# Audiobookshelf — Self-Hosted Audiobook & Podcast Server

> Audiobookshelf is an open-source audiobook and podcast server with progress sync, chapter navigation, mobile apps, and multi-user support — a self-hosted Audible alternative.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

## Quick Use

```bash
docker run -d --name audiobookshelf 
  -p 13378:80 
  -v /path/to/audiobooks:/audiobooks 
  -v /path/to/podcasts:/podcasts 
  -v audiobookshelf-config:/config 
  -v audiobookshelf-metadata:/metadata 
  ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest
```

Open `http://localhost:13378` — create your admin account, add your audiobook library folders, and start listening.

## Intro

**Audiobookshelf** is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server that manages, streams, and tracks your audio content across all devices. With native mobile apps (iOS & Android), automatic metadata fetching, chapter navigation, and multi-user progress sync, it provides an experience comparable to Audible — running entirely on your own hardware.

With 12.4K+ GitHub stars and GPL-3.0 license, Audiobookshelf has become the definitive self-hosted solution for audiobook enthusiasts and podcast listeners who value ownership and privacy.

## What Audiobookshelf Does

Audiobookshelf handles all your audio content needs:

- **Audiobook Management**: Organize audiobooks with metadata, cover art, series, narrators, and genres
- **Podcast Management**: Subscribe to podcasts via RSS, auto-download new episodes, and manage subscriptions
- **Progress Sync**: Seamless position sync across web, iOS, and Android apps
- **Chapter Navigation**: Jump between chapters with chapter titles and timestamps
- **Multi-user**: Separate accounts with individual libraries, progress, and bookmarks
- **Metadata Fetching**: Auto-fetch from Audible, Google Books, OpenLibrary, and iTunes
- **Bookmarks & Notes**: Mark favorite passages and add notes while listening
- **Sleep Timer**: Built-in sleep timer with shake-to-reset
- **Playback Speed**: Adjustable speed from 0.5x to 3x
- **Collections & Series**: Group audiobooks into collections and series with proper ordering

## Architecture

```
┌─────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐
│ Mobile Apps │────▶│ Audiobookshelf│────▶│  Audio Files │
│ iOS/Android │     │  Server      │     │  (Audiobooks │
├─────────────┤     │  (Node.js)   │     │  & Podcasts) │
│ Web Client  │     └──────┬───────┘     └──────────────┘
└─────────────┘            │
                    ┌──────┴───────┐
                    │  SQLite DB   │
                    │  (Metadata & │
                    │   Progress)  │
                    └──────────────┘
```

## Self-Hosting

### Docker Compose

```yaml
services:
  audiobookshelf:
    image: ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest
    ports:
      - "13378:80"
    volumes:
      - /mnt/media/audiobooks:/audiobooks
      - /mnt/media/podcasts:/podcasts
      - abs-config:/config
      - abs-metadata:/metadata
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  abs-config:
  abs-metadata:
```

### File Organization

```
/audiobooks/
├── Author Name/
│   ├── Book Title/
│   │   ├── Chapter 01.mp3
│   │   ├── Chapter 02.mp3
│   │   └── cover.jpg
│   └── Series Name/
│       ├── Book 1 - Title/
│       │   └── book.m4b
│       └── Book 2 - Title/
│           └── book.m4b
```

Supported formats: MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, OGG, WMA, AAC, OPUS

## Key Features

### Mobile Apps

Native apps for iOS and Android with:
- Background playback with lock screen controls
- Auto-sync progress when connected to server
- Download for offline listening
- CarPlay / Android Auto support
- Sleep timer with motion detection

### Metadata Management

Audiobookshelf fetches metadata from:
- **Audible**: Title, author, narrator, series, duration, description
- **Google Books**: ISBN lookup, descriptions, categories
- **OpenLibrary**: Book data, covers
- **iTunes**: Podcast metadata and artwork

### Podcast Features

- Subscribe via RSS URL
- Auto-download new episodes on schedule
- Episode progress tracking
- Podcast-specific libraries
- OPML import/export

### Smart Libraries

- Multiple libraries per user (e.g., Fiction, Non-Fiction, Languages)
- Filter by author, narrator, genre, series, or tag
- Sort by recently added, progress, duration, or title
- Search across all libraries

## Audiobookshelf vs Alternatives

| Feature | Audiobookshelf | Plex | Booksonic | OpenAudible |
|---------|---------------|------|-----------|-------------|
| Open Source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No | Yes | No |
| Mobile apps | Native iOS/Android | Yes | Android | No |
| Progress sync | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Chapters | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Podcasts | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Metadata | Audible/Google/OL | Limited | Limited | Audible |
| Multi-user | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Offline mobile | Yes | Plex Pass | No | Desktop only |

## FAQ

**Q: What audio formats are supported?**
A: MP3, M4A, M4B (Audible format), FLAC, OGG, WMA, AAC, OPUS, and other major formats. M4B audiobooks with chapters are auto-detected.

**Q: Can I migrate from Audible?**
A: Yes. Use tools like OpenAudible or libation to convert Audible audiobooks to M4B or MP3, then drop them into Audiobookshelf's library directory — metadata is auto-recognized and enriched.

**Q: Server requirements?**
A: Very lightweight. Audiobookshelf streams audio files directly without transcoding. 1GB RAM + 1-core CPU runs smoothly. Storage depends on your audiobook collection size.

## Source & Thanks

- GitHub: [advplyr/audiobookshelf](https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf) — 12.4K+ ⭐ | GPL-3.0
- Website: [audiobookshelf.org](https://audiobookshelf.org)

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/audiobookshelf-self-hosted-audiobook-podcast-server-79639045
Author: AI Open Source