How to get free audiobooks as a teacher or librarian!
If you’re a teacher or librarian and you like free audiobooks, good news!
Libro.FM has a totally free program where you get access to 6 free audiobooks per month. (If you’re unfamiliar with LibroFM, I have a whole post about it here!).
This program is provided through Libro.FM by publishers who want to get new audiobooks in front of librarians and teachers with the hope that they’ll buy copies for their classrooms or libraries, add them to reading lists, or suggest them to parents and patrons.
A couple of things to note about this free teacher resource:
- Homeschool parents do not qualify. I know that’s annoying, but the publishers aren’t giving these audiobooks away out of the goodness of their hearts – they’re doing it as a marketing tool, hoping to generate book sales. A homeschool parent is unlikely to do that. Most of the time, a homeschool parent would listen to the free audiobook with their kids and then move along, rather than buying more copies.
- You do not choose the 6 free audiobooks. When I mentioned this program recently, I heard from many teachers who made an account and then sent me a message saying, “Where are my 6 free credits?!” That’s not how this works. Each month, in the ALC section, you’ll see the 6 audiobooks the publishers have opted to offer and you can redeem whichever of them you’re interested in. You’re welcome to listen to all or some or none of them.
- You’ll need to use your school or library email address to sign up. If your organization doesn’t allow you to create outside accounts using their work email, you’ll need to include that email in the notes section of your application.
With those things out of the way, here’s how to get these free audiobooks!
How to get free audiobooks as a teacher or librarian!
It’s a 2 step process.
First, you need to create a free LibroFM account. On the homepage, click “Sign Up” and then use your school or library email address to create an account.
It’ll prompt you to sign up for a paid membership which you certainly can do, but if you don’t want to, just press the skip button. That’s step 1!
Once you’ve done that, go to the Audiobook Listening Copy program page and fill out the form to join the program. You’ll hear back once they’ve approved your application.
That’s it! Couldn’t be simpler.
And a friendly reminder to be patient with responses to your application. Libro.fm is a small team, and they receive a HIGH volume of these requests. They’ll respond as quickly as they can in the order that your application is received!
If you have any questions about how this free teacher resource works or need help troubleshooting, I’m happy to assist – leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help!
I have a personal LibroFM account but am an educator/librarian at an elementary school. Is it possible to change my personal account to an educator account so I only have one account to manage?
I’d reach out to LibroFM and see if they can help.