Neither has the depth of Audible, but if you’re already using them, they save adding another app.
How to choose
- Try a free library app first, Libby or BorrowBox, before paying for anything.
- If reading print is hard, join the free Vision Australia Library as well.
- If you listen a lot and want the newest books, Audible has the widest choice.
- Already use Spotify or an Apple device? Check what they include before adding an app.
- Look for the playback speed and sleep timer settings, which make listening more comfortable.
Audiobook apps work on any modern phone or tablet. If you’re new to finding and installing apps, our guide to the best apps for seniors walks through how that works.
Before you finish
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FAQ: audiobook apps
Can I really listen to audiobooks for free?
Yes. Libby and BorrowBox lend audiobooks through your library at no cost. You just need a free library card. The Vision Australia Library is also free if you find print hard to read.
Do I need good eyesight to use these?
No, that’s the beauty of them. The book is read aloud, so you can rest your eyes entirely while you listen. If print has become a struggle, the Vision Australia Library is built for exactly that.
Can I slow the narrator down?
Yes. Most apps let you adjust the reading speed, so you can slow it down or speed it up to suit you.
Will listening use a lot of data?
Downloading a book uses some data, so it’s best to download over home Wi-Fi. Once downloaded, you can listen anywhere with no further data.
Is Audible worth paying for?
If you listen often and want the newest titles without waiting, yes. If you only listen now and then, the free library apps are usually enough.
