I cancelled my audiobook subscription after doing the math. Sixty dollars a month for books I listened to once felt like burning money. Then a friend told me about the library app, and I have not paid for an audiobook since.

The app is called Libby, and it is completely free with a library card. If your local library supports it, you get the same audiobooks you were renting.

How it works

You download Libby, log in with your library card number, and borrow audiobooks like a digital library. The books download to your phone, play at any speed, and return themselves when the loan ends.

The catch is the wait

Popular books have hold lists, like the physical library. Put holds on several books at once and they arrive over time. I keep a queue of ten books, and there is always something waiting when I finish one.

It is not just audiobooks

Libby also has ebooks, magazines, and comics. One app, one card, and a whole media library. Some libraries also offer Kanopy for movies and Hoopla for more audiobooks.

Get a card even if you moved

Many libraries let you get a card online with a local address. Some big city libraries even offer cards to out of state residents for a small fee, which still beats a subscription.

Support your library

Every borrow counts as usage for the library, which helps them keep funding. Using the free app is not just saving money, it is supporting a public service.

The honest downsides

The newest releases have the longest waits, and the selection is smaller than the paid apps. But for popular books and classics, it covers most of what I want to listen to.

My audiobook budget went from sixty dollars a month to zero. The library app is the best deal in entertainment, and I wish I had found it years ago.