An audiobook player for files you own

Listen seriously.

Crane plays the audiobooks you already own. No ads. No account. No feed telling you what to listen to next. Just your books, on your phone and in your car. Made by a listener, for listeners.

Crane Audiobook Player now-playing screen

Features

What it does

The things you use every day, and nothing in the way.

  • Bring your library

    Point Crane at a folder, or send files over Wi-Fi from your computer. It reads the titles and cover art on its own and lines your books up in a grid. Plays MP3, M4B, M4A, FLAC, AAC, and OGG.

  • Control your speed

    Slow it down to half speed or go up to 3.5×. Each book remembers its own speed, so a slow novel and a fast thriller can each sound right.

  • Bookmarks & notes

    Tap once to mark a spot. Add a note if you want. Come back to it any time. Great for a line you know you will want to hear again.

  • Sleep smarter

    Set a timer from 15 minutes to the end of the chapter. The sound fades out gently. Time you slept through does not count toward your stats.

  • Stats that matter

    See how much you listen: hours, books finished, your streak, your top authors and narrators, and a calendar of every day you listened. It all stays on your phone.

  • Works everywhere

    Crane shows up on your car screen with CarPlay and Android Auto. Pick a book, play, and change speed without touching your phone. Keeps playing with the screen off, with controls on the lock screen.

  • Syncs with Hardcover

    Use Hardcover to track your reading? Link a book once. Crane marks it as reading, updates your progress as you listen, and marks it finished when you are done. Nothing to update by hand.

A look inside

A look inside

Simple to use. Light or dark, your choice.

  • Crane Audiobook Player library grid showing book covers and status filters Crane Audiobook Player library grid showing book covers and status filters

    Your books, in a grid.

  • Crane Audiobook Player full player screen with speed, position, and sleep timer Crane Audiobook Player full player screen with speed, position, and sleep timer

    Speed, bookmarks, and sleep timer, one screen.

  • Crane Audiobook Player statistics dashboard with a yearly listening heatmap Crane Audiobook Player statistics dashboard with a yearly listening heatmap

    How much you listened this year.

About

Made for people who really listen

Crane is made by Cranesoft LLC. That is one person, in Austin, Texas. No investors. No advertisers. So there is no catch: nobody here needs to sell your attention. There is no account to make and no subscription to pay. Crane plays files you own, on a phone you own. Your history, bookmarks, and settings stay on your phone.

Why Crane

  • No ads. Ever.
  • No subscription. Ever.
  • Your files, your library. Add books from anywhere.
  • iPhone, Android, and your car. Same books everywhere.
  • Made for people who listen a lot: stats, bookmarks, and speed that fits each book.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What audio formats does Crane support?

MP3, M4B, M4A, FLAC, AAC, and OGG. If the file has chapters and a cover, Crane finds them on its own.

Which platforms does it run on?

iPhone and Android, plus CarPlay and Android Auto in the car. Both are in beta right now. See Get Crane above.

Where is my listening data stored?

On your phone. There is no account and no login. Your books, bookmarks, and history stay with you.

Does it play my own files, or do I buy books in the app?

Crane plays files you already own. There is no store in the app. Point it at your books and it does the rest.

Now in beta on iPhone and Android.

iPhone: tap the button and follow Apple's steps. Android: tap the button, send us the Google account on your phone, and your invite comes back the same day.