Audiobookshelf Hosting

1. Click Open Pod in PikaPods and create the root account, which is the server's original admin account. Keep the password somewhere safe.
2. Create a library for your audiobooks or podcasts.
3. Add your files with the built-in upload feature, or use SFTP for larger collections.
4. Create an account for each listener instead of sharing one.

No. PikaPods sets up and runs Audiobookshelf for you, including OS and app updates and HTTPS. You won't touch Docker or a server. Your files and database stay accessible if you ever want to move them elsewhere.

You can listen in any browser. The project's Android and iOS apps are in beta: Android is on Google Play, while the iOS TestFlight beta is listed as full. Third-party players also connect to Audiobookshelf, and may have their own terms and costs.

Keep each book in its own folder, following the recommended library structure. If you upload several files in the web interface, each becomes a separate book, so upload the whole folder for a book with multiple files.

Set up incremental backups to S3 in your pod settings for automatic nightly snapshots, or download your files and database yourself. We keep whole-server backups for server failures, but they aren't a per-pod restore service, so your own backup is what protects your data.

You can use Audiobookshelf instead of Audible and Plex. PikaPods runs it for you, and you can move your files and database elsewhere.

Audible is a store and subscription with its own catalog and app. Audiobookshelf doesn't sell books: it serves files you already own, and tracks each listener's progress across devices. It also manages podcasts and shares one library with your household. It isn't a way to play DRM-protected Audible purchases, so check that your files are DRM-free.

No. You add prepaid credit and your pods are billed by the hour from that balance, rounded up to full hours. There are no contracts or minimum terms: delete a pod anytime and billing stops. Optional automatic top-ups keep your pods running without manual payments.

You do. And you're in full control. If you ever want to download, migrate, edit or delete your data, just enable file and database access for your pod and it will be right there.