Can I Make an Audiobook of Any Book? A Copyright Guide for 2026

You want to turn a book into an audiobook. Maybe you want to listen to it yourself, share it on YouTube, or sell it on Audible. The first question everyone asks: am I legally allowed to do this?

The answer depends entirely on the copyright status of the book. This guide explains how copyright works for audiobooks, how to check whether a specific book is in the public domain, and what your options are if it is not.

The Three Categories Every Creator Needs to Know

Every book falls into one of three categories for audiobook purposes:

1. Public domain — You can do anything with it. No permission needed. Free to convert, distribute, and sell.
2. Copyrighted with a license — Some books are released under Creative Commons or similar licenses that allow derivative works (including audiobooks) under certain conditions.
3. Fully copyrighted — You need explicit permission from the rights holder to create and distribute an audiobook version.

Public Domain: The Safest Option

A book enters the public domain when its copyright expires. In the United States, the rule since 1998 has been straightforward: works published before January 1, 1929 are in the public domain as of 2024. Each new year, another year of works becomes free. In 2026, everything published before January 1, 1931 is public domain.

This includes many of the most important works in human history: Marcus Aurelius, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Oscar Wilde, the Tao Te Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, and thousands more.

How to Check If a Book Is Public Domain

1. Project Gutenberg (gutenberg.org) — If a book is on Gutenberg, it has been verified as public domain in the US. Over 70,000 titles available.
2. Copyright office records — The US Copyright Office has a searchable database at copyright.gov for works registered or renewed after 1978.
3. Publication date rule — Published in the US before 1931? Public domain. Published 1931 or later? Check renewal status.
4. Stanford Copyright Renewal Database — For works from 1923-1963, copyright had to be actively renewed. If it was not renewed, the work entered the public domain. Stanford maintains a searchable database of renewals.

Creative Commons and Open Licenses

Some modern authors release their work under Creative Commons (CC) licenses. The most relevant for audiobook creators:

• CC BY — You can create and distribute an audiobook as long as you credit the author. Commercial use allowed.
• CC BY-SA — Same as CC BY, but your audiobook must also be released under the same license.
• CC BY-NC — You can create an audiobook for non-commercial purposes only. No selling it on Audible.
• CC BY-ND — No derivatives allowed. You cannot create an audiobook. The text must remain unchanged.

Always check the specific license. A CC BY-NC book can be turned into a free YouTube audiobook but not sold on a commercial platform.

Copyrighted Books: What Are Your Options?

For books still under copyright (anything published after 1930 by an author who died less than 70 years ago), you have three options:

1. Get permission from the rights holder. Contact the publisher or the author directly. Some indie authors are happy to grant audiobook rights, especially if their book does not already have one.
2. License the audiobook rights. Services like ACX and Findaway connect narrators with rights holders. The author grants you the right to produce and distribute the audiobook in exchange for a royalty split.
3. Create it for personal use only. Converting a book you own to audio for your own listening is generally considered personal fair use. You cannot distribute it publicly.

What About YouTube and Commentary?

This is where things get nuanced. Reading an entire copyrighted book aloud on YouTube — even with AI narration — is almost certainly copyright infringement. You are reproducing the full work in a new medium without permission.

However, commentary, criticism, and educational content are core pillars of fair use. A video that discusses a book — its historical context, its impact, your personal interpretation, key themes — while only quoting short excerpts is on much stronger legal ground. This is what book reviewers, educators, and literary YouTubers do every day.

The key factors courts consider for fair use:

• Purpose and character — Is your use transformative? Commentary and education are favored.
• Amount used — Did you use the entire work or brief excerpts? Less is safer.
• Effect on the market — Does your version replace the original? A full audiobook upload competes directly with the official audiobook. A commentary video does not.

International Considerations

Copyright terms vary by country. A book might be public domain in the US but still copyrighted in the UK or EU (where the term is typically life of the author plus 70 years). If you plan to distribute globally:

• The Berne Convention means most countries recognize each other's copyrights.
• Project Gutenberg titles are verified for US public domain status only.
• When distributing on global platforms (Audible, Apple Books), the strictest applicable copyright applies.

A Practical Checklist Before You Start

Getting Started with Public Domain Audiobooks

The easiest path is to start with public domain books. There are thousands of masterpieces waiting to be turned into audiobooks — philosophy, literature, science, history, and spirituality texts that are as relevant today as when they were written.

With AudioBookByMe, you can upload any public domain text and convert it to a professional audiobook in minutes. Choose from 66 AI voices in 8 languages, download ACX-compliant audio files, and distribute anywhere — Audible, Apple Books, YouTube, or your own website.

Further Reading

• Public Domain Books in 2026: The Complete List of What Just Became Free
• How to Create Audiobook Videos for YouTube (Without Copyright Issues)
• How to Self-Publish an Audiobook on Audible and Apple Books