Chirp offers excellent deals, but its audiobooks are locked behind DRM, restricting you to the official app or web player. While Chirp doesn't officially support exporting files, this guide shows you how to bypass these limitations and back up your audiobooks for free.
To download Chirp audiobooks as DRM-free M4A files on Windows, Linux, or macOS, follow this concise workflow using the open-source chirp audiobook downloader tool:
Step 1Download and Install Node.js
Go to the official Node.js download page and download the LTS installer for your operating system. Then open the downloaded .msi or .pkg file and and follow the prompts to complete the installation.
Step 2Download the Chirp Audiobook Downloader
Download the Chirp audiobook downloader repository from GitHub and unzip it.
Download Chirp Audiobook Downloader Here
Step 3Install the Selenium WebDriver
Navigate to the folder containing the chrip.js file. Right-click in a blank area within the folder and select "Open in Terminal".
Run the command: npm install. This will download the required dependencies, such as the Selenium WebDriver, into the current folder.
Step 4Download Your Chirp Audiobooks
In the same terminal window, run the command: node chrip.js
This will launch a "Chrome for Testing" browser window. Log in with your Chirp credentials when prompted.
The tool will automatically navigate to your "My Library" tab. Click the book cover of the title you wish to download (Note: Click the cover image itself, not the title text, to prevent the browser from crashing).
Check the status on the playback page. Once it changes from "Please wait" to "Ready!", navigate to Chapter 1 and hit the Play button.
The tool will now begin downloading all chapters sequentially. A new folder named after the book title will be created containing the cover image and all audio segments.
Note
1. Ensuring Chrome for Testing is installed.
2. Do not click anything while the download is in progress.
3. If you see this error: "Access to wp-audio.chirpbooks.com was denied. You don't have authorization to view this page. HTTP ERROR 403" simply click Reload. The download will resume automatically.
Step 5(Optional) Combine Chapters into a Single File
Merging chapters into one file requires FFmpeg. Search for an installation guide specific to your computer if you don't already have it.
In your terminal, navigate to the directory containing repack.js. Run the command: node repack.js "FOLDER_NAME" (Replace FOLDER_NAME with the actual name of the book folder).
Once complete, the single, integrated audiobook file will be saved in the current folder.
A Simpler Way to Download Chirp Audiobooks
If the guide above seems too technical, try this simpler alternative to convert your Chirp audiobooks with ease.
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