LibriVox Objective

To make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet.

Our Fundamental Principles

  • Librivox is a non-commercial, non-profit and ad-free project
  • Librivox donates its recordings to the public domain
  • Librivox is powered by volunteers
  • Librivox maintains a loose and open structure
  • Librivox welcomes all volunteers from across the globe, in all languages

More Information

What We Do
Resources and Partners
In the Press
Inspirations
The Beginning
Contact

What We Do

LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain, and then we release the audio files back onto the net for free. All our audio is in the public domain, so you may use it for whatever purpose you wish.

Volunteering for LibriVox is easy and does not require any experience with recording or audio engineering or acting or public speaking. All you need is a computer, some free recording software, and your own voice. We accept all volunteers in all languages, with all kinds of accents. You don’t need to audition or send us samples. We’ll accept you no matter what you sound like.

We operate almost exclusively through Internet communications on our forum, where all your questions will be answered by our friendly community. We have a flat structure, designed to let people do just what they want to do.

For more detailed information, see our FAQ.

We’d like your help. Click to learn about volunteering for LibriVox.

Resources and Partners

We get most of our texts from Project Gutenberg, and the Internet Archive hosts our audio files (for free!).

In early 2010 we ran a fund-raising drive to raise $20,000 for our expenses for the next few years. Having reached our target in 13 days, we have now shut down our appeal, and if you wish, you may consider supporting our partners: Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive.

In the Press

Some press articles about LibriVox:

Inspirations

LibriVox was inspired by AKMA’s audio volunteer project that brought Lawrence Lessig’s book, Free Culture, to your ears.

Other inspirations include:

The Beginning

LibriVox was started in August 2005, by Hugh McGuire, a Montreal-based writer and web developer, who has gone on to start other publishing related enterprises including PressBooks, a simple book production tool, and iambik audiobooks a commercial audiobook company inspired by LibriVox, which partners with publishers and narrators to produce in-copyright audiobooks. More about him can be found at hughmcguire.net. An interview with Paula B from The Writing Show describing the project in its earliest days can be found here.

Contact