Todd Sinclair

Audiobookshelf is the self-hosted audiobook server on our network. All of our audiobook library is stored and available here. While you are on the (WIFI NAME) network, you can access it from a browser or your phone (There is a link below to the official app) to download or stream any of the content.

From the web interface you can also upload new content and edit the metadata (filenames, cover images, etc.) for existing audiobooks.

GitHub Repository: https://github.com/advplyr/audiobookshelf
Official Documentation: https://www.audiobookshelf.org/docs

Audiobookshelf runs as a Docker container on TK-421.

2.1 Docker Compose Configuration

The service is configured in this docker-compose.yml file located at: D:\Library\audiobookshelf

version: '3.8'

services:
 audiobookshelf:
   image: ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest
   container_name: audiobookshelf
   ports:
     - "13378:80"
   volumes:
     - D:/Library/audiobookshelf/audiobooks:/audiobooks
     - D:/Library/audiobookshelf/podcasts:/podcasts
     - D:/Library/audiobookshelf/config:/config
     - D:/Library/audiobookshelf/metadata:/metadata
   restart: unless-stopped

Note: The container is configured with restart: unless-stopped. This means it will automatically start when Docker Desktop launches and recover automatically from crashes. You don’t need to manually start it after a normal reboot. Docker Desktop is set to automatically launch on startup.

Access the web interface at http://192.168.68.201:13378/ from any browser on the local network. Log in with your username and password. See Todd for resets.

3.1 Adding Content

1. Copy audiobook files into this directory on TK-421: D:\Library\audiobookshelf\audiobooks
2. Organize files in subfolders like this:

Author Name/ 
--Series Name/ 
---- 01 - Book Title/ 
--------01 - Chapter Name.mp3 
--------02 - Chapter Name.mp3 
--------cover.jpg

3. The app will add the new content on its next scheduled scan of the library. To force a scan right away, go to Settings > Libraries, select the Audiobooks library, and click Scan Library. It will add the new content and fetch metadata automatically.

3.2 Managing Users

User management is found under Settings > Users (admin account required).

• Create User: Click Add User, set a username and password, and assign a user type (Admin, User, or Guest).
• Edit User: Click a user to adjust their password, permissions, or library access.
• Delete User: From the user detail page, use the Delete button. This does not delete any media files.
• Library Access: You can restrict individual users to specific libraries if you want to limit what they can see.
• Download Permissions: Control whether a user can download files to their device from the user settings.

3.3 Mobile App Setup

The official Audiobookshelf app Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.audiobookshelf.app&hl=en_US

1. Install the Audiobookshelf app on your phone.
2. On the login screen, tap the server address field and enter: http://192.168.68.201:13378
3. You must be on the local Wi-Fi network (WIFI NAME).
4. Enter your username and password.

4.1 Normal Operation

Under normal circumstances, the container starts automatically with Docker Desktop. You do not need to intervene after a regular reboot.

4.2 Starting the Container Manually

Open a PowerShell or Command Prompt window on TK-421 and run:

> cd D:\Library\audiobookshelf
> docker compose up -d

The -d flag runs the container in detached (background) mode. You should see output confirming the container is started.

4.3 Stopping the Container

To stop the service gracefully without removing the container:

> docker stop audiobookshelf

To stop and remove the container (it can be restarted with docker compose up -d):

> cd D:\Library\audiobookshelf
> docker compose down

4.4 Restarting the Container

> docker restart audiobookshelf

4.5 Checking Container Status

To see if the container is running and check uptime:

> docker ps \--filter name=audiobookshelf

To see recent log output:

> docker logs audiobookshelf \--tail 50

5.1 Backing Up

All the data lives in the mapped directories on TK-421. Include these in the regular weekly system backups.

• The config directory contains the database file (Audiobookshelf.db) and all settings.
• Media files (audiobooks and podcasts) are the actual content.
• Backing up config alone is sufficient to restore settings, users, and listening progress if you still have the media files.

WARNING: Stop the container before copying the config directory to ensure the database is not in a mid-write state.

5.2 Log Review

Logs are helpful for diagnosing issues and confirming normal operation. View them with:

> docker logs audiobookshelf \--tail 100

For continuous live output (useful when troubleshooting):

> docker logs audiobookshelf -f

Press Ctrl+C to stop following the log stream.

Updates are delivered as new Docker image versions. Because the image is tagged :latest, the update process pulls the newest published image and recreates the container.

Before Updating: Back up the config directory (Section 5.1). Updates are usually safe and backward-compatible, but having a backup takes only a moment. (Ask me how I know.)

6.1 Update Procedure

1. Open PowerShell on TK-421 and navigate to the compose directory:

> cd D:\Library\audiobookshelf\audiobookshelf\

2. Pull the latest image:

> docker compose pull

3. Recreate the container with the updated image:

> docker compose up -d

4. Verify the container is running and check logs for any errors:

> docker ps \--filter name=audiobookshelf
> docker logs audiobookshelf \--tail 30

5. Open the web UI at http://192.168.68.201:13378/ and confirm it loads correctly.

6.2 Cleaning Up Old Images

After a successful update, you can reclaim disk space by removing old unused images:

> docker image prune -f

7.1 Cannot Access the Web Interface

If http://192.168.68.201:13378/ is not loading in a browser:

• Check that Docker Desktop is running on TK-421. Look for the Docker icon in the system tray.
• Confirm the container is running:

> docker ps --filter name=audiobookshelf

• If the container is listed but shows Exited status, start it:

> docker  start audiobookshelf

• If the container is not listed at all, navigate to D:\Library\audiobookshelf\audiobookshelf\ and run:

> docker compose up -d

• Confirm you are on the same local network as TK-421 (WIFI NAME) . The service is not accessible from outside the home network.
• Log into TK-421 and try accessing using http://localhost:13378/ to isolate whether the issue is with the service or the network.

7.2 Container Keeps Restarting or Crashing

Check the logs immediately for errors:

> docker logs audiobookshelf \--tail 100

• Permission errors in the logs often mean the data directories are not accessible. Check that the paths in docker-compose.yml exist on disk and have appropriate permissions. SYSTEM and Administrators should have Full Control set to Allow.
• Port conflict errors mean something else on TK-421 is already using port 13378. Check with:

> netstat -ano \| findstr 13378

• Database corruption is rare but possible after an unclean shutdown. If the logs show database errors, restore from a known-good backup of D:\Library\audiobookshelf\config

7.3 Media Not Showing Up

• Confirm the files are in the correct directory (D:\Library\audiobookshelf\audiobooks).
• Check that files are in a supported format:
  • MP3
  • M4A
  • M4B
  • FLAC
  • OGG
  • OPUS
  • AAC
  • WMA
• Run a library scan from Settings > Libraries > Audiobooks> Scan Library.
• Check logs during the scan for errors related to specific files.