"Are Audible books DRM free?" No. Audible is the largest online audiobook store in the world. Undoubtedly, Audible has made it easier for us to access almost all kinds of audiobooks on the internet via plenty of devices, including Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, etc. Yet, Audible audiobooks are encrypted by DRM. What is Audible DRM? Audible uses AA/AAX format to protect their audiobooks from being shared with others or devices. As a result, you can't play Audible books on popular devices, such as iPod, Sony Walkman and other common MP3 players, or car radio systems.
So, to play the protected Audible audiobooks anywhere, we need to first remove DRM from those files. Fortunately, there are so many Audible DRM removal programs that could get it done. In this article, you can find some tools to remove Audible DRM free, online and more on your Windows and Mac computers. Now, read on to find out the solutions one by one.
Part 1. Best Audible DRM Removal to Remove DRM from Audible Audiobooks
The first software we will be highlighting here that is used to execute the DRM removal is AudFree DRM Audio Converter. Unlike the traditional Audible audiobook converters, it's much smarter as it can delete the DRM lock from Audible AA/AAX audiobooks straightforwardly.
As the most advanced Audible DRM removing tool, AudFree DRM Audio Converter can keep 100% lossless quality for the audiobooks while getting rid of the DRM. With this tool, you can also convert Audible AA/AAX audiobooks to MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC and other common audio formats. Thanks to the built-in splitter and ID3 editor, you can freely cut the large audiobooks into small segments by chapters as well as edit the ID tags, such as book cover, title, author, etc.
In addition to Audible books, AudFree DRM Audio Converter also works with DRM-ed Apple Music songs, iTunes audiobooks and other non-DRM audio as well. And it can complete the conversion at a fast speed which will save you time. After stripping DRM from Audible audiobooks, you can move and put Audible audiobooks on any device you want for offline playing.
AudFree DRM Audible AA/AAX Converter
- Remove DRM from Audible audiobooks
- Convert AA/AAX to MP3, WAV, AAC, M4A, FLAC, and M4B
- Keep 100% lossless audio quality and ID3 tags
- Trim large Audible audiobooks into small clips via chapters
- Remove DRM from iTunes and Apple Music too
Once you installed the free trial version of AudFree DRM Audio Converter, you should follow these steps to start removing DRM from Audible books effortlessly. Please note that you should download Audible audiobooks and then sync them to your iTunes library first.
- Step 1Drag Audible AA/AAX files into AudFree
- After launching AudFree Audible Audiobooks Converter, the first step should be to find the target Audible audiobooks and drag them into AudFree conversion window. You can click on the "+" button at the left corner of the screen. Then you can choose and add Audible audiobooks from your iTunes library to AudFree program.
- Step 2Set output preferences for Audible audiobooks
- When the Audible AA/AAX files are loaded into AudFree, click the 'audio' icon next to the 'Convert' button to select the output audio format and other parameters like codec, bit rate, and sample rate. Currently, it supports MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, FLAC and M4B output formats. Choose the one you desire and move on. If you want to keep the output quality exactly the same as the original books, please check the option of 'Keep lossless quality (AA, AAX)'.
- Step 3Start bypassing DRM from Audible books
- Hit 'Convert' to let the program start to break DRM from Audible audiobooks. After completion, you can open the output folder directly from AudFree DRM Audio Converter and from there transfer the converted Audible books to any device you wish. Then you can enjoy DRM-free Audible audiobooks offline anywhere and anytime.
- Note: It is noted that you can only convert one-third content of each book with the free trial version. If you want to get the whole file, you need to purchase the full version.
Part 2. Audible DRM Removal Free to Remove DRM from Audible Books
If you don't like to pay for any program to remove DRM from Audible books, then here is a free tool for you. That's you can use iTunes to burn Audible audiobooks to CD to make it. Here let's follow the steps below.
Step 1. Open the iTunes program on your computer and add Audible audiobooks to it.
View also: How to Add Audiobooks to iTunes
Step 2. Insert a blank CD into your computer for burning Audible books.
Step 3. Once the iTunes program recognizes the CD, right-click on the audiobook playlist on the left side that you want to burn. Then choose 'Burn Playlist to Disc'.
Step 4. In the Burn Settings window, adjust speed, format, and more.
Step 5. After that, click 'Burn' to start burn Audible audiobooks to CD and remove DRM.
Note: By using this way, there are some drawbacks. CDs are not compatible with most computers and media players. And you can't play music from CD via your mobile phone. Also, it takes lots of time to burn CD from iTunes and each book can be burned only once. Besides, iTunes doesn't support to burn audiobooks more than 80 minutes.
Part 3. How to Remove Audible DRM Online
If you want to find an online Audible DRM removal, then you shouldn't miss Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder. It is free and helps you record any sound from your computer online. In this case, you can use it to capture Audible audiobooks and remove DRM from Audible books at the same time. Here is how it works.
Step 1. Go to the Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder webpage on your computer. Then open the Audible web player from the web browser.
Step 2. Hit on the 'Start Recording' button on Apowersoft and then play an audiobook from Audible you like.
Step 3. Follow the instructions to log in to your Audible account and authorize it.
Step 4. Touch the 'Chrome Tab' > pick up the tab > choose 'Share tab audio' > 'Share' to start recording Audible audiobooks.
Step 5. Click on the 'Show in Folder' button to view the captured Audible books on your computer. They are now DRM-free.
Part 4. Comparison Table of Ways to Remove DRM from Audible Audiobooks
Above is the three ways that we show you to crack Audible DRM. To help you have a clear idea of them, here is a comparison table for you. You can check their differences and choose the one you desire.
| via AudFree DRM Audio Converter | via iTunes | via Apowersoft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supported OS | Windows & Mac | Windows & Mac | Windows & Mac |
| Supported Input Audio Formats | Audible audiobooks, iTunes audio files, Apple Music songs, etc. | Audible books, Apple Music, etc. | Any sound from the computer/microphone |
| Supported Output Audio Formats | MP3/FLAC/WAV/AAC/M4A/M4B | AAC | MP3/WMA/AAC/FLAC/WAV/M4A/OGG |
| Conversion Speed | 30X | 1X | 1X |
| Output Quality | Lossless | Medium | Low |
| Split Audiobooks with Chapters | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Customize Audio Effects | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Batch Convert | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Price | $14.95/month | Free | Free |
| Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ | ⭐️⭐️⭐ | ⭐️⭐️⭐ |
Part 5. FAQs about Removing Audible DRM
Q1: Why Do You Need to Remove DRM from Audible Files?
A: With DRM in Audible audiobooks, you are limited to enjoy audiobooks. But when you rip DRM from Audible books, you can get lots of benefits. Check some of them below.
1. You can store Audible audiobooks on your computer as local files forever. With an Audible premium account, you can download audiobooks from Audible to computer. Yet, they are cache files only on your device with DRM. If you break Audible DRM and save them as local audio files, then you can keep them on your local device forever without protection.
2. You can save Audible audiobooks to external hard drive. After stripping DRM from Audible, you can save Audible files to USB drive, SD card or else for use on other devices.
3. You can listen to Audible audiobooks anywhere and anytime. With DRM-free Audible books, you can enjoy them on any portable device and media player you like.
4. You can play Audible audiobooks without network connection and Audible app. Once removed Audible DRM, you can listen to local Audible audiobooks without internet connection and even the Audible app.
View also: How to Listen to Audible Audiobooks Offline
Q2: Where Can I Get DRM-free Audiobooks?
A: You can go to websites like LibriVox, OverDrive, Audiobooks.com, Downpour, etc. to find DRM-free audiobooks to listen to.
Q3: Which Is the Best Audible DRM Removal?
A: From the comparison table above, you should know that AudFree DRM Audio Converter is your best choice. It is professional and easy to use. Also, it has more functions and output lossless audio quality.
Part 6. In Conclusion
Now, you get three methods to strip Audible DRM online and free on your computer. Which one should you pick? That depends on your needs. If you want a quick way, you can try Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder. It is an online way for you to record audiobooks from Audible and bypass DRM automatically. If your computer supports CD player, then you can try iTunes. With it, you can remove DRM from Audible books and burn audiobooks to CD for playing on other devices.
Yet, they are both not professional enough and they output poor audio quality. In this case, if you are looking for an excellent tool, then you can choose AudFree Audio Converter. It is powerful and smart. And it can split audiobooks with chapters automatically and keep lossless audio quality. Besides, you can save Audible audiobooks into kinds of audio formats. With it, you can store Audible books as local files on your device for playing anytime.
Ivan Scott
Staff Editor
