Sustainable Substitutes for Big Tech Audiobooks

Ethical shops for audiobooks streams and downloads.

  • Feasibility: How easily can the average user switch to this substitute? Higher feasibility results in a higher ranking.
  • Editor's Rating: How sustainable is the substitute? The more sustainability attributes it fulfils, the higher it is ranked.
libro-fm logo

Libro.fm

An audiobook platform supporting local bookstores.

Neither the platform nor the listening apps display third-party advertisements; the service is funded entirely by audiobook sales and memberships.
Libro.fm operates no advertising ecosystem does not engage in cross-context behavioural tracking for advertising. It is a commercial company rather than an anonymised service, so account and purchase data are retained, but its data practices are modest in comparison with Big Tech competitors.
The DRM-free MP3 format ensures that purchases remain portable and free of lock-in.
Audiobooks can be downloaded for offline listening in the apps, and because the files are DRM-free, they can be transferred to any device and kept permanently without any connection.
Website

Kobo

Purchased ebooks and audiobooks remain protected by DRM, and ownership by Rakuten, a large Japanese e-commerce group, means the platform ultimately serves a major commercial conglomerate rather than an independent company.Source: The Verge: How Rakuten, the Amazon.com of Japan, plans to make a name for itself in the US (2013)

A digital reading company founded in Canada, offering E-Readers, Ebooks and audiobooks.

Kobo e-readers display no advertisements on the device itself or on the sleep screen, and unlike Amazon's Kindle line there is no discounted, advertising-subsidised hardware tier.
Once ebooks are downloaded or sideloaded, Kobo e-readers function entirely without an internet connection, and features such as annotation and adjustable front lighting are available offline.
Kobo supports the open EPUB format, which prevents complete vendor lock-in for sideloaded content.
Website

Suggestions and Feedback

If you have suggestions for more alternatives or general feedback, please contact me via email or create an issue over on Codeberg. Suggest Substitute on Codeberg Write an Email