Free toolNo sign-up
Audiobook Time Calculator
How long is an audiobook at 1.5×, and when will you finish yours? Enter the length, how far you are and your playback speed to see the real time left and a finish date for the minutes you listen each day.
Time left
– h – min
Enter the length of the audiobook. You’ll see the real time left at your speed and the day you’ll finish.
You’ve finished it.
Nothing left to hear. If it stayed with you, a few notes now will help you remember it.
- finish date
| Speed | Time left | Days |
|---|---|---|
This uses times you typed in. ReadList can track a book by time or percent and time your listening sessions, so the time left is always up to date.
Free, through Apple’s TestFlight app. Your library carries over to the App Store release.
ReadList is on iPhone first. Leave your email and we’ll tell you the day it’s ready for Android.
How it works
How the time left is calculated
Audiobook lengths are given at normal speed. Take away what you’ve already heard to get the audio left, then divide by your playback speed: at 1.5×, an hour of audio takes 40 minutes. Divide that by the minutes you listen a day for the days to finish.
Time left=(length − time listened)÷speed
60% of 11 h 30 min=6 h 54 min÷1.5×=4 h 36 min
Saved compared with 1×=6 h 54 min−4 h 36 min=2 h 18 min
4 h 36 min÷45 min a day→7 days
Choosing a speed you can follow
- Start at 1× for the first chapter. A narrator’s timing is part of the performance, especially in fiction and memoir.
- If you’d like to go faster, step up a little at a time: 1.1× or 1.25× often sounds natural within a day or two.
- Slow down for dense ideas, poetry, many names or an unfamiliar accent. Changing speed mid-book is normal.
- If you notice you’ve drifted for a few minutes, skip back thirty seconds. Following the story matters more than the clock.
There’s no right speed. The one where you follow the book and enjoy it is the right one for you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long is a 10-hour audiobook at 1.5×?
Divide by the speed: 10 hours ÷ 1.5 is 6 hours 40 minutes. At 2× it would be 5 hours; at 1.25×, 8 hours.
Does listening faster affect how much I take in?
It can, and it varies from person to person and book to book. Many listeners follow a modest increase comfortably, and find dense or unfamiliar material easier at 1×. Choose the speed where you still follow and enjoy the book.
How many words a minute is 1×?
Narrators usually read at roughly 150 to 160 words a minute, close to natural conversation. Some are slower or faster, which is one reason the same speed setting can feel different from book to book.
Does the finish date count today?
Yes. Today is the first listening day, so if what’s left fits in today’s minutes, you finish today.
Can ReadList track audiobooks?
Yes. You can track any book by time or percent instead of pages, and time your listening sessions like any other reading session.