Audibly

Audibly is a desktop audiobook player for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It supports .m4b and .mp3 file types, as well as audiobooks that consist of multiple files. The application was created because Audible removed their desktop player and the developer prefers to avoid browser-based players.

★★★★★

4.5(2 ratings)

• M4B and MP3 format support. Audibly allows direct playback of audiobook files in M4B format (including embedded chapters and cover images) and MP3 format. This dual compatibility enables users to listen to both commercial protected audiobooks and personal MP3 collections without prior conversion.
• Multi-file audiobook management. The application handles audiobooks distributed across multiple audio files, treating them as a single entity. It automatically detects the correct file sequence (by filename or metadata) and maintains continuous playback between files, preserving the position within the composite audiobook.
• Full library import. Audibly includes a function to import entire folders containing audiobooks. The program recursively scans selected directories, identifies audiobooks by their metadata or file structure, and adds them to the local user library for centralized access.
• Library search. The search function allows quick location of specific audiobooks within large collections. The system searches by title, author, or filename, displaying instant results as the user types, facilitating navigation without complex manual organization.
• Standard playback controls. Audibly provides play, pause, stop, skip forward, and skip backward buttons. Jumps forward or backward are configured with preset intervals (typically 10 or 30 seconds), allowing rapid advancement or reversal without losing the overall position within the audiobook.
• Expanded player with chapter information. The expanded player view displays current chapter details, including chapter title, total audiobook duration, elapsed time, and remaining time. This view also shows the audiobook cover art when available in M4B file metadata.
• Mini-player mode. A compact window that stays above other applications, showing basic controls (play/pause, next, previous) and a reduced progress bar. The mini-player allows listening to audiobooks while working on other tasks, occupying minimal screen space.
• Sleep timer. Function that automatically stops playback after a configurable period (15, 30, 45, 60 minutes, or at the end of the current chapter). The timer displays a visual countdown and can be cancelled at any time, suitable for listening before sleeping without consuming battery or data overnight.
• Detailed information dialog. A popup window showing complete audiobook metadata: title, author, narrator, publication year, genre, description, publisher, total duration, chapter count, and ISBN code when available in M4B files. Allows verification of metadata integrity before playback.
• Automatic position saving. Audibly automatically records the exact point where playback of each audiobook was stopped. When reopening the application or selecting the same title, playback resumes from the exact second where it was interrupted, even after completely closing the program.
• Manual bookmarks. Users can add custom bookmarks at any point during playback. Each bookmark saves the position in hours, minutes, and seconds, along with an optional text note. The bookmark list allows jumping directly to any saved point without manual rewinding.
• Adjustable playback speed. Audibly allows modifying playback speed in a range from 0.5x to 2.5x, with increments of 0.1x. This function accelerates listening to familiar material or slows down complex dialogues while maintaining audio pitch correction without perceptible distortion.
• Playback history. The application records each listened audiobook with date and time of last access, total listening time, and achieved progress. The history allows resuming forgotten audiobooks and viewing basic consumption statistics per day or week.
• Virtual folder organization. Users can group audiobooks into custom collections (e.g., "Pending", "Finished", "Favorites") without moving the original files. These virtual folders facilitate management of large libraries without modifying the physical structure on the disk drive.
• Drag and drop support. To add new audiobooks, the user can drag .m4b or .mp3 files directly from Windows Explorer into the Audibly window. The program automatically processes the added files, extracting metadata and cover art when they exist.

The development history of Audibly begins with the primary developer known as rstewa. The project was initiated because Audible, a commercial audiobook platform, removed its native desktop player. The developer expressed rejection of browser-based players, which motivated the creation of a dedicated Windows desktop application. The first public version of Audibly was released in the year 2022, published through the Microsoft Store. The main programming language used to develop Audibly is C# along with the WinUI 3 framework, which is part of the Windows App SDK ecosystem. WinUI 3 provides native interface components for Windows 10 and 11, allowing complete integration with the operating system. The source code of the project is hosted on GitHub under the repository rstewa/Audibly.

Alternatives to Audibly: