Learn what is Audible, how does it work, how much does it cost, and whether it is worth the cost in this engaging Audible Review:
Stories are a part of everyone’s life. Some love to read them, while others love listening to good stories. Audible has brought people and stories together. It is an extremely popular app for those who love a good story but do not love reading it.
In this article, we are going to tell you all about Audible, how it works, how to browse the app and buy the books you like. In short, we are going to tell you everything about it.
Table of Contents:
Audible Review – Is Audible Worth It
If you love a good story but are not inclined to read it, Audible from Amazon will prove to be an amazing gift to the story listener inside of you. It comes with the biggest collection of titles in the world, ranging widely from classics to new releases and even podcasts.
Official Website: Audible
With a membership, you can either download or stream the title you want to enjoy. Also, the content they create is all original and unique to Audible.
You can consider this article as a hands-on user guide for Audible and can also take it as an honest Audible review from a true story addict.
How Does It Work
It is a subscription-based service that comes with four basic plans:
- Audible Plus Membership– No credits
- Audible Premium Plus– 1 credit per month
- Audible Premium Plus– 2 credits per month
- Audible Premium Plus Annual– 12 credits per year
- Audible Premium Plus Annual– 24 credits per year
The monthly plans are charged a monthly rate while yearly plans are an upfront fee. Later in this tutorial, you will find how much is Audible credits for.
Audible Credits:
- Audible credits are the virtual token that you can use to buy the audiobook.
- One audiobook is worth one credit. After you have used all the credits for a month or a year, you can still get the titles at a 30% membership discount.
- If you haven’t spent the allotted credits, they can be carried forward to be used later. However, they also have an expiry date, which is a year after they were first issued to you.
- You can listen to the titles through the Audible app that is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows.
Requirements For Using Audible
All you will need is:
- Signing up with the Amazon account.
- Downloading Audible app.
- Signing up for the Audible membership plan.
That’s it, and you will be set to enjoy some really amazing audiobooks.
Why Use Audible
People like me are addicted to good books. No matter if I am eating, or even walking, I always found a way of reading a book simultaneously. Books have made me fall in love with them each time.
But then, life happened, and my time, I mean all the time, is consumed in something or the other. I tried to read before going to bed but my eyes would close even before I finished the first line.
Between work, family, relationships, it became harder and harder to disconnect from the world and enjoy a good book in solace. Some years back someone recommended Audible to me.
At first, I was hesitant because it felt like cheating on a good book and I was sure nothing could beat reading one. But my desire to stay connected with the world of books tempted me to try it once and I have been using Audible ever since. Here’s why I use Audible and love it even:
- It has an unparalleled library of audiobooks.
- You will never run out of audiobooks to listen to.
- You can get your hands on Audible originals, some special audiobooks exclusive to this platform. Audible releases six originals every month.
- With your membership plans, you can download two of them for free every month.
- The credits are rolled over.
- If you have consumed your credits, you can still buy audiobooks at a substantial discount.
- Everyday deals, podcasts, and newspaper subscriptions will make your day.
- Audible allows you to connect to an unlimited number of listening devices and you can read the same book on Kindle when you want to from exactly where you left.
- You can share a good book with your friends and family through its Amazon Family Library service.
- If you don’t like a book, you can return it and get a refund.
If these are not reasons enough, I don’t know what will entice you.
Browsing
So, how does Audible work? Well, it is simple and straightforward to use this amazing app. Browsing for audiobooks on Audible is very easy.
- There is a Browse option on the top menu with a submenu downwards arrow beside it.
- Hover your cursor onto it and you will see a drop-down menu with categories.
- Click on the one you want to look at.
- The range of categories is extensive. If you want to move out of the current category and browse another, go back to the Browse option on the top menu and hover your cursor on the down arrow.
You will be back to where you started. Take your time to find the title you want to purchase.
Browsing on the App is simpler. You can either search for a story or look for one in its Best Seller section or Free for members section.
Buying Books
Once you have found the audiobook you want to buy, follow these steps:
- Click on ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Buy With 1 Credit’
- Pick an option from the option on the right-hand side- credit, if you want to pay with your already paid for credit, or cash, otherwise to benefit from the daily deal pricing.
- Checkout and make the payment.
- After the purchase is complete, enter your mobile number to receive the audiobook.
Voilà, the title will be sent to your app directly.
If you are using the App, buying an audiobook is similar. Follow the below steps:
- Click on the title you like.
- Select the payment option.
- Then click on Place your order.
- If you are not using the credit, you will need to make the payment.
- Click on the download link to play it on your device.
Returning A Book
If the audiobook you bought isn’t as good as you thought it to be, you can return it easily by following these steps:
- Log in to the Audible website.
- Click on your name to get a drop-down menu.
- Select Account Details.
- Click on Purchase History.
- Browse to the book you want to return.
- Click on Return.
- You will be asked the reason, select one, and hit return.
You will receive the refund in no time.
Well, returning a book on the Audible App is similar. Here is what you have to do:
- Go to your profile.
- Select your purchase history.
- Go to the book you want to return.
- Click on the book you want to return.
- Pick a reason.
And it’s done.
How Much Does Audible Cost
Audible offers four basic plans as I have already mentioned above.
Here’s the breakup of Audible cost:
- Audible Plus Membership– $7.95 per month (No credits)
- Audible Premium Plus– $14.95 per month $15.99 per month for iOS(1 credit per month)
- Audible Premium Plus– $22.95 per month (2 credits per month)
- Audible Premium Plus Annual– $149.50 per year (12 credits per year), and
- Audible Premium Plus Annual– $229.50 per year (24 credits per year)
You can find the subscription details here.
This summarizes the Audible subscription cost. With Amazon prime, you get free access to some Audible Originals and a few prime audiobooks via Prime Reading.
Membership Perks
These are:
- A discount of 30% on any title purchased without credits.
- Two free Audible Original audiobooks every month
- Exchange any audiobook you don’t like within a year of purchase of that book.
- Subscribe to leading news publications for free.
- Audio-guided classes for fitness and meditation.
Canceling A Membership
To cancel your membership, follow the steps below:
- Go to the Audible website.
- Click on the arrow beside your name to get a dropdown menu.
- Select “Account Details”.
- Go to Your Membership.
- Select Cancel membership.
- When asked for confirmation, click on Cancel Membership.
And you are done. You will get to keep the library and the books you have bought to date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q #1) Can I put my Audible account on hold?
Answer: Yes, you can put it on hold for one to three months. All you have to do is call customer care. You can still use your library and available credits.
Q #2) Will I get to keep the audiobooks I have bought if I cancel my membership?
Answer: Yes, you will get to keep the library.
Q #3) What will happen to my unused credits if I cancel my account?
Answer: Your unused credits will be lost along with other membership benefits. Hence, it is advisable to use up all the credits before canceling the Audible account.
Q #4) What if I want to restart the membership?
Answer: Just log back into Audible, visit the Account Details page, confirm your billing information and renew.
Q #5) Is Audible free with Amazon Prime?
Answer: No. But with Amazon Prime, you get access to some free Audible Originals and some prime audiobooks.
Q #6) If I return an audiobook, will I get a refund?
Answer: Yes, Audible will refund you if you return an audiobook you don’t like.
Conclusion
If you love a good story, you don’t have to always carry a book or Kindle with you. So, is Audible worth it? I would say, yes it is. Before you pay for the app, you get to have a 30-day free trial to decide if you really want to spend your hard-earned money on it or not.
With Audible, you can always enjoy listening to a story from a vast range of audiobooks whenever, wherever you want. It is easy to use and not very expensive as well. Also, you can use it across various devices and it is compatible with iOS, Windows, and Android as well.
With Audible, you can read more influential books more often. And with Whispersync For Voice, you can pick up reading the same audiobook on your Kindle from the point where you left listening to it. And when you are on the go, you can go back to listening to it on Audible from where you left reading on Kindle. However, buy both versions of the book and from the same region.