Is there a good app for bookmark and take notes in audiobooks?
Too Expensive: 28 apps already serve this, and 23 data points mined from real user reviews across 2 sources show where they fall short. The job is solved but priced beyond a segment. Undercut with a cheaper tier.
Data refreshed July 20, 2026 · scores recompute weekly as new reviews are mined, so re-check before you build.
Like music, the value is a licensed catalog, and Audible (Amazon) dominates distribution and publisher deals. A solo dev can't license the major publishers. The only sliver is public-domain audio (LibriVox, Project Gutenberg) — a real but much smaller, different product.
Moat: the licensed catalog is the product · why: Audible/Amazon dominate audiobook distribution · commercial catalog requires publisher licensing · only unencumbered source is public domain (LibriVox/Gutenberg)
What users complain about
The most common complaints behind apps that try to bookmark and take notes in audiobooks, mined and clustered from real reviews:
| Complaint area | Type | Mentions | What a user said |
|---|---|---|---|
| mark audiobook as read/listened | missing-feature | 1 | the ability to mark an audiobook as read (listened to) |
| audiobook listening time limit | price | 1 | only got 15 hrs of audio listening time a month and got a pop up to spend an additional 12.99 |
| treat folder of files as one audiobook | missing-feature | 1 | no option for the player to use the whole folder as one audiobook |
| limited audiobook library, requires separate app | missing-feature | 1 | The audiobook library is limited... you need to use a separate app to have a better experience |
| audiobook redirects to Kindle instead of staying in-app | ux | 1 | When I try to get an audio book and it refers me to kindle, it's never an audio book |
| show series number for audiobooks | missing-feature | 1 | wished it would tell you what number the audiobook is when it’s multiple In series |
| audiobook chapter navigation missing | ux | 1 | audiobooks dont go my chapter it's just a long audio |
| cloud-synced book notes/metadata | missing-feature | 1 | не хватает для него библиотека в виде шаблона либо чего-то подобного заметкам в Obsidian |
| audiobook narration quality | bug | 1 | Sounds like a chipmunk. Can't even understand the middle of the book |
| cannot play audiobooks | bug | 1 | This thing won't let me listen to anything |
| no Listen & Read combined option for most books | missing-feature | 1 | why most book don’t have an option to Listen & Read |
| audiobook selection too small | missing-feature | 1 | the # of audiobooks needs to be expanded |
Apps that already serve this
| App | Rating | Ratings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audible: Audiobooks & Podcasts | 4.9 | 5,550,193 | Free |
| AudioNote™ | 4.2 | 117 | $12.99 |
| Smart AudioBook Player | 4.9 | 195,549 | Free |
| Audiobooks by AudiobookSTORE | 2.9 | 1,541 | Free |
| Voicenotes AI Notes & Meetings | 4.8 | 6,590 | Free |
| Notability: AI Notes & PDF app | 4.8 | 451,017 | Free |
| Notebooks: Write and Organize | 4.7 | 1,051 | $17.99 |
| ElevenReader: Read Books Aloud | 4.7 | 9,495 | Free |
Should you build it?
The job is solved but priced beyond a segment. Undercut with a cheaper tier. Opportunity here scores 53 out of 100 — a function of demand, how crowded the field is, and how badly the existing apps perform. Use the live map to compare it against adjacent tasks.
Embed this verdict
Building for this market? Put the live badge on your landing page or README — it links back here and stays current with the weekly data refresh.
HTML
<a href="https://speculora.com/gap/bookmark-and-take-notes-in-audiobooks-1171"><img src="https://speculora.com/badge/1171.svg" alt="Speculora: Bookmark and take notes in audiobooks — Too Expensive" height="28"></a>Markdown
[](https://speculora.com/gap/bookmark-and-take-notes-in-audiobooks-1171)Related software gaps
- Track package deliveries — Prime Gap, opportunity 100/100
- Track steps — Prime Gap, opportunity 100/100
- Import recipes from websites — Prime Gap, opportunity 99/100
- Sync notes across devices — Prime Gap, opportunity 99/100
- Save and organize recipes — Prime Gap, opportunity 99/100
- Cancel unused streaming services — Prime Gap, opportunity 99/100