Project spotlight

Gnusto gives personal audiobook libraries a proper home on iOS

Gnusto is an audiobook player and manager focused on M4B files, fast import, chapter-aware playback, reliable resume, and library data that stays under the listener's control. It is designed for privacy and offline use, with backups, bookmarks, metadata, and listening progress handled as part of the local library rather than as an afterthought.

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Project angle

Treat audiobooks as long-form personal media: organized by author, genre, narrator, chapter, and progress, with the controls listeners need when they return to a book days or weeks later.

Overview

Audiobooks need playback and library navigation working together

Gnusto treats audiobooks as long-form personal media, not generic audio files. The player is built for chapter-aware listening with smooth seeking, variable speed, restartable sleep timers, bookmarks, and reliable resume across sessions.

The library side carries the same weight. M4B imports keep embedded metadata and chapters intact, while browsing by genre, author, and narrator helps a local collection feel organized without depending on an external server.

Player

Gnusto iOS explore screen showing audiobook shelves grouped by genre with tabs for genre, author, and narrator.

Library

Details

Highlights

Features tuned for long-form listening and local ownership

Reliable playback Chapter-aware playback with precise seeking, variable speed, sleep timers, and resume across sessions.
Flexible library management Fast browsing, sorting, grouping, filtering, cover sizing, and quick import for personal M4B files.
Search and bookmarks Search titles, authors, chapter titles, and descriptions when available, then save named positions for easy return.
Editable book data Update titles, authors, narrators, descriptions, genres, and cover images directly in the app.
Backups and restore Back up metadata, settings, bookmarks, and progress to iCloud or local files.
Space optimization Offload audio files while preserving metadata, bookmarks, and listening state for later relinking or download.

Privacy posture

Designed for offline use with the library under the listener's control

Gnusto is built to work entirely on device. Library metadata, playback state, bookmarks, tags, playlists, settings, downloaded audio, and diagnostic logs are used to provide the app's core functionality, with exports and backups initiated by the user. The product framing is clear: no external server is required to listen.

Roadmap

Next steps point toward deeper Apple-platform integration and smarter library tools

Planned work includes CarPlay support, an optimized iPad interface, optional iCloud sync, advanced tag management, public-domain discovery integrations, home screen customization, M4B metadata updating, podcast import, and AI-assisted cover and metadata generation.

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