LibriVox
LibriVox is a volunteer-run, donation-supported nonprofit that produces free public domain audiobooks narrated by a global community of 14,000+ volunteer readers. It serves general consumers seeking free classic literature in audio format across 49 languages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What LibriVox does
LibriVox is a volunteer-run nonprofit initiative founded in August 2005 that produces and distributes free public domain audiobooks, narrated by volunteer readers worldwide. The organization serves two distinct constituencies: general consumers who access free audiobooks of public domain literature, and volunteer readers, proof-listeners, and catalogers who contribute their time and voices to build the catalog. As of August 2025, the platform hosts 20,648+ completed titles across 49 languages, with 2,686 non-English works and a community of approximately 14,820 volunteer readers. Catalog additions proceed at roughly 76 new works per month.
The platform is built on commodity infrastructure rather than proprietary technology. LibriVox does not develop or own any core technology stack; instead it relies on standard web hosting for librivox.org, Internet Archive (archive.org) for file storage and distribution of MP3/OGG audiobooks, and phpBB-based forums (forum.librivox.org) for community coordination. Distribution occurs through direct website access, Internet Archive mirrors, and podcast aggregators via RSS feeds, with no mobile app currently offered. A keyword search feature was added to the website and forum in June 2025.
LibriVox operates on a freemium/free-access model with no pricing tiers, no subscriptions, and no registration requirements for listeners. No revenue is generated from audiobook sales; the organization is sustained entirely by volunteer labor and donations, with no paid staff, no parent company, no institutional investors, and no formal corporate ownership structure. Growth is purely organic and community-led, driven by word-of-mouth, community podcasts, Twitter, and RSS feeds.
LibriVox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LibriVox
- Website
- https://librivox.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- LibriVox is a volunteer-run, donation-supported nonprofit that produces free public domain audiobooks narrated by a global community of 14,000+ volunteer readers. It serves general consumers seeking free classic literature in audio format across 49 languages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LibriVox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Free Public Domain Audiobooks
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Library & Education Audiobook Distribution (Public Libraries, Schools, Academic) (MPAJAIAE), Audiobook & Spoken-Word Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAE)
Keywords
Where LibriVox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
LibriVox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Free Access Model: LibriVox provides all audiobooks completely free of charge. As a volunteer-run non-profit, the organization operates on donations and volunteer labor. No revenue is generated from audiobook sales or subscriptions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free access to entire catalog |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
LibriVox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LibriVox provides free public domain audiobooks narrated by volunteers from around the world. The platform hosts a catalog of more than 20,000 completed audiobook titles spanning 49 languages, distributed as downloadable and streamable audio files (MP3/OGG) through its website, the Internet Archive, and podcast platforms. All content is offered at no cost with no registration or paywall required.
Product overview
LibriVox is a single, unified platform providing free public domain audiobooks narrated by volunteers worldwide. The core product is the audiobook catalog (21,584+ titles in 49 languages), which users access through the website. Supporting this is a network of podcast/RSS feeds for new releases and community engagement. The German language support provides translated pages and guides for German-speaking users. All content is distributed freely as MP3/OGG audio files hosted on Archive.org.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LibriVox Audiobook Catalog A free public domain audiobook catalog containing 21,584 cataloged works read by volunteers from around the world, available in 49 languages. Users can browse by author, title, genre/subject, or language and stream or download titles in MP3 or OGG formats. Targeted at any individual who wants to listen to free audiobooks without registration or fees.
- LibriVox Podcast Feeds
Companies that use LibriVox
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LibriVox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LibriVox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
LibriVox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Audible (Amazon): Audible is the dominant commercial audiobook platform with professionally narrated titles on a subscription model. It is comparable as the primary paid counterpart in audiobook consumption, serving the same end-user need (listening to audiobooks) but with copyrighted, for-pay content rather than public-domain free recordings.
- Scribd: Scribd offers subscription-based access to audiobooks, ebooks, and documents. It is comparable as a subscription audiobook service targeting general consumers looking to listen to books — directly substitutable for some LibriVox listeners willing to pay for broader catalog depth.
- Apple Books (Audiobooks): Apple Books is a major commercial audiobook storefront and listening platform integrated with the Apple ecosystem. Comparable as a high-traffic paid audiobook distribution channel competing for the same listener use-case as LibriVox.
- Spotify Audiobooks: Spotify distributes a growing catalog of commercial audiobooks alongside its music and podcast streaming. It is comparable as a major streaming destination for audiobook listening, competing for the same listener time, though all content is paid and proprietary.
Emerging players
- Thought Audio: Thought Audio is a free audiobook site curating classic literature and philosophy recordings. It is comparable as a small-scale free-audiobook destination focused on the same public-domain classic literature niche that anchors LibriVox's catalog.
- Storynory: Storynory is a volunteer-produced free audiobook podcast focused on children's stories, fairy tales, and original content. It overlaps with LibriVox's volunteer-narrated free-audio model but targets a narrower (children's) audience and a smaller catalog.
- LearnOutLoud: LearnOutLoud is an audio learning marketplace offering free and paid audiobooks, lectures, and podcasts. It overlaps with LibriVox's free-audiobook content category and shares a focus on spoken-word audio learning and discovery, though with a smaller and partly monetized catalog.
Direct peers
- Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg is the original free public-domain text library and the upstream source of all LibriVox recordings. It is directly comparable as a volunteer-run, donation-supported effort to make public-domain books freely accessible, operating in a sibling medium (text vs. audio) of the same content corpus.
- Internet Archive: Internet Archive hosts and distributes LibriVox's audio files and itself maintains a large library of free audiobooks, recordings, and texts. It is comparable as a non-profit digital library preserving public-domain and openly-licensed media, overlapping directly with LibriVox's content and distribution channels.
- Loyal Books (formerly BooksShouldBeFree): Loyal Books is a free audiobook streaming site whose library is essentially LibriVox's catalog repackaged. It is a direct functional peer — both offer no-cost streaming of volunteer-narrated public-domain audiobooks — differing mainly as an aggregator/re-skin of the LibriVox corpus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LibriVox social profiles
Digital presenceLibriVox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LibriVox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
LibriVox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LibriVox M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LibriVox
What does LibriVox do?
LibriVox provides free public domain audiobooks narrated by volunteers from around the world. The platform hosts a catalog of more than 20,000 completed audiobook titles spanning 49 languages, distributed as downloadable and streamable audio files (MP3/OGG) through its website, the Internet Archive, and podcast platforms. All content is offered at no cost with no registration or paywall required.
Is LibriVox a public or private company?
LibriVox is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LibriVox founded?
LibriVox was founded in 2005. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is LibriVox based?
LibriVox is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does LibriVox make money?
One revenue line is on record: free Access Model.
Who are LibriVox's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Audible (Amazon), Scribd, Apple Books (Audiobooks) and Spotify Audiobooks. Emerging players are Thought Audio, Storynory and LearnOutLoud. Direct peers are Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive and Loyal Books (formerly BooksShouldBeFree).
Does LibriVox have an API?
No public API is recorded for LibriVox.
What industry is LibriVox in?
LibriVox's product category is Free Public Domain Audiobooks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGALAM, Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs), with a secondary code of MPAJAIAE, Library & Education Audiobook Distribution (Public Libraries, Schools, Academic). Its NAICS code is 5192 and its SIC code is 2731.