For EPUB, PDF, and TXT ebooks
Ebook to Audiobook: Listen to Your EPUB, PDF, or TXT Ebook
Have an ebook you'd rather listen to? Upload it as an EPUB, PDF, or TXT file and Audiobooker narrates it chapter by chapter with natural AI voices. Not sure which file to use, or whether a store-bought ebook will work? The format guide below explains.
Upload EPUB, PDF, TXT
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How to turn an ebook into an audiobook
- Pick the best file you have. If the same book exists in several formats, EPUB gives the cleanest result, then PDF, then TXT.
- Upload it, check the chapter list, and choose a voice in the book's language.
- Generate the narration, listen in your browser, and download chapter MP3s or an M4B audiobook.
Which ebook format should you upload?
All three formats become the same kind of audiobook. What differs is how much of the book's structure comes with the text.
| Format | Chapters | Title, author, and cover | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPUB | From the ebook's table of contents | Read from the file | Most ebooks and self-published books |
| From headings such as “Chapter 1” | Title from the file name, no cover | Textbooks, reports, and PDF-only ebooks | |
| TXT | From headings such as “Chapter One” | Title from the file name, no cover | Plain-text classics and drafts |
Save TXT files as UTF-8 so accented letters and non-Latin scripts come through correctly. PDFs need selectable text; scanned pages can't be read.
Ebooks from Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and other stores
Many ebooks sold in these stores are protected with DRM, which locks the file to the store's own reading app. Audiobooker can't open DRM-protected files, so those books can't be narrated here. Check whether the book already has an audiobook edition, or use the reading app's built-in read-aloud feature if it has one.
DRM-free ebooks work well: books from publishers and authors who sell without DRM, public-domain editions, and manuscripts you've written yourself.
Have a MOBI, AZW3, or DOCX file?
These formats can't be uploaded directly. If the file is DRM-free, the free Calibre ebook manager can convert MOBI and AZW3 to EPUB, and Word can save a DOCX as a PDF. Upload the converted file instead.
How long will your audiobook be?
Narration runs at roughly 150 words per minute at normal speed. After you upload, Audiobooker shows the word count and estimated listening time for the whole book and for every chapter.
| Book | Typical length | Listening time |
|---|---|---|
| Short story | 7,500 words | About 50 minutes |
| Novella | 20,000 words | About 2 hours |
| Novel | 70,000 words | About 8 hours |
| Long novel | 120,000 words | About 13 hours |
Frequently asked questions
- Can I turn a Kindle book into an audiobook?
- Not if it was bought from the Kindle store and is protected with DRM, because the file can only be opened in Kindle apps. If you have a DRM-free copy of the book, such as your own manuscript, convert it to EPUB and upload that.
- Is it free to convert an ebook to an audiobook?
- Yes. Without an account you can narrate, listen to, and download the first chapters of a book. A free account lets you narrate the whole book with standard voices.
- What if my ebook is longer than the free preview?
- Chapters that don't fit are marked "Free account". Create a free account to narrate them in Studio; the chapters you've already made stay with the project.
- Will the audiobook sound natural?
- The neural voices handle punctuation and pacing well, but they are still synthetic. Unusual names, invented words, and dialogue between many characters sound flatter than with a human narrator. Preview a few voices and adjust the speed to suit the book.
- Can I listen on my phone?
- Yes. Open the M4B in Apple Books on iPhone or in an audiobook player app on Android, or copy the MP3s to any music player. You can also listen straight from this page in a mobile browser.
- Can I share or sell the audiobook I make?
- Only if you hold the rights. An audiobook made from someone else's ebook is for your own listening; publishing or sharing it usually needs permission from the rights holder, because audio rights are separate from ebook rights.
Related tools
- Audiobook Maker
The general starting point for EPUB, PDF, and TXT.
- EPUB to Audiobook
Keep the book's own table of contents and cover.
- PDF to Audiobook
Narrate a text-based PDF after its text is extracted.