AudiobooksNow Setup — A Practical Guide
If you’ve just signed up for AudiobooksNow or you’re staring at the app store trying to decide if it’s worth the download, here’s the short version: AudiobooksNow is a straightforward audiobook retailer with a pay-per-book model, and setting it up takes about five minutes from account creation to your first playback. No subscription required, no credit system to decode — you buy a title, it lands in your library, and you hit play.
The catch is that the setup flow isn’t quite as polished as Audible’s, and there are a few quirks around app permissions and file delivery that trip people up. This guide walks through the entire process step by step, including the stuff the official FAQ doesn’t emphasize.
What AudiobooksNow Actually Is Before You Start
AudiobooksNow is owned by Books-A-Million and operates as a straightforward audiobook storefront. You pay per title — typically $7.99 to $24.99 depending on release date and popularity — and you own the files outright. There’s no monthly fee, no subscription tier, and no DRM lock to a specific app ecosystem.
That last point matters for setup. Because AudiobooksNow doesn’t use proprietary DRM, your purchased audiobooks come as MP3 or M4B files that you can play in the AudiobooksNow app, import into Apple Books, or load onto a dedicated MP3 player. The trade-off is that the app itself is less feature-rich than Audible or Libby. No Whispersync-style syncing with ebooks, no exclusive productions, no Audie Award-winning original content. It’s a utility player for files you own.
If you’re the type of listener who wants your audiobook library to outlive any single platform, that’s a meaningful advantage. If you want seamless integration with a larger ecosystem, you’ll notice the difference quickly.
Creating Your Account and Navigating the Purchase Flow
Start at audiobooksnow.com and click “Sign In” in the top-right corner. You can register with an email address and password, or use your Facebook or Google credentials. The email option is the most straightforward — the social logins occasionally trigger extra verification steps on first purchase.
Once you’re in, the storefront looks like a standard e-commerce site. Search for a title, click it, and you’ll see two purchase options: “Buy Now” and “Add to Cart.” For a single title, Buy Now is faster. If you’re planning to grab several books, use the cart and check out once.
Here’s the detail that catches people: AudiobooksNow frequently runs “3 for 2” or “2 for 1” promotions on their homepage, but those deals are applied at checkout automatically — you don’t need a promo code. If you see a banner for a sale, add the qualifying titles to your cart and the discount appears before you enter payment details.
Payment is standard credit/debit card or PayPal. After checkout, the site redirects to a confirmation page with a “Download” button. Don’t close this page until you’ve clicked it — the download link is also emailed to you, but the email can take a few minutes to arrive, and the direct link is faster.
After your purchase, confirm the title appears in your “My Digital Library” section on the website before you close the browser tab. If it’s there, your purchase is registered correctly. If it’s missing after 5 minutes, check your email for a receipt and contact support with that order number — this catches the occasional payment-processing delay before you waste time troubleshooting the app.
Downloading and Installing the App on iOS and Android
The AudiobooksNow app is available on both the App Store and Google Play, and it’s free. Search for “AudiobooksNow” — the publisher is listed as “Books-A-Million” on both stores.
On iOS: After installing, open the app and sign in with the same credentials you used on the website. The app will prompt you to allow notifications — you can decline these without affecting functionality. You’ll also get a prompt about cellular data usage; if you plan to download large audiobooks on the go, allow it, but be aware that a single title can range from 200 MB to over 1 GB depending on length and bitrate.
On Android: The setup is nearly identical, but Android users will hit an additional permission prompt for “Storage” or “Files and Media.” This is required — the app needs it to save downloaded audiobooks to your device. If you deny it, downloads will fail with a vague error message. You can grant it later via Settings > Apps > AudiobooksNow > Permissions, but it’s easier to accept it during initial setup.
Once you’re signed in, your purchased titles should appear under “My Library” or “Purchased.” If a title you just bought doesn’t show up immediately, pull down to refresh the screen or force-close and reopen the app. The library sync is generally reliable but occasionally lags by a minute or two after a new purchase.
After signing in, tap on any purchased title and check that the cover art and author name match what you bought. If you see a different edition or the wrong book entirely, that’s a sync issue — sign out, sign back in, and re-check before downloading anything.
Getting Your First Audiobook onto the App
There are two ways to get a purchased audiobook into the app, and the method you choose depends on whether you bought the book on your phone or on a computer.
If you bought on your phone: The title should appear in your library automatically. Tap it, then tap “Download” (the download icon, typically a downward arrow). Wait for the progress bar to complete before hitting play — starting playback mid-download can cause the audio to skip or stall.
If you bought on a computer: You’ll need to download the file from the website and transfer it. On the confirmation page or in your account’s “My Digital Library” section, click “Download.” You’ll receive a ZIP file containing either MP3 files (individual chapters) or a single M4B file. Unzip it if necessary, then:
- iOS: You’ll need to use the “Files” app. Save the unzipped folder to Files, then in the AudiobooksNow app, tap the “Import” or “Add Files” button and navigate to the folder. The app will scan for compatible audio files and add them to your library.
- Android: Connect your phone via USB, copy the folder to your device’s internal storage (a “Music” or “Audiobooks” folder works fine), then use the app’s Import function to locate it.
This computer-to-phone transfer is the clunkiest part of the entire AudiobooksNow experience. If you’re not comfortable with file management, buy directly on your phone to skip it entirely.
After importing, tap the title and confirm the chapter list populates correctly. If chapters are missing or out of order, delete the import and re-transfer the files — this usually happens when the ZIP file was partially extracted or files were moved individually instead of as a folder.
Adjusting Playback Settings for Your Listening Style
The AudiobooksNow app has a clean, functional player, but it’s not packed with features. Here’s what you can actually adjust:
- Playback speed: Available from 0.5x to 3.0x in 0.1x increments. The 1.5x and 2.0x sweet spots that most audiobook listeners favor are both accessible with two taps.
- Sleep timer: Located in the player’s menu, you can set it to stop after 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes, or at the end of the current chapter.
- Chapter navigation: Swipe left or right on the player screen to jump between chapters, or tap the chapter list icon to see all chapters in the book.
- Bookmarks: Tap the bookmark icon while listening to save a specific timestamp. You can access your bookmarks from the chapter list screen.
What you can’t do: adjust equalizer settings, change narration speed per chapter, or create custom playlists across multiple books. If those features matter to you, AudiobooksNow will feel limited. If you just want to press play and listen, it’s fine.
One practical note on speed: If you’re listening to a narrator with a strong accent or a dense non-fiction title, test 1.5x for a full chapter before committing to 2.0x. The app doesn’t have a “voice boost” or clarity enhancement feature, so the only way to find your comprehension threshold is trial by chapter.
What to Do When Your Audiobook Won’t Download or Play
The most common setup issue is a download that stalls at a certain percentage or fails outright. Here’s the troubleshooting sequence that resolves the vast majority of cases:
1. Check your storage space. A single audiobook can consume 500 MB to 1 GB. Go to your device settings and confirm you have at least double the file size available — the app needs temporary space for the download before it finalizes the file.
2. Switch from Wi-Fi to cellular or vice versa. Some networks (especially public or office Wi-Fi) block large file downloads. Toggle your connection and retry.
3. Delete and re-download. In your library, long-press the title (or tap the three-dot menu) and select “Remove” or “Delete.” Then tap Download again. This clears any corrupted partial files.
4. Check the file format. If you transferred a file from your computer and it won’t play, verify it’s not a DRM-protected file from another retailer. AudiobooksNow files are DRM-free, but if you accidentally grabbed an Audible file (which uses .aax format), the app won’t recognize it.
If you’ve gone through all four steps and the download still fails, check AudiobooksNow’s server status indirectly by trying to download a different title from your library. If a second title downloads fine, the problem is specific to that one file — contact support with the title name and your order number. If no titles download, the issue is likely on their end, and you should wait a few hours before retrying.
If none of that works, AudiobooksNow’s customer support is reachable via email through their contact page. Response times are typically 24–48 hours, which is slower than Audible’s live chat but acceptable for a smaller operation.
AudiobooksNow vs. Audible: Which Setup Is Right for You?
The setup process for AudiobooksNow is simple enough, but the real question is whether this platform fits your listening habits. Here’s the honest comparison:
Choose AudiobooksNow if:
- You want to own your audiobook files outright with no DRM restrictions
- You listen on multiple devices, including dedicated MP3 players
- You buy fewer than 12 books per year and don’t want a subscription commitment
- You’re fine with a basic player that does the essentials well
Choose Audible if:
- You want the largest catalog and exclusive productions
- You value features like Whispersync (syncing between ebook and audiobook) and Audible Originals
- You listen frequently enough that the subscription credits (which work out to roughly $9–$15 per book depending on plan) save you money
- You want a more polished app with better discovery and recommendation features
For the time-pressed listener who just wants a specific book without subscription overhead, AudiobooksNow works. For the listener who wants an ecosystem with ongoing features, Audible’s setup is more robust.
Try Audible Free for 30 Days — Start your free trial on Amazon and get two free audiobooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a subscription to use AudiobooksNow?
No. AudiobooksNow is a pay-per-title store. You buy individual audiobooks and keep them permanently. There is no monthly fee or credit system.
Can I listen to AudiobooksNow purchases on my Kindle or other devices?
You can listen on any device that plays MP3 or M4B files. That includes smartphones, tablets, computers, and dedicated MP3 players. It will not work on a Kindle e-reader, which doesn’t support audiobook playback natively.
What happens to my audiobooks if I switch phones?
Your purchases are tied to your AudiobooksNow account, not your device. Sign in on a new phone and re-download your titles from your library. You don’t need to repurchase anything.
Can I return an audiobook I bought by mistake?
AudiobooksNow does not have a formal return policy like Audible’s 365-day return window. Contact customer support if you made an accidental purchase, but don’t expect a guaranteed refund.
Does AudiobooksNow offer any free audiobooks?
Occasionally, the site runs promotions for free titles, usually classics or lesser-known works. There’s no consistent free monthly offering like Audible’s Plus catalog, so check the homepage regularly if that matters to you.
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