Audiobookshelf
App in the BluixApps catalog
What it is
Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server — manage your audiobook library, sync progress across devices, listen via web/mobile apps, with chapter support, sleep timers, sleep mode. The OSS Plex/Audible alternative for audiobook collectors.
For audiobook lovers with growing personal libraries, Audiobookshelf is the canonical self-hosted answer.
What it's for
- Audiobook library management — organize personal audiobook collection
- Cross-device sync — listen on phone, web, tablet, position synced
- Podcast subscription — RSS-based podcast manager
- Family sharing — multi-user with separate progress tracking
- Audio format breadth — MP3, M4B, MP4, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, WAV
Who it's for
- Audiobook collectors with personal libraries (purchased / ripped)
- Privacy-conscious listeners rejecting Audible's DRM lock-in
- Families sharing audiobook collections across members
- Podcasters managing their listening queue without Spotify
- DRM-free advocates building libraries without platform dependency
Why teams pick Audiobookshelf over alternatives
- GPL-3.0 — fully open
- Native mobile apps — iOS + Android with offline support
- Multi-format — handles any audio format
- Chapter support — proper chapter navigation
- Privacy-friendly — no tracking, no ads
- Active development — frequent releases
Integrations
- Mobile apps — iOS + Android with auto-sync
- Podcast feeds — RSS subscription + auto-download
- Metadata providers — Audible, Google Books, iTunes for metadata enrichment
- Authentication — local users; OAuth via reverse proxy
- Cast support — Chromecast for living-room playback
- Audio formats — MP3, M4B, M4A, MP4, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, WAV, WMA
- OPDS — Open Publication Distribution feed for ebook clients
Notable users & community
- 9k+ GitHub stars
- Active Discord and r/selfhosted community
- Backed by single dedicated maintainer
- Featured in self-hosted media tool roundups
- Strong release cadence
Tips & operations
- Library scanning is slow first time — bulk metadata fetch takes time; let it run
- Use M4B for chapters — best format for audiobooks; chapters embedded
- Mobile auto-sync — progress syncs across devices; explain to family members
- Persistent volumes — library config + metadata + audio files
- Backup metadata — re-scanning rebuilds; metadata backup is fastest restore path
- Storage planning — audiobook libraries grow; size VPS disk accordingly
What we ship in BluixApps
- Docker compose: Audiobookshelf + persistent volumes
- Pinned
ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest(release-tagged) - HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
- Admin user via env config
- Persistent volumes for config + library mounts
- Mobile app pairing documented in install report
- Backup hook covers config + metadata (audio files opt-in due to size)
Get this app — pick a BluixApps plan
Same catalog. Scaling tenant isolation, white-label and support tier.
| Tier | Tenants | Catalog | Support | White-label | Monthly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacks | 1 | 19 curated stacks | Standard | — | $19/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Starter | 10 | Full catalog | Standard | +$15–25/mo | $49/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Pro | 25 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $149/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Growth | 100 | Full catalog | Priority bugfix | +$15–25/mo | $349/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Scale | 500 | Full catalog | 7-day window | +$15–25/mo | $799/mo | DetailDeploy |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Full catalog | Priority 7-day | Bundled | $1,499/mo | DetailDeploy |