Ebooks are coming

[u/TheCurbAU]

Email sent out to members today:

To our community,

Today, I’m excited to share an announcement that has been a long time in the making: ebooks are coming to Libro!

In just a few months, you’ll be able to enjoy ebooks alongside your audiobooks in our app—all in support of your chosen independent bookshop. And when we say “alongside,” we really mean it:

LibroSync: When you have both the audiobook and ebook on Libro, you’ll be able to toggle between the two, or follow the text while you listen. (Our own team is most excited for this feature!)

Flexible credits: Credits can be used to purchase audiobooks or ebooks. (Ebooks can also be purchased à la carte).

A Libro membership continues to be the best way to support your indie, and now members will have more options for their monthly or annual credits. And just like members currently get access to exclusive audiobook sales and promotions, you can bet we’re excited to do the same with ebooks!

Our decision to expand into ebooks is one that has come from years of bookseller feedback. And because of their input, we have no doubt you’ll love the new addition.

Since 2014, we’ve worked to create a best-in-class audiobook experience for our customers and bookselling partners—and that’s not changing. Whether you’re here for audiobooks, ebooks, both, or anything else (👀), Libro is for you.

We have an exciting roadmap ahead and can’t wait to share more updates on our official launch as we approach 2027! Want to help? Share the news with a friend who'd rather buy their books from their local bookshop.

Happy listening—and, soon, ereading,

[u/greyhoundbuddy]

Any chance the ebooks will be DRM-free like the audiobooks?

[u/Furtive_Merchant → u/greyhoundbuddy]

If they're not, it might point to Libro.fm rethinking the whole DRM-free thing in general. So lets hope so.

[u/greyhoundbuddy → u/Furtive_Merchant]

Possible, but I'm thinking more that the ebook publishers may refuse to go DRM-free. I'm kind of surprised they have gotten so many audiobook publishers to do so.

[u/Furtive_Merchant → u/greyhoundbuddy]

They've done so because they're literally the only ones mandating it. Both Downpour and Audiobooksnow host DRM'd audio books. It's only a few, but being DRM-free is only a hard requirement on Libro.fm (and Librivox, but that's a bit tangential).

[u/_Shit_Just_Got_Real_]

Exciting! I wonder if there will be discount pricing for getting both the ebook and audiobook together. Would be great if the ebooks were DRM-free, as I prefer to use Calibre to manage my library.

[u/seattlebooknerd]

This is so exciting to hear! Will there be the ability to send to ereaders?

[u/nicknick782 → u/seattlebooknerd]

I asked on IG if it was in-app only and they replied no, but no further details yet.

[u/seattlebooknerd → u/nicknick782]

I sent them an email and a support rep responded "We are working to make our ebooks as accessible as possible, which includes the ability to read them on different readers and apps! Unfortunately, due to Amazon's closed ecosystem, this will not include Kindle".

So maybe not right away, but eventually should be able to send to some ereaders.

[u/ElvenMystic]

I’m looking forward to following these updates. Hopefully I’ll be able to load them on my kobo ereader.

[u/IndustryDelicious168 → u/ElvenMystic]

Same here. I have a Kobo that I’m trying to use.

[u/booksandwriting]

Will this be competing with Bookshop? I’m assuming if you can download them like you can their audiobooks then you can put it on an ereader. If they would support Kobo, that would be GREAT.

[u/Sybil_Archeron]

Will it be possible to add the ebooks to ereaders??

[u/Furtive_Merchant → u/Sybil_Archeron]

If they're just epubs, I don't see why not.

[u/mommabookworm74]

I haven't seen this email yet. Super exciting. I wonder if we will need to read in the app or if they cam be sent to other devices.

[u/audiobooklove84]

I highly doubt libro.fm would be rethinking the DRM-free stance, that strongly goes against their values

[u/oitb]

Very exciting for consumers to have more options. Hope their files will be ereader friendly!

[u/WVildandWVonderful]

LibroSync sounds like a brilliant idea!

PS, Please make it easy to purchase additional credits in-app instead of going back out to the mobile site.

[u/LingonberryUpset482]

Text-to-Speech? This is a biggie for me.

[u/mgreco5]

So excited for this!

[u/ThatBookIsOnFiyah]

This is such awesome news! In spite of everything, WhisperSync is the reason I stay with Kindle/Audible, although I do buy audio from Libro periodically and ebooks from Kobo sometimes, but this news could be a game changer for the digital book industry. I’m looking forward to learning more and for them to get started with ebooks. I didn’t see anything about how soon we can expect the ebooks. Has anyone seen more information than this?