Free Audiobooks and Podcasts

“This is a story about an idea that I have,” Americana legend and self-proclaimed “recovering folk singer” Steve Earle states early in his enthralling Words + Music performance. “This job of mine becomes an artform spontaneously in 1965 - when Bob Dylan wants to be John Lennon, and John Lennon wants to be Bob Dylan, whether either one of them would admit it or not - and in that moment, rock and roll becomes art."

Pete Townshend is one of the great figures in rock ‘n’ roll history. For almost 60 years, The Who have balanced the physical and the spiritual with introspective lyrics and inspirational music. But there is a part of Townshend’s story—and The Who’s—that has not been examined. These are his Words + Music. In the Audible Original Pete Townshend: Somebody Saved Me, the songwriter takes us through the period between the 1978 death of Who drummer Keith Moon and the 2002 loss of bassist John Entwistle. 

Margot and James are broken up—for good this time. James made sure of it when he dropped the bomb on Margot: that he doesn’t want kids, ever. Then, on the biggest morning of his life, James—an ambitious lawyer at a high-powered firm—wakes up pregnant. He realizes with dread that he is part of a recent epidemic of men suddenly and inexplicably becoming pregnant. His condition obvious to the higher-ups, James is denied the promotion he was expecting, sending him reeling.

Exactly one year after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, the very first pride parade kicked off on Christopher Street with a march up New York's Sixth Avenue and into the Sheep Meadow in Central Park. They marched to demonstrate against decades of systemic discrimination, inequality, and harassment. Fifty years later, New York City was preparing for the biggest pride celebration yet when COVID-19 struck. Undeterred, the global LGBTQIA+ community transformed this special anniversary into a global virtual celebration.

From executive producers of The Walking Dead and Travis Beacham, the writer of Pacific Rim, comes a heart-stopping Audible Original featuring a brilliant British cast. It’s the near future and seven years since a comet hit the earth and blotted out the sun. The world is a dark, frozen landscape. And then, beastly creatures emerge and take over. A story of apocalypse, horror, and adventure, Impact Winter is a wholly original new saga created just for Audible with immersive 3D audio that dares you to pop in your earbuds and listen in the dark.

“When I become mayor, we become mayor.” Ras Baraka’s famous words speak to exactly who he is as a leader - a fiercely loyal member of his community. In this innovative and ground-breaking Audible Original, hear how Baraka - the mayor of Newark, New Jersey - grew from spoken-word artist to school principal to successful politician.

Simon can only watch, helpless, as his family is killed and his friends captured by enemy Travelers—men and women who can summon mystical powers from otherworldly Territories. To top it off, another young man from Simon's village discovers that he's a savior prophesied to destroy evil and save the realm. Prophecy has nothing to say about Simon. He has no special powers, no magical weapons, and no guarantee that he'll survive. But he sets off anyway, alone, to gain the power he needs to oppose the Travelers and topple their ruthless Overlord.

Go the F--k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach’s profane, affectionate, and radically honest verses perfectly capture the familiar - and unspoken - tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night.

Journey with musical virtuoso Yo-Yo Ma as the iconic performer and global phenomenon delves into the world of self-discovery and our deeply interwoven humanity. This is Beginner's Mind, Ma’s extraordinary addition to Audible’s Words + Music series, blending vivid personal memoir and breathtaking exclusive performances with indelible lessons gained over a lifetime pursuing meaning, connection, and shared purpose.

You know screens are bad before bed, but do you know why? Find out how blue light isn't the only way these devices are getting in the way of you and your sleep.  

In this brief educational piece by renowned sound therapist Sara Auster, you'll learn how the reverberating tones from certain instruments create a deeply immersive experience that may help relax your body and mind. Sara is the leading voice in sound bath experiences and is considered a pioneer and master of the form. She's been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, TIME, and O, The Oprah Magazine and has facilitated large-scale, site-specific sound bath experiences at iconic venues around the world.

Even if you know the benefits of meditation, actually starting can feel daunting. This brief and easygoing introduction from Jesse Israel, founder of The Big Quiet, breaks it down - and shows you how effortless starting your own practice can be.   

A micro podcast that explores some of the most considerable things you’ve never considered.

News comes at you fast. Join us at the end of your day to understand it. Today, Explained is your all killer, no filler, Monday to Friday news explainer co-hosted by Sean Rameswaram and Noel King. Every episode features the finest reporters from the Vox Media Podcast Network and beyond.

Welcome to The Brown Girls Guide to Politics -- the one stop shop for women of color who want to hear and talk about the world of politics. Host A’shanti Gholar leads conversations with women changing the face of politics. Episodes include interviews with politicians, candidates, and influencers. Get ready for roundtables, analyzing current events, and more!

This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.

Is it possible for an American Vice President to carry out a criminal enterprise inside the White House and have nobody remember? To have one of the most brazen political bribery scandals in American history play out before the country while nobody’s paying attention? In her first original podcast, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow goes back 45 years to dig into a story that got overshadowed in its day. There’s intrigue. Corruption. Envelopes of cash delivered to the White House. It’s a story that’s not well known, but it probably should be. Especially today. Bag Man. A Rachel Maddow podcast ...

Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (born March 12, 1945) is an American gangster who became the underboss of the Gambino crime family. This is his story. Directed by James Carroll.

Buried deep in the past of a quiet southern town lies the legend of Billy Sunday Birt, the most dangerous man in Georgia history. A chance meeting one spring day unravels the truth behind the notorious figure and uncovers new secrets along the way.

In "Hardcore History" journalist and broadcaster Dan Carlin takes his "Martian", unorthodox way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This isn't academic history (and Carlin isn't a historian) but the podcast's unique blend of high drama, masterful narration and Twilight Zone-style twists has entertained millions of listeners.

Putin's Invasion: In the fourth season of How It Happened, Axios’ World editor David Lawler pulls together analysis and reporting from across the Axios newsroom to explain how the invasion of Ukraine happened in slow motion over 8 years and then all at once. How it Happened is an Axios podcast docu-series featuring instant histories. Each season, Axios reporters bring you behind closed doors to hear the people and decisions shaping the biggest stories of our time. Trump’s Last Stand: In the first season of How it Happened, national political reporter Jonathan Swan reveals the inside story ...

Lore is a bi-weekly podcast (now also a TV show and book series) about dark historical tales. Each episode explores the mysterious creatures, tragic events, and unusual places that fill the pages of history. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.