How-To

How to Convert an ePub or PDF to Audiobook Free (2025 Guide)

April 2025 · 5 min read

You have a book. You want to listen to it. Here's exactly how to turn any ePub or PDF into a high-quality audiobook in under five minutes — for free.

What you need

Step 1: Get your book file

If you've bought an ebook from a retailer like Kobo or directly from a publisher, you likely already have an ePub or PDF. Most ebook platforms let you download DRM-free versions of your purchases, especially for public domain titles.

For public domain books, Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks are the best sources — Standard Ebooks in particular produces beautifully typeset ePub files that convert extremely well.

Legal note: Only convert books you own, or that are in the public domain. If you have a print disability, UK law (CDPA 1988 s.31A/B) also permits format-shifting books you've legally acquired. See our accessibility page for details.

Step 2: Sign in to Freedible

Go to freedible.co.uk and click "Get started free." Sign in with your Google account — no new password to remember.

Step 3: Upload your file

Click "Upload a Book" (or "Add a Book" in the header). Drag and drop your ePub or PDF into the upload area, or click to browse. Files up to 40MB are supported. The upload takes a few seconds.

Freedible reads the book structure automatically — chapters, title, author. For ePubs, it uses the book's own chapter structure. For PDFs, it detects chapter headings in the text.

Step 4: Choose a voice

You'll see a voice selector with multiple options. Hit "Preview" to hear a 5-second sample of each voice before committing. Different voices suit different books — a warmer voice for fiction, a crisper one for non-fiction.

Step 5: Generate and listen

Click "Generate Audiobook." The first chapter will be ready to play within about a minute. Freedible generates chapter by chapter, so you can start listening immediately while the rest generates in the background.

Your progress is saved automatically — come back any time and it remembers where you were.

Tips for the best results

What about sharing?

By default, your book is private — only you can see and hear it. If you want to share a public domain book with the community, you can publish it to the Community Library. You'll be asked to confirm you have the rights to do so.

Try it now at Freedible →