Among the technological innovations we cannot forget the audiobooks, that is the normal books that are read aloud by voice actors or actors, therefore making the understanding of a book much more engaging than normal reading on a paper book or on a digital screen (in the case of ebooks). If we also want to enjoy the involvement of an audiobook, in this guide we will show you how to download Italian audiobooks for free from websites and apps for smartphones or tablets ; for completeness of information we will also show you the sites where you can buy audiobooks or where to subscribe for audiobooks, so that you can benefit from the readings of famous books, also thanks to the use of professional voice actors (and often very famous ).
What are audiobooks
Audiobooks are in fact nothing more than audio files with the narrated reading of a famous book, with the voice in general of a known person or a professional narrator.Obviously, something you will find free files on the Internet most audiobooks are in audio tracks in mp3 format to download; the problem with free content is that the book must be read by a voice capable of telling, that it is warm and that makes the listener immerse in the story.
On international websites, books to listen to are much more widespread and there are numerous archives with many mp3 recordings to download; luckily there are many free and subscription services available to listen to quality Italian audiobooks, with tremendously engaging voices.
How to listen to paid audiobooks
If we seek absolute quality, we will have to listen to the audiobooks offered by the following sites and apps, so as to be sure that the books are read by professional voices capable of immersing the reader in listening, as if he were actually present in the book.Audible
The best subscription service to listen to audiobooks is Audible, an Amazon-controlled company.
With this service, in a monthly subscription for € 9.99, we will be able to listen without limits to the audiobooks present in the Amazon bookstore, all translated into Italian (included in great bestsellers of the moment), with the voices of important Italian actors and voice actors.
We will be able to listen to audiobooks from the PC but also from the smartphone or tablet, by downloading the Audible app for Android and iOS. In addition to mobile devices, we will be able to continue listening to audiobooks also from the Amazon Echo and on the Amazon Kindle, so as to involve ourselves in listening to anywhere in the home.
Google Play Books
If we use the smartphone a lot, we can turn it into our audiobook reading center using the Google Play Books app, available for Android and iOS.
Thanks to this app we will be able to download, in digital format, the best audiobooks of the moment; they will be sold and associated with our account, therefore always available for download even after several years (we can use them even without an Internet connection). In addition to the paid books, a good number of free audiobooks are also available, useful for testing the quality of the service.
If interested, we can also purchase and download audiobooks from PC, by going to the section reserved for audiobooks on the Google Play Books website.
Mondadori Store
If instead of a simple subscription we want to buy our books in CD format, we can view the catalog offered by the Mondadori Store website.
From the site we will find numerous audiobooks that can be purchased on physical media, so that you can listen to MP3 songs from any compatible device without having an Internet connection and without the obligation to be tied to a subscription.
These types of audiobooks are ideal for those who love collecting books and want to keep a vivid memory of listening even after a long time.
Feltrinelli
Another great site where you can buy audiobooks in Italian is La Feltrinelli.
On the site there are audiobooks on CD, so you can listen to them on old players or in stereo, as well as on modern devices (just download the MP3s and transfer them to the device to be used for listening). The catalog contains a good number of audiobooks, with a good mix of new readings and great classics, always read by Italian voices.
How to Download Audiobooks for Free
If we don't want to spend money on audiobooks, we can rely on the free resources available on the Web; let's not expect big bestselling books (copyrighted anyway) or engaging voices, since most audiobooks are read by ordinary users.LiberLiber
One of the best sites to download audiobooks for free is without a shadow of a doubt LiberLiber.
With this site we will be able to download audiobooks in MP3 format of various classics of Italian and international literature, with a catalog divided by author. In addition to downloading, we can listen to the chosen audiobook directly from the browser, so that we can also listen to it from the PC.
To download an audiobook just right-click on the MP3 Format / M3U Format item and select the Save Link As / Save Object As button to start the download.
LibriVox
Another very good site to download Italian audiobooks for free is LibriVox, an international site that also collects many audiobooks in Italian.
Once the audio book has been chosen, simply press the Download button to start downloading the MP3 file, ready to be transferred to the MP3 player or to our smartphone / tablet. On this site we can send your reading of a book (which has no copyright) in mp3 audio format and view it published.
Libroaudio
Another good site where you can download audiobooks for free is Libroaudio.
On this site we will find the audio books of the great classics of Italian and international literature, interpreted with an engaging voice and with the addition of sound effects and music, for a truly engaging atmosphere. To listen to the songs, simply click on Listen for free, so as to open the SounCloud player integrated in the page; to download the audiobook instead just press the Download symbol present in the player (the small down arrow).
LibriVivi
If we are looking for a site where you can download fairy tales in audiobooks for free, we recommend you to visit LibriVivi.
Thanks to the promotion of the site we will be able to download two audiobooks of fairy tales for free, simply by leaving a Like on Facebook (the "price" to pay to listen to the two fairy tales). In addition to free downloads, the site offers a large collection of free and paid audiobooks, which we can purchase in digital MP3 format, so you can listen to them anywhere.
Other sites to download audiobooks
In addition to the sites seen in the previous chapters, we can legally download new audiobooks by visiting one of the sites listed below:- IlNarratore: an online audiobook store where you can buy newer books. There is also a section of free downloads which can be accessed after registering an account.
- Gutenberg: another very famous site for downloading digital books in any format, as seen in our guide how to download EBooks .
- Storytel: another valid little-known site but with many subscription audiobooks (as already seen for Audible), with a 14-day free trial.
- Babel Project: a great site with free material to read, including audiobooks.
- Digitalbook: a site in English where you can find audiobooks of international works.
- LearnOutLoud: another site in English from which we can download numerous audiobooks for free.
Conclusions
Audiobooks as a new form of "reading and listening" are spreading like wildfire, given the convenience of being able to listen to them anywhere with your smartphone, especially in our days where we do not stop for a moment and we are always in a hurry. Using the services listed, we can both listen to the audiobooks of the most famous bestsellers and download files for free without copyright.To remember there is also Spotify, where you can find audiobooks to listen to, even if in Italian there are few fables and lesser known books.
Always on the same topic we can also read How to listen to audiobooks on Android and iPhone, so you always know which audiobooks and which services to bring with you.
If, on the other hand, we love podcasts, we invite you to read our article on Italian podcasts to watch, listen and download .
