Audiobook Help

Audiobooks Help

Audiobooks purchased directly from this site come as a zipped library of MP3 files. The book will not be playable through Audible or other store apps, as they do not allow books from outside their 'walled garden' environments. That does mean it takes a couple other steps to listen to a book purchased elsewhere. It's not difficult, but it will take a couple minutes to set up the first time.

Let's walk through those steps. First we'll do Android. If you're an Apple user, scroll down to the next section with the Apple logo.

Android Instructions

Downloading and Unzipping the Audiobook File on Android
  1. When you purchased the book, you should have received an email with a download link.  Click this link download the audiobook ZIP file. It will typically save to your Downloads folder.
  2. Open the Files by Google app (pre-installed on most Android devices; if not available, download it for free from the Google Play Store). Navigate to the Downloads folder and locate the ZIP file (it will have a .zip extension).
  3. Tap the ZIP file to preview its contents. At the bottom of the preview screen, tap Extract. The app will unzip the files to the same location, creating a folder with the audiobook's audio files (usually MP3 or M4B format).
Creating a Folder for the Audiobook
  1. In Files by Google, long-press the newly extracted folder (or the individual audio files if no folder was created). Select Move from the menu.
  2. Navigate to your preferred storage location, such as Internal storage > Audiobooks (create this folder if it doesn't exist by tapping the + icon and selecting Folder). Name it something descriptive, like the audiobook title.
  3. Tap Move here to organize the files. This keeps your library tidy and easy to access.

 

There are multiple free apps on the Google Play store that you can use to listen to Audiobooks. I recommend Smart AudioBook Player. It has a free version and I had no trouble using it. The process for using a different app may vary slightly, but odds are good that it's similar.

Installing and Listening with Smart AudioBook Player
  1. Open the Google Play Store app on your phone. Search for Smart AudioBook Player (developed by Books Software). Tap Install—it's a free app with optional premium features available via a one-time payment.
  2. Once installed, open Smart AudioBook Player. Grant storage permissions when prompted so the app can access your files. The app will prompt you to create a My Audiobooks folder in your internal storage (typically /storage/emulated/0/My Audiobooks).
  3. In Files by Google, move your audiobook folder into the My Audiobooks folder. Return to the player app and tap the Refresh button (or restart the app) to scan for new content.
  4. Your audiobook will now appear in the app's library. Tap it to start playback. Use the controls to adjust speed (0.5x–3x), set bookmarks, enable sleep timer, or navigate chapters if the files support it. The app automatically detects covers and organizes multi-file books.
That's it. You should be set up in Android. If you encounter problems with this, let me know!

iPhone Instructions

Downloading and Unzipping the Audiobook File on iPhone
  1. On your iPhone, open Safari (or your preferred browser) and navigate to the purchase page on my website. Complete the purchase process to download the audiobook ZIP file. It will typically save to the Downloads folder in the Files app.
  2. Open the Files app (pre-installed on all iOS devices). Navigate to On My iPhone > Downloads (or iCloud Drive > Downloads if saved there) and locate the ZIP file (it will have a .zip extension).
  3. Tap the ZIP file. iOS will automatically unzip the contents, creating a folder with the audiobook's audio files (usually MP3 or M4B format) in the same location.
Creating a Folder for the Audiobook
  1. In the Files app, long-press the newly unzipped folder (or the individual audio files if no folder was created). Select Move from the menu.
  2. Navigate to your preferred storage location, such as On My iPhone > Audiobooks (create this folder if it doesn't exist by tapping the ... icon in the top-right and selecting New Folder). Name it something descriptive, like the audiobook title.
  3. Tap Move to organize the files. This keeps your library tidy and easy to access.
For the iPhone I tested and used BookPlayer. It's available for free on the app store and was easy to use and feature rich.
Installing and Listening with BookPlayer
  1. Open the App Store app on your iPhone. Search for BookPlayer (developed by TortugaPower). Tap Get to download—it's a free app with an optional Pro subscription for advanced features like cloud sync.
  2. Once installed, open BookPlayer. Grant permissions for Files access when prompted so the app can import your content.
  3. In the app, tap the + button (or Import Files from the library screen). Select Files and navigate to your audiobook folder. Select all files (or the folder if zipped) and tap Done or Import in the top-right. The app will process and add the audiobook to your library as a single book.
  4. Your audiobook will now appear in the library. Tap it to start playback. Use the controls to adjust speed (0.5x–3x), set bookmarks, enable a sleep timer with adjustable duration (including auto-start options in Pro), or navigate chapters if the files are tagged (M4B format). The app supports CarPlay, lock screen controls, and dark mode for an enhanced experience.

That's it. You should be set up in iOS. If you encounter problems with this, let me know!