What Is Libby, and How Do I Use It?

Prefer to listen? Narrated by Daniel Henning.

Part of our guide to free audiobooks.

Libby is a free app that lets you borrow audiobooks with your library card. There’s no subscription, no credits, and nothing to cancel. Totally free listening.

What Libby is

Libby is the app most public libraries use to lend digital audiobooks and ebooks. Your library buys the licenses; you borrow for free.

• Real titles, in full. You’re borrowing the same unabridged audiobook you’d buy, not a shortened version.
• Free to you, always. No fees, no billing, nothing to cancel.
• New releases included. Bestsellers and just-released titles, not only old books.

Who’s behind Libby

Worth knowing, because “free” has a nuance here. Libby is built and run by a company called OverDrive. OverDrive is owned by KKR, a private equity firm, so the app is a for-profit product.

What makes it free to you is the library, which pays to license the audiobooks and offers the app to its members. OverDrive is also a Certified B Corporation, and dedicated people build and support it. It’s one of the best free tools an audiobook listener has.

Getting started

• Install Libby and find your library. The app locates systems near you.
• Sign in with your card, or, at many libraries, sign up right in the app.

Borrowing and holds

Popular titles work like paper books: one copy out at a time. Borrow what’s free now, or place a hold on anything checked out and Libby tells you the wait. Loans return themselves, so there are never late fees.

Add more than one library

You can add more than one library to Libby, and it takes about a minute. Many library systems let people outside their area join, and each one you add puts its whole catalog into your search. More libraries means more titles and shorter holds.

• Libraries you can usually join: a neighboring system, a household member’s library, or a statewide sign-up any resident can use free. A few take out-of-area members for a small yearly fee.
• Not sure which you qualify for? Ask a librarian. They love this question.

Getting more from the app

• Keep a few holds going, so something is usually ready when you finish the last book.
• Look for “Skip the Line” or “Lucky Day” copies, which some libraries offer with no wait.
• Adjust the narration speed in the player until it feels comfortable.

The bottom line

One card, one free app, and a habit of keeping holds going covers a lot of listening at no cost. For titles with a long wait, try Hoopla if your library offers it. For the classics, see LibriVox and the Public Domain.

Happy listening!

See every free method in How to Listen to Audiobooks for Free.