Revisiting Audible

I caved. I joined Audible for two months. I was traveling a lot and needed to listen to something other than the radio or my playlist. It was perfect, I listened to Fire and Blood by GRRM and the first two Harry Potter books, both were phenomenal. Because I had an awesome experience I am going to re-review Audible in more depth.

What is Audible?

Audible is an audiobook subscription-based program. There are various plans from monthly payments to annual subscriptions, the gold $14.95 monthly membership is the cheapest and most popular.  You will need an Amazon account to join Audible.

You can cancel your account at any time BUT you must cancel your membership from the desktop webpage. You cannot do it from your phone, tablet, or other devices–I tired. You get to keep any audiobooks you bought with during your time as a member or during your 30 day trial period. 

How Does Audible Work?

You pay a monthly or annual subscription, whichever plan fits your listening life better and get book credits. You use the book credits to get audiobooks.

Each membership has different perks, all can be summed up like this:

• you get one or more book credits a month, which you use to “buy” audiobook books
• you can save up your book credits, but there is a limit of how many credits you can stockpile depending on your membership
• You are able to buy audiobooks at a discounted price when you purchase them without using a credit once you have used all of your credits
• You get access to Audible originals
• More perks for Amazon Prime Members
• You get to keep all audiobook books in your library that you bought using your book credits or during your 30 day trial period

If you use your credit for the month, you can buy more OR buy the audiobook on Amazon. Your Amazon account and Audible account are linked, Amazon owns Audible.

Is Audible Worth Your Money?

• IF you only like to listen to new titles and relist to them, Audible is worth your time. Audible has a growing collection of original content that is decent.
• The customer service is good and you can exchange a book you don’t like by emailing Audible.
• If you enjoy audiobooks, Audible’s membership plans are cheaper than buying each audiobook you want to listen to.
• If you are interested in owning new/newer titles Audible is a good choice for you. You get to keep whatever audiobooks you get during your trail or membership even after canceling your subscription.
• If you really enjoy audiobooks and listen to them often, Audible is a good subscription for you.
• If you do not listen to audiobooks often but are looking for some for a trip or whatever reason, starting their 30-day trial is worth your time.
• If you have limited access to books, a library, or a retail store that sells books
• If you buy an ebook on Amazon you can add on the audiobook book for a discounted cost.

After my 30 day trial, I knew I had to listen to more books as I was traveling. There was a wait list for the Harry Potter audiobooks and Fire and Blood was not yet in the catalogs in my local libraries. I compared prices and it was cheaper to subscribe to Audible than buying each audiobook individually.

What Can You Use Besides Audible?

• If you are a member of your local library and they use apps like Overdrive/libby or Hoopla, you may be able to borrow newer audiobooks without a long wait. Using your local library is significantly cheaper than a subscription to any reading program.
• If you prefer the classics, Librivox is a free website/app that has almost every classic book or play you can think of.
• There are other paid membership programs similar to Audible. I only have personal experience with Audible.