Audio books are a great way to keep up with your reading when you don't have the time to sit down and flip pages. Whether you like to listen in your car during a long trip, or around the house as you go about your daily activities, audio books can free your hands up while keeping your mind engaged.

Public Domain Works

Many of the classic literary collections are now known as public domain works, meaning all copyrights have expired, allowing anyone in the public sector to access these works without paying a royalty fee. With today's technology, audio versions of public works can be found on the Internet for download or to listen to online without a fee. Audiobooks.org has several titles that are streaming audio, as does librivox.org.

Licensing Rights

The owner of a copyrighted work has the right to assign licenses to anyone they choose. With the popularity of e-books and electronic readers, podcasts and open source Web sites, authors can upload audio versions of their books as free downloads or post them anywhere on the Internet for free access. Many authors participate in this practice to get their work out to the public or for other personal reasons. Check out openculture.com to see which authors are releasing their audio books free or visit specific author Web sites and fan pages.

Your Local Library

Audio books, or books on tape or CD, are available at most local libraries to check out for a period of time, the same as a library book. Most libraries also participate in online audio or e-book downloads that work much like checking a book out at the library. When a downloaded title is due, the file is deactivated automatically instead of having to return it. With Internet access, you can download from any participating library in the country, increasing the number of titles available. Visit the Library Connection website (listed in the references) to download a catalog of available titles.

Source:

AudioBooks.org

Open Culture

Library Connection

Resource:

Librivox