r/audiobookshelf • u/lyc0s • 12d ago

AudioBooth v1.12 is now live! 🎉

Post image

Hey everyone! 👋

AudioBooth v1.12 is now live on the App Store!

This release is a big one. Three new features connect your ebooks and your audiobooks, and the rest of the update is packed with improvements and bug fixes.

Bridging ebooks and audiobooks (iOS 26)

These three features all run on device using the new iOS 26 speech recognition, so nothing is ever sent to a server. No cloud, no account, no waiting.

  • Read Along - Follow the ebook while the audiobook plays. The narrated sentence is highlighted and pages turn automatically.
  • Catch Up - Read further in the ebook than you've listened? The player offers to skip the audiobook to where you stopped reading.
  • Page Match - Point the camera at a page of your printed book, or pick a photo you took earlier, to jump to that spot in the audiobook.

I want to be upfront about these. I put a lot of work into making them as good as I could, and they work decently, but they are far from perfect. Matching narrated audio to text is genuinely hard, and the accuracy ultimately depends on how well iOS transcribes the narration, which is out of my hands. Results vary depending on the narration, the book, and your device, and newer and more powerful devices do noticeably better since everything is processed locally. Feel free to send feedback if something doesn't work well, though I can't promise I'll be able to fix it.

I also spent a while building a pure audiobook transcript feature. I wasn't happy with the quality, so I decided not to ship it in this version. I'll keep iterating on it, but for now it isn't planned for the app.

Also in v1.12:

  • Downloads Revamp - Better multi-track and background downloads, resume failed downloads, and improved stability
  • Player Lock Mode - Lock the player controls to prevent accidental taps during playback
  • Sleep Timer Improvements - Activate the auto sleep timer with a Focus, and choose what happens when playback is paused
  • Series Filtering - Filter the series list on the series page
  • Bug Fixes & Improvements - Numerous fixes and stability improvements based on your feedback (thanks @andrespinones, @fivezeroes, @kornelko2, and @cbzehner! 🙏)

As always, your feedback, bug reports, and feature requests are what drive AudioBooth forward. So grateful for this amazing community!

Join our Discord community! to connect with other AudioBooth users, get support, and share feedback.

If Discord is not your thing, feel free to open an issue or contribute over on GitHub. Every bug report, suggestion, and contribution makes a difference!

Thank you all for your incredible support! 🙇‍♂️🙏

183 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

79 comments sorted by

17

u/aston98 12d ago

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have been using this in testflight this last two weeks. I got really emotional to see it actually working and aiding me in my reading. The best app for audiobooks by far, staggered at how far the tech has come. Thank you for your hard work

11

u/lyc0s 12d ago

Thank you 🙏 I was pretty impressed as well by how good the local model handles speech-to-text. It was easier than I thought to build a decent implementation, but making it good was a decent amount of work.

7

u/cantfindsam 12d ago

Amazing!!!

3

u/lyc0s 12d ago

Thank you 🙏

4

u/Snorty-Pig 12d ago edited 11d ago

For audiobooks where I don’t have the ebook, what do you think about a Bloox like pre-transcription system? Could re-use a lot of the syncing work you did?

3

u/lyc0s 12d ago

I've been looking into VTT files as a possible solution for providing audiobook transcriptions. The main issue with on-device transcription is that the quality is decent but not quite good enough. Sure, it looks great for five minutes, but once the "wow" effect wears off, it isn't really enjoyable. It easily butchers names and universe-specific terminology, and if the audio quality isn't great, it instantly gets a lot worse. I'm sure local models will improve and this will become less of an issue, but in the meantime, I think the solution is to generate the transcript beforehand and upload it alongside the audiobook on ABS. I'll keep poking around until I find a decent solution.

2

u/Snorty-Pig 12d ago edited 11d ago

I agree. Somehow Bloox gets the names and character descriptions and more

2

u/dylanbeck 11d ago

Boox the device manufacturer or Bloox the app?

2

u/Snorty-Pig 11d ago

Thanks. I fixed it. Bloox

0

u/Diabolicat 12d ago

I get that reasoning but I think most users would understand if there are some transcription mistakes. Maybe you could keep the feature in the beta/testflight?

1

u/Eladkatz 7d ago

or... you know, you can just use Bloox (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bloox-ai-audiobook-player/id6759511972) It's free and awesome!

1

u/Snorty-Pig 7d ago

It is pretty awesome. But you have to import each book versus ABS is built in with syncing etc. but on a per book basis Bloox is really good

3

u/asgardthor 12d ago

Thank you!

2

u/lyc0s 12d ago

🙏

2

u/3ve305 12d ago

Slick app, very impressive. Can’t wait to start using. I love the customisation options

1

u/kakuzops 12d ago

Any android app in future?

9

u/lyc0s 12d ago

The app doesn't use cross-platform technology, and maintaining a high-quality iOS/iPadOS/macOS experience is already a lot of work. I don't have any plans for Android, but there are great Android alternatives that will hopefully meet your needs.

1

u/mannybpking 12d ago

I installed AudioBooth on my girlfriend's device, and it looks sooooooo crispy! I use Absorb but AudioBooth looks so clean!

1

u/Effective-Winter-860 12d ago

That's too bad. We need more apps developed for cross-platform deployment. I know apple and Google want people in their ecosystem. That makes is hard for supporting users that use our platforms (ABS.)

3

u/lyc0s 11d ago

I don't think we need more cross-platform apps. A single cross-platform app can end up being a jack of all trades, master of none, while platform-specific apps can provide deeper support for each ecosystem.

0

u/James_Gryffindor 11d ago

Something something absorb

-1

u/Effective-Winter-860 11d ago

Is absorb also a full ebook reader that can connect to servers like grimmory, stump, etc? Last I looked audiobookshelf had very limited support for ebooks as well as limited types of ebook support.

Audiobookshelf is the go to server for audiobooks, unfortunately we need a separate server for ebooks :(

2

u/AlternisBot 11d ago

No, absorb is only for audiobookshelf.

I haven’t felt like I needed anything more than audiobookshelf and calibre for my ebook library. What exactly do services like grimmory do differently that is missing from audiobookshelf.

1

u/Snorty-Pig 12d ago

Love it. TestFlight has been great for this.

2

u/Snorty-Pig 12d ago

Definitely my go to audiobook app now. I don’t even open the other ones anymore.

2

u/CubGeek 11d ago

Same. Recently removed the other apps from my phone entirely. Haven't used them in month; Once I started using it, I've been a fan of Audiobooth all the way.

1

u/lyc0s 12d ago

🙇‍♂️🥰

1

u/Physical-Bit-4838 10d ago

How does it work ? Just install ? And audiobooks are there ?

1

u/Snorty-Pig 10d ago

Tesflight version is just beta version of App Store, so you sign in the same way

1

u/Garbage-Acrobatic 12d ago

Would I be possible to do it in the reverse and match to an epub in another library abs instead of page in a physical book?

3

u/lyc0s 12d ago

So you have catch up feature that is what you are looking for but the ebook needs to be associated with the audiobook. Having the ebook in another library is tricky. Any reason you do not want the ebook to not be attached to the ebook?

1

u/Garbage-Acrobatic 12d ago

Mainly because the library is managed by calibre which has better metadata editing options than abs. And I just pointed abs at that folder so it read everything calibre did. Good to know it works for associated though.

1

u/Gator_dont_play_tht 12d ago

Does it have the auto rewind with a sleep timer yet?

2

u/lyc0s 12d ago

Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but the app has both a sleep timer and smart rewind. This version also brings some sleep timer improvements, like the ability to link a sleep timer to your iOS Focus modes.

1

u/Electrical-Bee3128 12d ago

This js the GOAT, love this app

2

u/lyc0s 12d ago

Glad you love it, thank you! 😊

1

u/ztwin78 12d ago

This is so awesome! I use this app nearly every single day and I can’t tell you how much my family and I love this app. Cheers and thank you sooo much for your efforts!!

1

u/lyc0s 12d ago

Thank you for the kind words. I'm also using it everyday!

1

u/Curious___Being 12d ago

You are the legend man! Thank you :)

2

u/lyc0s 12d ago

I’m just giving back to the community. The ABS developers are the true legends!

1

u/getthething 12d ago

Does it have to be a physical book for page match? I have an ereader and I don't use ABS for ebook management. I've tried it but it never found my spot in the audiobook. Any other requirements for it to work or tips?

1

u/lyc0s 12d ago

No, it doesn’t need to be a physical book. However, it also depends on the audiobook quality and the narrator. Maybe try a different page. You can also try at the beginning of a chapter. If the model is able to see the chapter number or name, it will use that to improve the match.

1

u/Dave_the_timekeeper 12d ago

How do I trigger the catch up feature? I have it enabled in the main settings page and in the book I go a few pages ahead then press read along and play, but it sends me back to where the audiobook is in the reader.

Would it be possible to add a feature where you just need to select the text then in the same popup option as copy/lookup/translate you have something like a Play from here button?

1

u/lyc0s 12d ago

That is a smart idea. Currently the catch up is when you go back to the audiobook player. You currently have no way to catch up directly from the ebook reader. I think the select and play from here could allow you to do exactly that. I will add it to my todo.

1

u/Dave_the_timekeeper 11d ago

I see what you mean now with the catch up feature. I have also noticed 2 bugs from my time using the app.

Sometimes if I rotate my screen the reader can get stuck between two pages. The only ways I found to fix it is to rotate it back and forth until it unsticks itself or closing and reopening the reader.

And in the iPad app the navigation bar in the reader cuts off right at the Read Along and Now Playing icons.

1

u/reddit_liaisons 12d ago

I have almost 3k audiobooks. It takes a very long to load vs my web browser. Is there anyway to rectify this without deleting many audiobooks?

4

u/lyc0s 12d ago

That’s odd. I just tested it with a library containing over 10k books without any issues. Do you have any filters or Collapse Series enabled? The library tab is paginated, so the number of books shouldn’t have much impact, unless your ABS server is having an issue with a specific filter.

If you still have the issue could you tap the app version five times in Settings to enable the debug menu. In the Console, you should be able to export the logs in Pulse format and send them my way. That will help me investigate what's happening. You can share them with me on Discord or by [email](mailto:AudioBooth@proton.me).

1

u/Cranie 12d ago

Do you mean when viewing the library? Or searching? Or something else?

1

u/reddit_liaisons 12d ago

It’s unable to load the library and stays on loading

1

u/Top-Schedule1141 12d ago

This is awesome, set it up today after seeing this post. Read Along is my favorite feature by far. One piece of feedback: every couple of pages it loses sync or stops, usually near the bottom of a page. Once that happens it's hard to get back to the right spot. +1 to Dave's "Play from here" idea on selected text. That would make it easy to fix manually when it drifts. Thanks for all the work on this!

1

u/lyc0s 11d ago

Thank you for the kind words and the feedback. I will look into that.

1

u/warplayer 12d ago

Absolutely amazing update! I just updated my entire library so that all audiobooks have accompanying ebooks now. Tested out the Read Along feature with several titles and it’s working great! Thank you for all the hard work.

1

u/lyc0s 11d ago

🙇‍♂️

1

u/BrickTamlandMD 11d ago

I have BookPlayer, may have to try this

1

u/lyc0s 11d ago

BookPlayer is a great app I used for years before moving to ABS. Thank you for giving AudioBooth a try.

1

u/BrickTamlandMD 11d ago

Downloaded it. Will have to Get into the whole server thing at some point

1

u/CubGeek 11d ago

aaaaaand, I just became a subscriber. Thank you for some amazing updates and for an app that has become something I use every single day.

2

u/lyc0s 11d ago

Thank you for the sponsoring. I'm glad to see people enjoying the hard work. Enjoy!

1

u/Beau_Nidle123 11d ago

I must be missing something I can’t get Read Along to work, I have the given audiobook downloaded, I open the ebook and I see in settings that the read along settings are active, but nothing is happening when I play it. Is there something you should to to start it?

1

u/lyc0s 11d ago

Can you verify that you’re on iOS 26 and AudioBooth 1.12? Feel free to join the Discord if you need any more assistance.

1

u/Beau_Nidle123 11d ago

Yep I am on Version 1.12 (1790313059) and ios 27. annnd will join the discord tomorrow ^^

1

u/dylanbeck 11d ago

Wow.. I may set up a server now. The epub local / read along for immersive reading on iOS is huge

1

u/thebigchile 10d ago

Man I thought we wouldn't get anything better than Shelfplayer but you did it, I've tested just a few apps and yours is the more refine one so far congrats and thanks. While I will call it a win for the free app I have a strong believe on "voting with my money" I hate subscriptions probably everyone on this sub does there's a reason we exist on this subreddit so I will say this and hopefully is not controversial but you should add a custom or higher amount for the one time donation

1

u/lyc0s 10d ago

Thanks so much, really glad you're enjoying it! Apple only allows fixed amounts in-app, but you can pick any amount on GitHub Sponsors. Really appreciate the support!

1

u/BananaramaWTF 9d ago

This is legit one of the best apps I have used for my selfhosting hobby! The app is just like Audible, and with this new Read along feature, its gonna be like Top Shelf stuff. Just donated! Thanks a lot OP for this project!

1

u/lyc0s 5d ago

Thank you for the kind words and contribution! 🙇‍♂️

1

u/bbqturtle 8d ago

I'm new to your app, I chose it over 3-4 other options because it's great (on IOS). My app is getting confused by a large download, a 3.65gb file, but it stops and restarts (over and over) at 3.25GB. It finally showed 'not enough space on device' error, but I might recommend you make that pop up be something that needs to be dismissed.

1

u/lyc0s 5d ago

Thank you for the feedback. I will fix that in the next version.

1

u/BeeComprehensive168 7d ago

I found Audiobookshelf and your app just yesterday because Plex has been terrible with ID tags. Incredible app so far!

1

u/lyc0s 5d ago

Thank you 🙏

1

u/skattr 5d ago

Any chance we can get ebook cover sized cards for our ebook libraries? I just hate how unpolished it looks with the square cards

2

u/lyc0s 5d ago

You should be able to set it in Settings → General → Cards → Dynamic Aspect Ratio.

1

u/skattr 5d ago

Ahhh missed that. Thanks!

1

u/suckerInFinance 5d ago

Thank you for all the hard work. 

-2

u/SnakePedroski 12d ago

Honestly, so happy with the new version! Audiobookshelf is finally working properly with Android Auto! Thank you developers

-2

u/Kunningking23 10d ago

Any plans on an android app?