Audible Review – listen to your favourite books

Audible, which is owned by Amazon, provides its subscribers with either one or two audiobooks per month as well as giving access to original podcasts. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of using Audible in this full Audible review..

Verdict: Largest range of audiobooks, but can be pricey. The 30 day free trial is a good idea for anyone considering signing up to Audible.

Introduction

Audible subscribers can download and listen to audiobooks and original podcasts. Depending on the subscription you will be able to get one or two books a month. While you technically own the books that you purchase you will need to listen to them on the Audible app. Because Audible is owned by Amazon, it has the largest selection of audiobooks of all the platforms. While there are many advantages to having an Audible subscription, using the service is complicated and may be more expensive than just buying audiobooks without paying a monthly fee.

What is Audible?

Audible is a monthly subscription service which allows you to download and listen to audiobooks and original podcasts. Audible is owned by Amazon. When you pay your subscription you get 1 credit towards any title. You can download and keep the audiobooks that you get even if you cancel your subscription.

How much does Audible cost in Australia?

The cheapest plan on Audible cost $16.45 a month and this allows you to download one free audiobook a month. You could also make an annual payment and this would cost you $164.50. This plan also gives you access to the Plus Catalogue, which includes Audible original audiobooks and podcasts. This averages out at $13.70 per month which is a discount of $2.75 a month or $33 in total. There is also a more expensive plan which costs $27.45 a month. If you make a yearly payment, this will cost $274.60, giving you a total discount of $44.80.

Are there plans?

Basically, Audible has two different plans which can be paid annually or monthly. The advantage of paying annually is that you get access to your yearly credits immediately. If you pay monthly, then every month you will get either 1 or 2 credits depending on your plan. Both plans give you access to the Plus Catalogue which contains podcasts and audiobooks which are exclusive to Audible.

In addition to the book credits that expire after a year, Audible members sometimes receive special offers to purchase additional credits at a discounted rate. You can return any audiobook that you have purchased in the last year and get a full refund. You do not have to give a reason for returning it, so people who don’t want to listen to their audiobook again may find it useful to return it.

What is the cost of Audible for Amazon Prime members?

There is no discount for Amazon Prime members, but they receive a one month free trial which allows them two credits instead of one. Otherwise the subscription costs are exactly the same as for those without Amazon Prime.

“I’ve never listened to an audiobook before, and I have to say it’s a totally different experience. When you read a book, the story definitely takes place in your head. When you listen, it seems to happen in a little cloud all around it, like a fuzzy knit cap pulled down over your eyes.”

Robin Sloan

How many audiobooks are on Audible?

Audible probably has the largest number of books of any of the platforms for listening to audiobooks. There are about 400,000 Audible audiobooks in the Audible library. Although it is owned by Amazon which is American you will still be able to find a good selection of Australian audiobooks.

Can you listen to as many books as you want on Audible?

With an Audible membership, you will either get 1 or 2 credits a month, but you can sometimes buy more credits although it is not possible all the time. According to the Audible website, you can occasionally buy additional credits. You can also just purchase the book at retail price. Once you have acquired a book on Audible, you can listen to it as many times as you like. There does not seem to be any limit to the number of books you can get, but it would be an expensive option.

Is Audible owned by Amazon?

Audible was purchased by Amazon in 2008 and is wholly owned by Amazon. That means that as an Audible subscriber you will have access to any of the audiobooks on Amazon.

What is the difference between Audible Plus and Audible Premium?

Audible Plus is not available in Australia. It is a cheaper, streaming only option. However, in Australia, there are only two plans available: The cheaper plan allows you one Audible credit per month and the more expensive plan offers two Audible credits. Both plans give members full access to the Plus Catalogue which features audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals. Material available on this catalogue can be listened to for free, but will not be available permanently.

How many books can you have on Audible?

Audible has more than 400,000 audiobooks for you to choose and there is no limit to how many books you can get. Although you can download your audiobooks, Audible users have to listen to them through the Audible app.

Advantages of using Audible

• Audible has the largest range of audiobooks of any of the platforms offering audiobooks.
• The Audible Plus Catalogue gives you access to a large number of titles that you do not have to purchase.
• You can also listen to podcasts on Audible so you have no need to use any other platform for listening.
• You can put your Audible account and membership on hold. If for some reason you do not want to listen to audiobooks for some time, you will not have to pay for membership while you are not listening, allowing you to save money.
• You can sometimes buy additional credits if you want more books.
• Non-members can buy audiobooks on Audible. You do not have to have a subscription as you can buy audiobooks at the recommended retail price.
• Audible has a number of features to save their members money: there is the monthly featured audiobook which is free; the Audible Daily Deal which allows you to purchase audiobooks at a very cheap price; and member only sales.

Disadvantages of using Audible

• Audible can be expensive. With the basic plan, you will get 1 audiobook a month. If you choose a less expensive audiobook, then you will have paid too much.
• The full retail price of books for non-members quoted by Audible is high. You cannot be certain that you are getting the best possible price for your audiobooks because of the confusing purchasing system.
• You do not own your downloads. You have the use of them, but you need to listen to them using the Audible app.

FAQs about Audible:

Can two people listen to Audible at the same time?

You can share Audible books with members of your Amazon Household. Two people can sign in to Audible with the same log in and listen on two devices at the same time. It may not be easy if they both want to listen to the same audiobook.

What is the cheapest way to use Audible?

If you only want to listen to one or two new audiobooks a month and like listening to them more than once, then an Audible subscription is very good value. If you do not want to keep a book you have downloaded you can get a full refund from Audible, allowing you to listen to more than one book for a credit. An annual subscription will save you some money. It is also a good idea to check the retail price of the audiobooks you want to download as some of the older ones may cost much less than a monthly payment to Audible. To make the most of your subscription, it is best to buy the latest books. The Plus Catalogue gives you access to a lot of additional audio material, so members who make use of this catalogue will improve the value of a subscription.

“Audible works on lots of devices, phones, tablets, Echo, Alexa, Sonos and more so you can listen your way.”

audible.com.au

Is Audible cheaper than Audiobooks?

It is hard to know whether Audible is cheaper than Audiobooks. An Audiobooks subscription, at US$14.95 is more expensive (at the current exchange rate) than Audible’s cheaper plan which offers 1 credit. Like Audible, Audiobooks offers one credit per month. However, there are some features of Audiobooks that may make it better value for some users. Every month, members are given the option of downloading audiobooks from their VIP Rewards area, allowing members to download 2 books a month. In addition to this, Audiobooks members can have access to 8 Audiobook Clubs which allow you to stream any book from a genre that you choose by spending one of your subscription credits.

Is Audible trustworthy?

Because Audible is owned by Amazon, you know that it is backed by a very profitable company. You can be sure that Audible will have an excellent selection of audiobooks. However, Audible has received a number of low reviews on websites such as Sitejabber. In particular, cancelling your subscription is not always straightforward and some reviewers have also mentioned that they were not able to keep all of their downloads after they cancelled their subscription.

Conclusion

Audible has a large range of audiobooks which you can access through your subscription and listen to on the Audible app. This audiobook service will allow you to download one or two books a month with access to additional content through the Plus Catalogue which also has podcasts and Audible Originals. There are a number of reasons why Audible is a good way to listen to audiobooks. However, it is not easy to understand how Audible works without signing up for a free trial, and many reviewers mention that they found it difficult to cancel their subscription once they signed up. Apart from that Audible is a great way for people to enjoy listening to audiobooks. Just make sure you have some good noise-canceling headphones ready and you might even find some of the personal finance books from my Captains Library in there too!