Is Audible Worth It — Honest Review From A Paying Subscriber [May 2024]
I’ve been a paying subscriber for over 12 years
You: I’ve got only 30 seconds, so tell me quickly. Is audible worth it?
Me: Yes, I’ve been using Audible on and off for the last 12 years. It is easily the best Audiobook service there is.
You: Why? That seems unreal given the competition.
Me: Audible’s got the largest title collection, great pricing, ability to buy more books on discount, and some really powerful ‘originals’ collection. Is that enough?
You: Nope, tell me more.
Me: The app ecosystem is fantastic, you can start a book on your phone or iPad, continue in the car and finish it on your laptop. Easy, seamless and loaded with features.
You: Sounds good, anything else I should know before?
Me: Just remember, while Audible is great it is just like any other subscription service. You lose money if you don’t use it. Pick the plan that is right for you.
You: Cool, let me sign up right away.
Me: Wait, try it for FREE first. You can get 1 audible credit that you can use to buy any one audiobook of your choice.
Here’s a video version of this Audible review. (You put a smile on my face when you subscribe!)
Disclosure: Some of these may be affiliate links. I may earn a coffee or two when you buy a subscription (at no extra cost to you). I live in Denmark, and at the current discounts and the Danish prices, probably only a shot of Espresso.
Let’s start with the basics now.
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How does Audible work?
The blog answers the question in detail, but here’s the short version.
- Sign up to Audible if you don’t have an account. If you have an Amazon account, that can be used to sign up to Audible.
- You start with a free trial and get 1 Audible credit for free. You can use the credit to get any Audiobook of your choice for free.
- At the end of the month, you’ll make a choice if you want to continue your subscription service. If you choose to continue, do nothing. You’ll keep getting the credit — you can buy a book instantly or at a later point in time.
- If you do not like the service, simply cancel the Audible subscription before the next billing date. The 1 free audiobook you got with the initial free trial is yours to keep.
- Finally, listen to the book. That’s why you started reading this blog in the first place!
What is Audible?
Audible is the largest collection of Audiobooks on the planet, by a long shot. With over 300000+ audiobooks in its library, Audible covers almost all niches & all the books you can think of. The small exception may be core non-academic books which are hard to understand without some visual help.
Press a button, Obama reads his book to you. Press another button, Oprah reads her book.
Want to read a classic like the Harry Potter series, or the James Bond series? You got it!
Everything is a click of a button. Many popular books have been narrated by the actual authors. In most other cases, the books are narrated by popular voice artists.
How is the Audible listening experience
Short answer — It is more than pleasant. You’ll love it!
I have been using Audible for over a decade now and have loved every bit of it.
I’ve been a book worm since I could read. As smartphones started changing our lives, Audible started gaining popularity and I jumped into the wagon.
I have been primarily listening to non-fiction, and I enjoy the experience. I used to be travel a lot by train(typically 60–90 minutes) daily for work and Audible was a great companion.
Later when I started driving to work, it got even better. You can start a book on your mobile, continue in your car and switch to your laptop of mobile. You can seamlessly move between your Apple & android devices and also your TV and Kindle.
You can adjust speed, go to car mode, add notes and add bookmarks. The app ecosystem elevates your reading experience more than you expect.
Most Audible subscribers seem to share my view that Audible experience is top notch.
Audible credits
Simple. Monthly fee = 1 Audible credit = 1 Audiobook of your choice.
You pay a subscription fee, and in exchange you get an Audible credit. You can use that credit to buy ANY one title from the large collection of Audiobooks in the premium library.
You can also buy the audiobooks without being a subscriber, but you pay the price for the individual audiobook (which is typically much higher than the monthly fee). However, without the premium membership, it can be even more expensive.
For example, the title ‘My Sh*t Therapist’ can be bought for 1 credit, or with £7.99 as a Audible premium member or pay a full price of £28 without any premium membership.
There are plans where you can buy more than one audiobook a month, and in some countries like US there are also plans where you do not get any Audible credit in the Audible plus. We’ll go into them in detail in the next section.
Accumulating Credits — Roll Over and Expiration
Audible allows for credit rollover, meaning your unused credits can be saved for future use. However, note that these credits do expire after a year (conditions might vary), and if you cancel your membership, you lose any accumulated credits.
Audible Membership plans
Audible membership plan is essentially just two — Audible Plus & Audible Premium plus. Let’s understand them in detail.
Audible Plus
Audible isn’t just about Audiobooks.
Audible = Podcasts
Audible = Originals (short series by experts/celebrities)
Audible = Sleep & Meditation tracks
This is what Audible plus covers. It also gives about 400+ free audiobooks.
Spotify = Music. Netflix = Movies/TV shows. Audible = Audiobooks?
Wrong.
Audible isn’t just about Audiobooks. Audible also offers a lot of original content like Podcasts (from really famous names), sleep & meditation tracks. This is called Audible plus catalog.
Here are some examples of what you might get from Audible plus.
Audible Podcasts
Podcasts = Spotify? Wrong again!
Spotify/Apple do host a lot of podcasts, but aren’t the only platforms in town.
The power of Audible also means, some big names in play. I’m not a big fan of political podcasts so I’m usually on Apple & Spotify for podcasts but I also see many similar ones on Audible now.
Here are a few more genres you can expect to find on Audible
Audible Originals
The idea of Audible premium is that you can get all of the above without having to subscribe to the plan that includes an Audible credit.
Why would you do that? Because you love the originals and podcasts without having to pay for books you may not need every month.
The plan still allows to buy any audiobook, most of the times are a good discount.
Meditation & Sleep Tracks
Audible is rapidly adding more content to cover the sleep and meditation tracks. Calm and other apps may not have been concerned so far, but not anymore.
If you have a Calm subscription, you might want to check out Audible free trial and assess if Audible is enough for your needs. If yes, you can save up on Calm subscription cost.
Audible Premium plus
Premium plus = Audible Premium + 1 Audible credit.
You get everything from the Audible premium plan + in addition also get an Audible credit that you can exchange for an Audiobook of your choice.
What if you want to read more books? Simply move to a higher plan that allows you to buy more audiobooks.
You also get much heftier discounts for any one-off purchases.
Audible Pricing
On to the important question — how much does Audible cost? The answer depends on where you live. So I’ll break this down into sections (everything based on Audible websites for each of these countries).
Audible Pricing — United States
US is the biggest market for Audible. There are two plans — Audible Plus & Audible Premium plus.
Audible Plus at $7.95/month = Originals + Podcasts + Sleep/Meditation tracks + 400 Free audiobooks + Additional book purchases at discounted prices
Audible Premium Plus at $14.95/month = Audible Plus + 1 Free audiobook every month (via 1 Audible credit).
Audible premium plus also can allow bigger purchase of audiobooks or pay annually at 16% discounted pricing.
Want to read more books. No problem. Get 2 credits a month at an even bigger discount.
Want to pay upfront and save money? Pay annually and get a 16% discount.
Audible Pricing — UK
UK has a flat pricing — there is no Audible Premium plus or Audible Plus, you just get only one option. But the pricing is much cheaper compared to the US prices.
The regular Audible Premium plus is priced at £7.99 which gives you full access to Plus Catalogue and doesn’t have a pricing tier just for Plus catalogue.
However if you want a different plan either to go on annual pricing, or go for more credits, that is possible as well.
India
Audible keeps it simple in India, similar to the UK approach but doesn’t seem to offer annual subscription. You get 1 option — Audible Premium plus with 1 audible credit at Rs.199 per month.
Audible India also has very India specific content that you might be interested in — classics and new local content.
Australia
Audible Australia also goes the UK/India way. It is one plan that includes everything — 1 credit a month + full access to Audible plus catalogue.
Germany
Germany goes the same way as UK. All include access + 1 audiobook costs 9.95 EUR/month.
Audible Alternatives
Audiobooks = Audible? NO
Audible is the most popular Audiobook service, but isn’t the only one in town. Here are some alternatives.
Scribd:
- Offers a vast library of audiobooks, eBooks, magazines, and more for a monthly subscription fee of $9.99.
- No credits system; subscribers have unlimited access to the entire library.
- Some titles may not be available at all times due to a rotating selection.
- May be more cost-effective for some users compared to Audible’s credit system, but lacks access to all titles consistently.
Google Play Audiobooks:
- Operates on a pay-per-book model with no subscription required.
- Suitable for infrequent audiobook listeners as it can be more cost-effective than subscription-based services like Audible.
- Smaller library compared to Audible; no exclusive titles or content available.
- Limited customization options for playback.
Librivox:
- Offers free public domain audiobooks recorded by volunteers.
- Library limited to public domain works; no access to newer titles or bestsellers.
- Quality of recordings can vary significantly; some may have background noise or uneven volume levels.
- Cost-effective option for those interested in classic literature and public domain works, but lacks professionally produced content found in Audible.
What Else Should You Know About Audible
Whisphersync
Whispersync for Voice allows seamless switching between listening to an audiobook on Audible and reading the corresponding Kindle eBook. This comes in handy when driving, working out or cooking.
It is easy to use. When you buy a book on Kindle, you simply need to add Audible narration to the eBook. That’s it! It combines with Immersion Reading feature to enable listening and reading simultaneously, with real-time text highlighting.
Whisphersync is available on Kindle App for Android and iOS, Fire HD Tablets, and various Kindle devices.
It doesn’t work on every single title. Current coverage include around 85,000 titles with growing options, including biographies, mysteries, sci-fi, business insights, and bestsellers.
Understanding the Audible Returns Policy
It may not be obvious, but Audible does offer returns. I have tested this myself personally (on Audible UK). Not everybook is for everyone, and unfortunately you may only realize after you have bought it and
Here are the guidelines as seen on Audible UK. Do note that Audible may change its mind from time to time.
Book Summary Apps — Try it before you try Audible
Audible has over 300000+ books. You’ll never have enough time to try even 1% of that. How do you then decide what to listen (and spend your precious time & money on)?
Book summary apps! They provide a 15–20 minute summary of the book in text/audio versions and help you understand the core of the book. This is particularly useful for people who are short on time or are not sure if a book is worth reading.
How do you decide if you should spend your Audible credit on a particular book? Here’s a 3 step process
Try Blinkist with a 40% Discount!
- Try Blinkist for FREE, it is the best Book summary app in the market. Read more here.
- Listen to the book summary on Blinkist.
- If you like the core of the book, buy it via Blinkist or directly on Audible
There are other book summary apps in the market, but I strongly recommend Blinkist. No other app even comes in delivering the value Blinkist does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Audible worth it?
Audible is the best audiobook service on the planet, but it only works if you are a regular listener (more than 6–8 books a year). If you are a casual listener, then sign up to Audible and only purchase the titles you want. You might pay slightly more per title, but you’ll end up not wasting money on monthly subscription service.
If you are a regular listener of audiobooks, Audible may be the best thing that you’ll discover for your learning & listening!
What are Audible credits?
Audible credit is a token that you get by paying cash — mostly monthly. You can exchange the token (Audible credit) to buy any book of your choice.
Based on the plan you choose, you get 1 audible credit every month. If you want to read more books or pay up front, you could do both.
How much does Audible cost?
Audible’s cost depends on the membership plan you choose. The basic plan costs $7.95 per month, while the premium plan costs $14.95 per month. There are also annual membership options available.
Also each of countries offer a slightly different plan. Please check Audible directly for accurate pricing
How does the Audible app work?
Few simple steps to get Audible App to work
- Download the Audible App from Playstore/Apple store. Use this link to get Audible free trial — Try Audible for FREE
- Sign in with your Amazon account & choose the country that is closest to you.
- Start the free trial & get 1 Audiobook for free
- Listen — on any of your devices. Sign in to your Amazon account if you haven’t already done on that specific device.
Can I listen to audiobooks on Audible for free?
Yes, Audible offers a free trial period for new members. During this time, you can download and listen to audiobooks for free.
If you are an Amazon prime member, you’ll get 2 Audible credits instead of 1.
After the free trial, you’ll have to pay either the monthly fee that gives you one credit or you can cancel audible subscription and just buy the specific titles you want at your convenience.
Can I Cancel or Pause my Audible subscription?
Yes, you can cancel your Audible subscription at any time. However, please ensure that you have used all your remaining Audible credits before you cancel.
The books you purchase will remain yours forever. But once you have cancelled, it is not possible to redeem your audible credits for titles.
Another option is to pause your audible subscription for 3 months. If you simply need to catch up on reading, or save some money in the short term, this may be a great option.
Are Audible books cheaper than physical books?
Audible books are often cheaper than physical books, especially if you are an Audible member who receives credits each month. However, the cost of audiobooks can vary depending on the title and membership plan.
Look at the example below, the hardcover version of ‘The Secret’ costs much more than the Audible Audiobook version.
What are Audible Originals?
Audible Originals are exclusive audiobooks and audio content that can only be found on Audible. These include podcasts, documentaries, and original fiction and non-fiction titles.
Can I purchase audiobooks on Audible without a subscription?
Yes, you can purchase audiobooks on Audible without a subscription. However, the prices of the individual titles can be either higher or lower than the equivalent of 1 audible credit.
Is listening to Audible as good as reading?
Audiobooks use a different sense (audio) than reading (vision). If the book is heavily dependent on visuals to communicate the content, reading with a paperback/kindle may be a better option. However, if the book is fiction which drives your imagination, or a non-fiction that engages your thinking without the need for any visuals then Audiobooks are better.
Remember, reading needs you to sit down and focus on one thing at a time. You can listen to an audiobook on the move, while you shower or workout or running household chores.
With Whispersync & Alexa (& other smart home apps), you remove the need to physically be still.
What is the best audiobook app?
Audible — period. It is the best audiobook service on the planet. Audible library offers over 300000+ titles, even the audible premium plus annual is quite affordable. If you are an avid audiobook listener, you’ll not find a better service.
Is Audible free with Prime?
No, they are separate subscription services.
