Buying DRM-Free Audiobooks

So, you’re into audiobooks. Good call. How do you even buy a DRM-free audiobook?

Libro.fm is my new go-to because every book there is happily free from a DRM headache. Nice, right? Plus, your purchase throws support to a local bookstore. Double win.

But what about when you’re dying to read a book, like “Extremely Online” by Taylor Lorenz that your library doesn’t have, and bam! Regional restrictions slam the door in your face. Lame.

So, what do you do when you hit this roadblock? I found myself in this exact mess, chasing an audiobook about the wild world of the Internet. Here’s the lowdown on how to sidestep the annoyances:

  • Fire up your VPN and pretend you’re in the U.S.
  • Get cozy with Libro.fm and create an account.
  • Sign up for the monthly membership—two credits for you.
  • Pick any random bookstore to support. They all deserve the support.
  • Use those credits to grab “Extremely Online” and another book that your local library missed. Thanks, credits!
  • Download your DRM-free audio files. No chains here.
  • Upload those sweet DRM-free audio files onto your Audio Bookshelf server.
  • Say bye to your Libro.fm membership and cancel until next time.
  • Get back to living life. Easy.

That’s it. Nine steps to audiobook freedom. Also, shoutout to Libro.fm for being cool and a not-so-friendly “sup?” to those annoying publisher restrictions. Who needs borders on stories, anyway?


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