When it comes to reading, despite all the arguments for and against, audiobooks offer a flexibility that traditional reading does not. Audiobooks offer the opportunity to enjoy our favorite literature while we do other things, like driving, cleaning, cooking, or even exercising. Listening to a book gives you more time to wash the dishes in the sink or go for a hot girly walk. There are numerous ways to access and consume audiobooks, from library sites to dedicated platforms for audiobooks. One of the most popular and well-known is Audible, an Amazon-owned audiobook platform.
What is Audible?
Audible is a platform where members can access a catalog of over 200,000 books, podcasts, and other audio programs. The platform is owned by Amazon, making it one of the larger audiobook platforms as the books are either accessible through a basic membership or available for purchase. The platform can be accessed through a web page in a traditional browser and through the Audible app, which is available for both Apple and Android phones.
Navigation on the platform: The website
The platform is easy to navigate on both the web browser and mobile app. When you navigate to the website, you can log in if you already have an account or register for the program. If there are any offers or discounts on membership, they are usually displayed on the landing page, so you can’t miss them!
Hovering over the Browse button will reveal links that allow you to explore the platform’s various genre catalogs, including audiobooks, podcasts, sleep audios, and editors’ picks, as well as links to the Help Center if you need assistance. A search bar at the top also lets you search for a book title, author, or narrator if you happen to have a particular fondness for one.
Once you click on a book, you’ll be able to see the book’s narrator, length, publisher, and reviews, similar to how you’d view a book on the Amazon website. This page will also show you if it’s included in your chosen membership level and, if not, how much the audiobook costs. You can also listen to a sample if you’d like to hear the narrator before purchasing. Non-members can still purchase audiobooks through the platform, but you’ll still need an Amazon account to do so!
Once you’ve purchased or selected an audiobook, it will appear in your library. Here you can listen to your audiobooks, download them for offline listening, mark them as finished, and sort them into collections of your creations. You can also rate your audiobooks here if you wish.
When you click Play on an audiobook, a separate window opens with the audiobook where you can pause, play, skip forward, change the speed, and even bookmark specific moments of the narrative to return to later.
You can also use the Tab key to add books to your wish list as you browse, so you can return to the marked books at a later time.
If you hover over your name at the top, you’ll see a dropdown menu with more account information, your pre-orders, your ratings/reviews, and your listening history. You’ll also see the total number of credits you have remaining at the top of your screen, which we’ll get to in more detail in a moment.
All in all, the site is pretty easy to navigate, and if you need more help, you can try our guide on how Audible works here!
Navigation on the platform: The app
Navigating the app is similar to the website, but happens on your mobile device. You log in with the same information you use on the website, and on the home page you’ll see any ongoing sales, recommendations based on your listening history, etc.
The Library tab at the bottom of the page takes you to, as you probably guessed, your library. Similar to the website browser, you can listen to your books through the app, download them to listen on the go, rate and review the book, change the narration speed, bookmark moments, etc. The only difference is that the app offers a car mode option to make viewing while driving easier.
The Discover tab lets you browse new releases, bestsellers, and other lists to find new books for your listening pleasure. When you click on a book, you’ll see the same information as on the website, including author, narrator, reviews, and price.
On your profile tab, you’ll find awards you can earn for listening time, time of day, and other achievements. You can also see how many hours you’ve listened on this page. This is also where you can access in-app customer support.
As you can see, the features of the website and app are very similar, making the platform easy to use across multiple methods.
How much does it cost?
Now for the most important thing: how much does it cost? Well, that depends on which membership level you choose.
As mentioned, you can use Audible without a membership, but you will have to purchase the audiobooks yourself. If you want more benefits, you should opt for one of the memberships. Important to note: Memberships are not included in your Amazon Prime membership. You may receive discounts, such as an extended trial, because of your Amazon Prime membership, but the subscription itself is separate.
I will list the options and explain how they differ below.
Audible Plus – $7.95 per month
Audible Plus gives you access to the Plus catalog: a smaller selection of Audible books, podcasts, sleep tracks, and originals at no extra cost. This is much like how you can access books if you have a library membership. This membership level doesn’t include all the audiobooks available on the platform and sometimes doesn’t have the latest titles, so if you like staying up to date with new releases, this may not be the best option for you. Additionally, if you decide to cancel your membership at this level, you’ll lose access to any titles you accessed through the Plus catalog. While you can still purchase them if you want, they will no longer be free to you.
Audible Premium Plus – 1 credit – $14.95 per month
Audible Premium Plus gives you the same access as Audible Plus, but you also get one credit per month that you can redeem on any audiobook of your choice on the website. This includes titles from Audible’s wider catalog, such as bestsellers and new releases. The purchase price of the audiobook is irrelevant; a credit can be used regardless of the price, so you can get a real bargain on an expensive new release by using one of these credits.
These credits are valid for one year and will roll over if you don’t redeem them within a month. Books you purchase with these credits will remain available to you if you cancel your membership in the future.
Audible Premium Plus – 2 credits – 22.95 per month
Audible Premium Plus also offers a two-credit option if you listen to audiobooks quickly and prefer the credit redemption system to purchasing additional audiobooks. The credits here work the same as the one-credit option and can be redeemed for audiobooks of your choice.
Audible Premium Plus Annual – 12 credits – $149.50 per year
This plan is similar to the Audible Premium Plus plans above, this is just an annual membership structure with a flat payment at the start of your membership and 12 credits for the year, giving you a small discount.
Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 credits – $229.50 per year
This plan is the same as the one above, but your lump sum payment at the beginning of your membership gives you 24 credits for the year instead of 12.
What else should I know about membership and credits?
An Audible membership also gives you access to offers and discounts that non-members don’t get. These include an additional 30% off purchased audiobooks, 2-for-1 deals, or daily discounted titles. Occasionally, Audible also offers the option to purchase additional credits at a discounted price.
If you have never been a member before, you can try the platform for free for 30 days before purchasing a membership.
As I mentioned, credits roll over to the next month if you don’t use them, but they expire after a year, so keep an eye on that if you’re not listening for a while.
You can also use your credits to gift a title to a family member or friend, or if you are not a member, you can purchase gift credits/memberships for your loved ones by visiting the Gifts page and following the instructions there.
What do you need to register?
All you need is an Amazon account, a device to access the site, and a payment method.
Can you return an audiobook?
What happens if you really, really don’t like one of the audiobooks? Well, you can return it – though there are some restrictions. You must have purchased the audiobook with credit, the purchase must be made within a year, and your account must be in good standing. This means you can’t buy and then return every single book and treat the platform like a library. Basically, don’t abuse this option or it will be taken away from you. Think carefully about what you want to buy or return, as you would when buying a physical book. Additionally, this can only be done through the website, not the mobile app.
Hopefully that’s all you need to know about an Audible membership. If you want to learn more about your audiobook options, check out this guide to how Audible works or this guide to downloading an Audible book to an Apple Watch.
%20(3).jpg "Meteorite impact that wiped out the dinosaurs also meant the end of the ammonites")
