Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server that turns your seedbox into a personal streaming library for audiobooks. Listen from any device with the Audiobookshelf mobile app, pick up where you left off across devices, and manage your entire audiobook collection with a beautiful web interface.
Why Use Audiobookshelf? #
- Stream audiobooks — Listen from anywhere without downloading files first
- Progress sync — Pause on your phone, resume on your laptop. Automatically synced
- Beautiful library — Automatic metadata fetching with cover art, narrators, and series info
- Mobile apps — Native iOS and Android apps with offline download support
- Podcast support — Subscribe to podcasts alongside your audiobook library
How It Works #
AUDIOBOOKSHELF ARCHITECTURE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Your Audiobook Files Audiobookshelf Your Devices
(on seedbox) Server
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ ~/downloads/ │ │ │ │ 📱 Phone │
│ audiobooks/ │──reads──▶│ Scans library │◀───│ (app) │
│ │ │ Fetches metadata │ └───────────┘
│ ~/audiobooks/ │ │ Streams audio │ ┌───────────┐
│ Author/ │ │ Tracks progress │◀───│ 💻 Browser│
│ Book/ │ │ │ └───────────┘
│ ch01.mp3 │ │ Port: 80 (int) │ ┌───────────┐
│ ch02.mp3 │ │ HTTPS via proxy │◀───│ 🖥️ Desktop│
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └───────────┘
Files stay on your seedbox — Audiobookshelf streams them.
No duplication. No extra storage needed.
Step 1: Install Audiobookshelf #
- Log in to your EvoSeedbox Client Area
- Go to Services > your seedbox
- Find Audiobookshelf in Apps and click Install
- Wait 1-2 minutes, then click Open
WHAT GETS INSTALLED
───────────────────
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│ Docker: advplyr/audiobookshelf│
│ Internal port: 80 │
│ │
│ Mounts: │
│ • ~/downloads ──▶ /downloads │
│ • ~/.config/audiobookshelf/ │
│ ├── config ──▶ /config │
│ ├── metadata ──▶ /metadata │
│ └── audiobooks ──▶ /audiobooks│
└───────────────────────────────┘
Step 2: First-Time Setup #
When you first open Audiobookshelf, you’ll create an admin account and set up your library:
- Create admin account — Choose a username and password for Audiobookshelf
- Add a library — Click “Add your first library”
- Set library type — Choose Audiobook (or Podcast)
- Set library folder — Point it to where your audiobooks are stored
RECOMMENDED LIBRARY PATHS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════
Library Type Path Inside Container
──────────── ─────────────────────
Audiobooks /downloads/audiobooks
(maps to ~/downloads/audiobooks)
Podcasts /downloads/podcasts
(maps to ~/downloads/podcasts)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Create folders first: │
│ Use Filegator to create ~/downloads/audiobooks │
│ before adding the library in Audiobookshelf │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Add Your Audiobooks #
Audiobookshelf works best with organized folder structures:
RECOMMENDED FOLDER STRUCTURE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
~/downloads/audiobooks/
│
├── Brandon Sanderson/
│ ├── The Way of Kings/
│ │ ├── chapter01.mp3
│ │ ├── chapter02.mp3
│ │ └── cover.jpg ◀── Optional
│ └── Words of Radiance/
│ └── ...
│
├── Andy Weir/
│ └── Project Hail Mary/
│ ├── Part1.m4b ◀── Single file works too
│ └── cover.jpg
│
└── Terry Pratchett/
└── Guards! Guards!/
└── audiobook.m4b
Format: Author / Book Title / audio files
Supported: MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, OGG, WMA
After adding files, Audiobookshelf automatically scans the library and fetches metadata (cover art, description, narrator, duration) from online databases.
Step 4: Listen on Your Devices #
Mobile Apps (Recommended) #
- iOS: Audiobookshelf on App Store
- Android: Audiobookshelf on Google Play
To connect the app:
- Open the app and enter your Audiobookshelf server URL (shown in your client area)
- Log in with the account you created in Step 2
- Your entire library appears — tap any book to start listening
- Enable offline download to listen without internet
Web Browser #
Simply open Audiobookshelf via the client area or direct URL. The web player works in any browser with full playback controls, chapter navigation, and speed adjustment.
PLAYBACK FEATURES
═════════════════
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ◀◀ 10s ▶ / ⏸ 10s ▶▶ │
│ │
│ ├────────────●──────────────┤ 1:23:45 / 8:30 │
│ │
│ Speed: 1.0x │ Sleep Timer │ Chapters ▼ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
• Adjustable playback speed (0.5x to 3.0x)
• Sleep timer (15min, 30min, 1hr, end of chapter)
• Chapter navigation
• Bookmarks
• Progress auto-saved across all devices
Getting Audiobooks onto Your Seedbox #
HOW TO ADD AUDIOBOOKS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════
Method 1: Torrent (via ruTorrent)
──────────────────────────────────
Download audiobook torrents → auto-saved
to ~/downloads/ → move to ~/downloads/audiobooks/
Method 2: Upload (via Filegator)
────────────────────────────────
Upload M4B/MP3 files directly to
~/downloads/audiobooks/Author/Title/
Method 3: Readarr (automated)
─────────────────────────────
Set up Readarr to monitor and auto-download
audiobooks → saves directly to library folder
After adding files → Audiobookshelf auto-scans ✓
Troubleshooting #
Books Not Appearing in Library #
- Make sure files are in the correct folder structure (Author/Title/files)
- Click the Scan button in library settings to force a re-scan
- Check file format — MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, and OGG are supported
Mobile App Can’t Connect #
- Use the HTTPS URL from your client area (not HTTP)
- If behind a VPN, make sure the server URL is accessible from your network
- Check that your Audiobookshelf container is running (visit the URL in a browser first)
Wrong Metadata / Cover Art #
- Click the book → Edit → Match to search for the correct metadata
- You can manually upload a cover image and edit all metadata fields
- Include a
cover.jpgfile in the book folder for guaranteed correct art
