How To Record Audiobooks From For Free On Android (How To Hack Amazon Fire Tablets To Rip Audiobooks)

I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, and my local library is a great source of audiobooks, however I try to avoid having to rip CDs like it was 1999.

Here in the Broward Library system there’s a few apps through which you can listen to audiobooks (and other content): CloudLibrary (via Nova) Hoopla, Libby, and RBDigital.

I rip them via Syncios Audio Recorder which requires root and an older Android OS. Be sure to start the Audio Recorder app before you open then other apps otherwise recording will not work.

I then upload them to Google Drive, and sync them to another device I listen on. I can then listen (at my convenience) via Listen Audiobook Player. This is the best Audiobook app, as it supports equalizers and variable speed playback.

You will need a rooted device, and it has to support an older Android (4/5) for this method to work. I use a 2015 Fire Tablet from Amazon. You could probably use a newer version as well, as Fire OS is pretty outdated. Sometimes you can pick them up for as low as $30 new. XDA has good information on how to root these devices.

There are also some high quality TTS voices on the Fire 2015 from Ivona, a company Amazon bought a few years back that I couldn’t get to run on any other modern devices, another reason to use Fire tablets. If you pair this with a good TTS reader such as my favorite Reedy you can get some awesome results. Reedy is no longer available in the play store, but if you look around you can find it.

Reedy also supports RSVP, think about RVSP as technologically assisted speed reading. I prefer to read normally and use variable speed playback to enhance retention.

Before trying this method I tried a legacy Android emulator made by American Megatrends called Amiduos. This for some reason does not support Syncios Audio Recorder properly. Also, development stopped on this emulator, but if you need an Android emulator, it’s the best and fastest one, if you can find it.