Audible Review 2023
Is Audiobook Service Membership Worth It?
From this Audible review, you will learn how the service works and how it is compared to other similar platforms like Scribd. Find out if it is worth it, learn about the pricing policy, and get tips on how to save money on Audible. This review will help you determine if Audible is a good match for you. Audible is a paid service that offers its customers audiobooks and other types of spoken-word entertainment.
Audible Review
Audible is a good company. For $14,95 you get 1 book from the library of over 200,000 audiobooks, 2 books from Audible Originals, access to radio shows, and wellness programs. Audible has the largest library, free listens, responsive app, great customer support, plus new features are being constantly added.
Audible Pros and Cons
Pros
Audible has a very large book collection. There are more than 500,000 audiobooks on Audible, which makes the platform two times larger than another popular audiobook subscription service, Scribd.
Read is the latest post Scribd vs. Audible
The price is $14,95 a month; so you can slowly build an audiobook library. In addition, the single book access per month bolsters your productivity in a way as it helps you focus on the book you will be reading instead of wasting time shuffling between books trying to find the best one.
Easy return and exchange policy.
A free 30-day trial that gives you access to two audiobooks and two Audible Originals. The audiobooks are yours to keep even if you decide to cancel your account.
Possibility to create Amazon Household Library and share your Audible content with family members.
24/7 customer support.
Complimentary digital newspaper subscriptions.
You get to download two Audible Originals each month.
Cons
The greatest downside of Audible is that the basic subscription plan only gives you access to one audiobook a month. While that's more than enough for most people, some may not be satisfied with it. However, you can always upgrade your plan and get more books, or simply purchase extra credits whenever you need them.
Is Audible Worth it?
Yes, in my opinion, Audible is certainly worth it. Audible has become somewhat like a synonym of audiobooks, and there is a reason for that. The selection of audiobooks they offer is very impressive, and there are many titles that you won't find on other similar platforms. The price may seem a bit high for just one audiobook a month, but you do get a lot of bonuses, like two Audible Originals, access to podcasts, etc. And, of course, let's not forget that Audible actually lets you exchange any book you have purchased if you are not satisfied with it. Plus, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial, get two audiobooks at absolutely no cost and see whether you like the service or not before purchasing a membership. And that alone is worth it.
Audible Review: All Features Explained
Audiobooks are the latest trend in the digital publishing industry. The most popular audiobook platforms now have millions of subscribers who consume billions of hours of audio content. The shift from the written word to audio has been inspired by a lot of things, the most important being that audiobooks are easier to listen to as compared to reading a book.
A book requires you to give up multitasking and crank your eyes paying attention to each word, page after page; no wonder why many people complain of having eyestrain from reading too much. On the other hand, with audiobooks, your options are unlimited. You can be productive whilst on your morning jog, or on the commute to work, or before bed.
One platform that has inspired this trend by enabling people to listen to great content is Audible. Audible, an audiobook platform that is considered to be one of the best in the world, is owned by Amazon. The platform has over 200,000 book titles to help you learn on the go and keep you entertained. Their library covers many categories, from self-improvement and finance to fiction and autobiographies.
You can purchase audiobooks from Audible with or without membership. If you choose to sign up for a membership (starting at $14.95/month), you will receive extra benefits, such as special discounts, Easy Exchanges, and free Audible Originals titles.
After you download a book on Audible, it is yours to keep, even after you cancel your subscription. You can find both abridged and unabridged audiobooks on Audible.
Are Audible And Kindle Unlimited The Same?
Even though both Audible and Kindle Unlimited are owned by Amazon, they are different services.
Kindle Unlimited is perfect for those who enjoy reading e-books. It has a huge library of over 1,000,000 titles. For $9,99 a month you can read as many books as you like. You can borrow up to 10 books at a time. You also get access to Kindle magazines and 40,000 Audible narrated audiobooks.
The biggest difference between Kindle Unlimited and Audible is that with Kindle Unlimited you don't own any e-books and audiobooks you download, and once you cancel your subscription you won't have access to them anymore. Plus, with Audible, you gain access to a much bigger library of audiobooks.
Read the full comparison Kindle Unlimited vs. Audible to know which one is best for you.
How Audible Works | Getting Started With Audible 30-Day Free Trial
Audible books are not free, but the company offers a free trial option. To get started with Audible, you can sign up to a 30-day free trial and get one audiobook and two Audible Originals of your choice at no cost. You get to keep these books forever even if you choose not to continue with a monthly subscription afterward. When you sign up for a tree trial you will be asked to provide valid credit card information to be bonded with your account. But don't worry, you won't be charged anything during a 30-day free trial.
After the first month of use, if you choose to not cancel the account, the platform will automatically upgrade your account to a paid one and you will be getting one audiobook and two Audible Originals each month. However, if you don't like the service, you can cancel your account anytime during the trial and avoid any charges.
You can also use Audible without a subscription.. However, having a membership has its perks: you get great deals on books, pus many of Audible features are only available to members.
After you purchase an audiobook on Audible you can download it onto your device and listen whenever and wherever you want. You can listen to Audible books offline so you don't even need WiFi for that. You can also download audiobooks on multiple devices.
When I fell in love with a book, I always want to share it with my friends. And unlike other services, Audible actually lets me to do that! The "Send this Book" feature that allows you to send a book that you've liked to a friend. The first book your friend receives can be redeemed for free. However, if they have already redeemed a book before, then they will have an option of buying it. Don't worry, even if you send a book to a friend, it will still remain in your library. You can also share your Audible books with any members of your Amazon Household.
Update: As of 2021, Audible no longer offers a Send a Book program.
Audible Credits: How to use? Expire?
Audible has a credit system. Each month you will be granted one credit. Each credit can be redeemed for one audiobook of your choice as long as it's part of Audible’s library. One Audible credit will cost you $14,95 a month, which is the price of the Audible Gold Monthly subscription plan. You can get more than one credit by choosing a different subscription plan. Unused Audible credits expire after one year.
I also recently found out, that Audible credits can be gifted. So if you have any unused credits, you can purchase an audiobook as a gift for a friend or family member.
You can find all the information about your credits - how many credits you have at the moment, when is your next credit due, and when will your credits expire - on Audible's Account Details page.
Audible Plans and membership benefits
For frequent audiobook listeners and for people who prefer annual subscription billing, Audible offers different plans bundled together to give their members the most content at a very affordable price.
The monthly plans are as follows: (Official Audible Pricing)
Gold Monthly: $14,95/month, gives you one credit
Platinum Monthly: $22,95/month gives you two credits
Gold Annual: $149,50/year, gives you 12 credits
Platinum Annual: $229,50/year, gives you 24 credits
Audible Escape Subscription $12.95/month for standalone customers $6.95/month for Audible Members or Kindle Unlimited Members
Audible Plus: $7,95/month
So which Audible plan is the best? Well, that depends on how many audiobooks you listen to per month. If you an avid audiobook listener, then I suggest you sign up for Audible Premium Plus Plans (The Gold or The Platinum plan) and receive one or two audiobooks each month. However, if you don't have a lot of free time and you don't want to spend too much money on audiobooks, then The Silver plan is the best option for you. This way, you will purchase one audiobook every other month.
When you redeem a book using your monthly or annual credits it will be accessible to you in your account even if you choose to cancel Audible subscription. This means that you will be the owner of any audiobook in your account and can listen to it anytime, anywhere.
I know that some people are wondering why Audible is so expensive? And is Audible membership worth it? I agree, Audible is not the cheapest audiobook service, but in my opinion, it is totally worth it. Let's face it, it's hard to find a library as big as Audible's, and the variety of audiobooks is great. Plus there are tons of really cool features, such as Return a Book and Send This Book, that I absolutely love. So even though Audible membership may seem quite expensive, you get your money's worth.
Audible Plus Plan
In August 2021, Audible introduced a new Audible Plus Plan. At only $7,95 a month, it is the company's cheapest subscription plan. So what is Audible Plus?
- All-you-can-listen plan provides access to 11,000 titles and more than 68,000 hours of content - Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts
- All content can be streamed or downloaded for offline listening
- Audible Premium Plan members get access to Audible Plus at no extra cost
- Audible Plus is ad-free - at least, for now
- New titles are being added every week
- If you decide to cancel your subscription, you won't be able to keep any titles from the catalog
- At the moment, Audible Plus Plan is still in a preview phase
How To Return Or Exchange Your Audiobook
One of the things I absolutely love about Audible is the fact that they let you return and exchange any audiobook you purchased if you are unsatisfied with it. And this very nice feature that makes Audible worth even more to me. You have one year (365 days) from the date you purchased the book to return it. The process is very easy:
Go to Audible Purchase History and click the "Return" button underneath the book that you are planning to return.
In the drop-down menu choose the reason why you want to return it, click the "Return this title" button, and then click "Return". That's it!
If you purchased an audiobook using your Audible credits then you will receive the refund in credits right away. And if you used other payment methods, then it may take up to 7-10 days to get your money back. Keep in mind, that only active Audible members can exchange audiobooks. By the way, you can return audiobooks even during your free trial.
If you get the "Online Return Unavailable" message, contact Audible support team to get your refund.
This policy shouldn't be abused. So only return books that were purchased by mistake or that you really didn't like. Otherwise, your account may even be suspended.
Audible App Overview
The Audible app is very easy to use, simple and reliable. Let's take a look at some of the features that will help you enjoy audiobooks even more.
Things I like about Audible app:
Car mode and button-free mode make listening to audiobooks more comfortable. Hands-free listening also helps avoid distractions while driving.
Every app feature, including the narration speed and sleep timer, can be modified to your liking.
Easy access to chapters and bookmarks.
The Clips (Bookmarks) feature allows you to save any place in the audiobook and add notes. The clips you save are like bookmarks - you can revisit your favorite moments anytime and refresh the most memorable parts in your head. You can save the clips of the last 30 seconds heard, and also extend to as long as 2 whole minutes.
There is an option to add a widget.
What I don't like about the app:
In my opinion, the search function could be improved. Everything works the way it should, and I can find the book I'm looking for. However, I cannot search for a specific phrase in a specific category. For instance, I want to look for podcasts and so I go to the search bar and type in the topic I'm interested in - let's say, "Life on Mars". However, the results I'm given contain titles from all categories and not just podcats, and it takes me a while to find what I'm looking for. Of course, you won't' have this issue if you know exactly what you are looking for. Plus, you will get recommendations in the app based on your likings.
Tips On Saving Money On Audible
There are several ways to save money on Audible. Today I want to share my three favorite ones in this Audible review.
1. Save 50% for 3 months
This trick only works on Audible official website, and not on their mobile app. Go to your Account Details and click the "Cancel Membership" button. Select the "It’s too expensive"’ reason for canceling your account. Then click on "Continue Canceling". After that, you will receive a special offer from Audible. This offer will give you 50% off the Gold Monthly plan for three months, meaning that you will be paying just $7,49 per month instead of $14,95.
2. Silver Membership Plan
Audible doesn't advertise this plan on their website but it does exist and it can save you money. If you decide to switch to Silver plan, then you'll be getting one credit every other month and pay $14,98 for two months. You will still be getting two Audible Originals every month and receive other benefits that Gold plan members get, like a 30% discount on all purchases and member-only sales.
If you want to switch to Silver plan then go to your Account Details and click the "Cancel Membership" button. Select the "I don’t use it enough" reason for canceling your account. Then click on "Continue Canceling". After that, you will be given two options: to switch to Silver plan or to place your membership on hold. Click the "Switch Membership" button and accept the offer.
3. Get 30% Off Audiobooks
Audible offers all members a 30% discount on audiobooks, and often it may be cheaper to purchase a book using your money instead of credits.
Audible Student Membership
Any student attending a college or university in the United States can get 30% off and join Audible for just $9,95 a month plus receive $10 in Amazon.com credits. Student membership includes three titles every month: one audiobook and two Audible Originals, plus audio-guided workouts.
If you want to purchase the student membership directly you won't get the free trial. So if you want to try Audible out before purchasing any plan, then sign up for a free trial first.
What Is Audible "Send This Book"?
"Send this book" is another great feature of Audible that is worth it. It enables you to send the book that you liked to family and friends for free. The receiver will be able to download the first audiobook that you send without paying a dime even if they don't have a membership. However, if they've already redeemed a book before, then they will get a message about your favorite title and will have an option of purchasing it.
Why You Should Create An Audible Wishlist
Sometimes Audible comes up with excellent offers on certain books. And if any of the books that you added to your wishlist go on sale, you will be notified by e-mail. It's a good idea to create an Audible wishlist and add every book you are interested in purchasing there.
Is Audible Free with Amazon Prime?
No. But if you have an annual Amazon Prime membership then you'll get access to a premium collection of content from Audible. You will be able to listen to full-length audiobooks that are exclusive to Prime members and Audible-produced podcasts, plus the biggest news stories from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Exclusive Audio-Guided Fitness Programs
These audio-guided fitness programs were created exclusively by Aaptiv for Audible. To the best of my knowledge, none of the other audiobook subscription services offer anything like this to their users. There are several guides available for different levels, ranging from beginner to intermediate. All fitness plans include the guidance of a certified Aaptiv trainer.
The guides are divided into two sections: Wellness and Fitness. Let's take a look at each one of them and see what they have to offer and is it worth even trying it.
Wellness:
Consists of 7 different guides: 21 Days of Guided Meditation, Everyday Meditation (20 days), and Sleep Better (7 days). All are suitable for all levels.
Fitness:
Consists of six different guides for two different levels.
For Beginners: Walk to Run One Mile (20 workouts), Introduction to Indoor Cycling (12 workouts), 5K Training (20 workouts), Quick Workouts for Busy People.
For Intermediate: Road Warrior Workouts (15 workouts), Beat Gym Boredom (16 workouts).
Fo now these audio-guided programs are available to all Audible users at no cost.
The Great Courses: (Updating Soon)
In conclusion to my Audible review: The only way to find out whether Audible is going to work for you is to give it a try. So if you think you could benefit from this service, sign up for a free 30-day trial and decide for yourself whether Audible is truly the best audiobook service on the market and is it worth it.
Best Audible Alternative For Audiobooks
I believe that Audible is a great platform that has many advantages that other companies don't have. However, there are several other excellent audiobook subscription services out there. I've tried many of them and still can't decide which one is the best. For example, if you enjoy listening to podcasts, then Audiobooks.com might be the right fit for you (check out my review of Audiobooks.com and find out whether it's a good alternative to Audible here at best audiobook services). If you want to get unlimited access to audiobooks plus be able to read as many digital books a month as you want at a very low price, then you might like Scribd (I shared my review of Scribd HERE). And if you are looking for a completely free option than read Librivox Review.
