NetGalley Settings: What to Know
You’re squeezing in chapters between meetings, school pickup, and the gym. The last thing you need is an app that fights you over fonts, notification pings, or a download that vanishes mid-commute. NetGalley’s settings aren’t flashy, but getting them right is the difference between a smooth listening session and a frustrating scavenger hunt for your next title.
Here’s what actually matters inside those menus.
Start With Your Device: Where Are You Listening?
NetGalley works across the web, the NetGalley Shelf app (for reading), and the NetGalley Audio app (for audiobooks). Your settings don’t all live in one place, and that trips up a lot of first-time users.
If you’re primarily an audiobook listener, the NetGalley Audio app is your home base. It’s where your approved audiobook titles appear, and it handles playback, downloads, and sleep timers. The Shelf app is for ebooks. Knowing which app matches your format saves you from hunting through the wrong menu.
A listener who requested The Thursday Murder Club in audio format won’t find it in the Shelf app. It lives in the Audio app, under “My Books.” Check the app icon before you dig into settings.
Notification Settings: Stop the Noise, Keep the Signals
NetGalley sends a lot of emails. Approval alerts, new title recommendations, publisher updates, and reminder notices. For a multitasker, that’s a recipe for a cluttered inbox.
Go into your profile settings and adjust your email preferences. You can typically choose which types of notifications you receive. If you only care about approvals and expiration dates, turn off the rest. You’ll still get the critical updates, but you won’t be drowning in daily suggestions.
Fewer notifications mean you might miss a limited-time title from a favorite author. If you follow a specific series closely, keep those publisher updates on. Otherwise, trim the noise.
Download vs. Streaming: The Commuter’s Decision
Streaming saves storage, but it eats data and fails in tunnels. Downloading protects you from dead zones, but it fills your phone.
For audiobooks, download before you leave Wi-Fi. A 10-hour audiobook can be a hefty file, so check your storage before you hit that button. The NetGalley Audio app lets you download titles for offline listening, which is essential for subway rides, flights, or any stretch of road with spotty signal.
A parent listening to The Lightning Thief on a road trip should download the full book at home. Streaming in a mountainous area with weak coverage will cut out mid-chapter, and you’ll be scrambling to reconnect while driving.
If you’re on a commute with reliable signal, streaming is fine. If you’re traveling, downloading is non-negotiable.
Playback Speed: Your Secret Weapon
This is where the Time-Pressed Multitasker wins. NetGalley’s audio player lets you adjust playback speed, and most listeners find a sweet spot around 1.5x speed.
Faster playback means you finish more books in the same commute. But there’s a trade-off: some narrators lose their emotional impact at higher speeds. A dramatic pause in a thriller like Gone Girl hits differently at 1.25x than at 2x.
A professional listening to a dense nonfiction title, like Atomic Habits, might prefer 1.5x to keep the pace brisk. But a fiction listener savoring a character-driven novel might drop to 1.25x to catch the nuance in the narration.
If you’ve never adjusted speed, try 1.25x for a chapter. If it feels natural, bump it up. Don’t chase the highest speed just because you can.
Try Audible Free for 30 Days — Start your free trial on Amazon and get two free audiobooks.
Sleep Timer: For the End-of-Day Listener
If you listen in bed, the sleep timer is your best friend. It stops playback after a set interval, so you don’t wake up three hours later with the book finished and your phone dead.
Set it for 15 or 30 minutes, depending on how fast you drift off. The setting is in the player, not the main app menu. It’s a small feature, but it prevents the “where was I?” problem the next morning.
A listener winding down with The Hobbit can set a 20-minute timer and not worry about losing their place. The app remembers the position, so the next night picks up right where they left off.
Account and Profile Settings: Keep Your Requests Organized
Your profile settings control your reading preferences, which influences the titles NetGalley recommends to you. If you only want audiobooks, set that preference. If you review mostly mysteries, mark that genre.
This isn’t just about curation. Publishers use your profile to decide who gets approved for certain titles. A clear, accurate profile improves your chances of getting that new release from a favorite author.
A listener who reviews audiobooks regularly and marks “Mystery & Thriller” as a top genre is more likely to get approved for an upcoming release in that category than someone with a blank profile.
The Expiration Date Trap
Every NetGalley title has an expiration date. Once it passes, the book disappears from your library. That’s a harsh reality for multitaskers who stack up approvals faster than they can listen.
Check the expiration date on every title you request. If you have a backlog, prioritize the ones expiring soonest. The settings won’t save you from this one — it’s a discipline issue.
If you get approved for two audiobooks on the same day, and one expires in two weeks while the other expires in two months, start with the two-week title. Losing access to a book you wanted to review is a waste of a credit and your time.
A Note on the NetGalley Audio App Interface
The app itself is straightforward, but the settings menu is minimal. Don’t expect deep customization like you’d find in a dedicated audiobook player. There’s no equalizer, no chapter art customization, and no cross-device syncing for some titles.
That’s the trade-off for using a reviewer-focused platform. If you want advanced playback features, you’ll eventually move your finished listens to a dedicated player. But for accessing and reviewing ARCs, NetGalley’s settings cover the essentials.
Final Thoughts on NetGalley Settings
The settings aren’t complicated, but they reward a few minutes of upfront attention. Adjust your notifications, set your playback speed, download before you travel, and respect expiration dates. That’s the entire playbook.
For a busy professional squeezing books into every spare moment, these small tweaks save real time. You’ll spend less time fiddling with menus and more time actually listening. And that’s the point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I listen to NetGalley audiobooks on my phone?
Yes, the NetGalley Audio app is available for iOS and Android devices, and it supports offline downloads for listening without an internet connection.
Do NetGalley audiobooks expire?
Yes, every title has an expiration date set by the publisher. Once it passes, the audiobook is removed from your library, so check the date when you get approved.
Can I change the playback speed in the NetGalley Audio app?
Yes, the audio player includes speed controls, typically ranging from 0.5x to 2x, so you can adjust the narration to match your listening pace.
How do I get approved for more audiobooks on NetGalley?
Keep your profile updated with your preferred formats and genres, and make sure to submit reviews for the titles you finish. Publishers often look at review history when approving requests.
Is NetGalley free to use?
Yes, NetGalley is free for readers. You request titles from publishers, and if approved, you receive the audiobook or ebook in exchange for an honest review.