Granny's books
Five books sit in the player; the rest wait on the shelf. Swap them whenever you like — the place in every book is kept.
BoughtOn its way
Bought and being fetched. Each one appears in the player as soon as we've got it, and we email you when it does.
In the playerIn Granny's player
This is the order the Next Book button goes through. Changes reach the player within a few minutes and save by themselves.
WaitingOn the shelf
Press Put in the player to move a book into a free slot. If all five are taken, take one off first.
Add a book you already own For audiobook files you've bought elsewhere (Libro.fm, Downpour). Most people don't need this — the Bookshop does it for you.
Or drag the download anywhere onto this page. Pick the download from your Files or Downloads. The zip as it arrived is fine, or loose audio files. If Libro.fm gave you two zips ("1 of 2", "2 of 2"), add both; they join into one book. We read the title, author and cover from the files and put the chapters in order.
Get a book for Granny
Any audiobook there is. See the price, press Buy, and it's in the player usually within a few hours, always by the next day. Nothing to download; yours to keep.
BoughtOn its way
Any book at allFind a book
When the book arrives, the player says who it is from, reads your message aloud, and starts the book.
The price is the audiobook's shop price — the same as Libro.fm charges — with nothing added on top. When you press Buy, the card is charged and we put the book in the player, usually within a few hours and always by the next day; you get the receipt by email. If we can't get a title, we refund it and tell you.
Can't find it? Tell us the title
Give us the title and author and we'll find it and email you a price before anything is charged.
Free, ready nowThe classics library
Recorded by volunteers and free to everyone. We've kept only the readers who sound like professionals, all with British voices. One press puts a book in the player.
Nothing in the free library matches that. Ask for it above and we'll get it.
Prefer to buy it yourself?
Libro.fm sells audiobooks as files you keep. Buy there, download, then add the files under Add a book you already own on the Bookshelf.
Libro.fm gives you the actual audio files, so a book can live in the player for good. Audible doesn't, which is why it isn't here. Naxos AudioBooks are the classics specialists — Austen, Dickens and Trollope read by actors.
Leave them a message
Record a little hello. The next time them presses the big button, the player says who it's from and plays it before the story carries on. Nothing new to learn.
Press to start recording, press again to stop. Up to three minutes.
Or read them somethingA poem, a letter, an article
Paste any text and it's read aloud in the player's voice, then delivered exactly like a voice note: "A reading from Tara…" the next time the big button is pressed. A poem takes two minutes; a full newspaper feature eight to ten. Two hours are included with the player; more is £9.99 an hour.
Messages so far
How it looks and behaves
Every listener is different. Choose the contrast them sees best, where the big button sits, and how the player speaks. Changes reach the device within fifteen minutes.
With this on, they can find a book in the player, hear the price, and buy it themselves. Free classics can always be added from the player in the Independent range. Every purchase is shown on the Bookshelf and in your email.
Corners: one huge PLAY, with Go Back and Next Book tucked small into the bottom corners so they're hard to press by accident.
Large lets a visitor see at a glance what is being read. The player still says the title aloud either way.
A fourth button that opens a big-print list of the shelf, for listeners who like to choose.
Announcements (“This book is Persuasion, by Jane Austen”, “A message from Tara”) are recorded once in a natural British voice and kept with the books. The device's own voice is only used if a recording isn't ready yet.
How they're getting on
The player quietly notes when them listens, so you can talk about the book when you visit.
Who's on the team
Everyone who leaves messages, chooses books or keeps an eye on things. Each person can have a short email on Sunday: what them listened to this week, who left a message, and a nudge if it's gone quiet.
The Sunday email goes out at 5pm. It never includes the PIN. Anyone can untick themselves here, or reply to the email and we'll do it.