Why Audiobooks?
Before I get into the benefits of Audible, some of you may be wondering, why listen to audiobooks at all? Audiobooks are a great way to squeeze in more reading time. I love the fact that you can listen to them almost anywhere. It can make your commute, work, workout, or cleaning more entertaining. Listening to audiobooks is a completely different experience than reading books. The narrator’s voice and performance can change the way you feel about a book. Great narrators can make it hard to stop listening and everyone needs to experience a great audiobook!
What is Audible?
Audible is a collection of audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment available for purchase and download. The monthly subscription options provide credits for audiobook purchases and allow access to many of the other entertainment features.
Why Audible?
Audible has the biggest selection and has much more to offer than just audiobooks. It is also reasonably priced, especially if you are taking advantage of everything they offer. I have had Audible for over 2 years now and I don’t know if I could live without it. Get your first month free here!
How Audible Works: The Basics
Levels of Membership
There are 2 membership plans, Gold Membership and Platinum Membership. Gold Membership gets you 1 credit per month for $14.95 per month. For slightly more you can get the Platinum Membership and get 2 credits per month. Sign up and become a member today!
You can pay monthly or yearly. Paying yearly ends up being the better deal in the long run if you can afford to pay upfront.
What do you get with an Audible Membership?
Membership benefits of Audible include:
- Monthly or annual credits that can be used to buy any audiobooks, 1 credit gets you 1 book
- Keep your unused credits up to a year after they are purchased
- 30% discount off all audiobooks bought without credits
- Easy exchange for audiobooks you are unsatisfied with
- Audible Originals are exclusively made by Audible and can’t be heard anywhere else, choose 2 of 6 out of a rotating selection each month
I currently have a gold membership because, with how much I listen, 1 audiobook and 2 Audible Originals is plenty for me in a month.
Other Plans
Audible Escape is a relatively new Audible plan. This monthly subscription is for people who love to listen to Romance. There are no credits with this one, just rentals. You can borrow up to 10 books and return them for more when you are done. This plan can be purchased on its own or added to your audible membership for a couple of dollars more each month.
Kindle Unlimited isn’t specifically an Audible plan, but it compares well to Audible Escape. This monthly subscription works the same as Audible Escape, with up to 10 rentals at a time, but gives access to a different list of audiobooks and e-books too. If you aren’t looking for specific audiobooks and do a lot of reading in addition to listening, this plan might be for you!
Other Benefits of Audible
- Keep Your Audiobooks Forever– Once you purchase (non-rental) an audiobook it goes to your Audible Library and it stays there forever, even if you cancel your Audible membership.
- Listen on any Device– Easily pick up where you left off across all of your devices. Listen on your phone, laptop, kindle, echo, and more with a seamless switch.
- Offline Access– Download your content to listen later without using data or Wi-Fi.
- Adjustable Narration Speed– Pick the pace you want. Slow it down or speed it up if you really want to binge-listen.
- Customizable Sleep Timer– Never lose your place. Set it to stop after the chapter or any time you want.
- Car Mode– Use this button to simplify the screen for easier use while in the car.
- BookMark It– Easily bookmark favorite quotes and add your personal notes.
- Access to Free Fitness Programs– Listen to guided fitness programs including meditation, yoga, running, and more! A new audio-guided class will be added to your library each week for free, no credits required.
- Free Access to News- Subscribe and get audio summaries of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post automatically uploaded daily to your library, no credits required.
- Listening Statistics- Your profile shows you your listening time, including how much you listen daily, monthly, and a lifetime total. You can also earn fun little badges for how much you listen.
Why I Love Audible
How I Got Started
I started using Audible 2 years ago shortly after I got my job in LA. After several months of listening to the same songs over and over again on the radio and annoying commercials on my 30+ minute commute each way, I decided I needed a change. I can handle long drives if I am traveling at a decent speed but my commute is only 10 miles and it felt like a never-ending crawl. It felt like a giant waste of time and I would always think about all the other things I could do with that time if I wasn’t stuck in the car. So I decided to try listening to audiobooks.
I had listened to audiobooks before when we had a couple of 24-hour drives from Iowa to California on our move out here. So I already knew I liked listening to audiobooks, I just wasn’t sure what the best subscription was since buying audiobooks can get expensive. Audible gives you the first month for free and you can easily exchange an audiobook you don’t like, so it was a no brainer for me. I have been hooked ever since!
My Favorite Part of Audible
Audible has the best selection of audiobooks, they have everything you could ever want. I have never had a problem finding something specific. Audible has changed a little since I first signed up. They offer much more than just audiobooks now. My favorite part about Audible besides the audiobooks is the audio-guided fitness programs. This is the main reason I stick with Audible. I have listened to multiple programs including cycling, yoga, and running. I have used Aaptiv on Audible to train for a 5k. It has helped me a lot because I am the type of person that needs someone to layout the workouts for me. Also having a coach/good music in my ear helps motivate me to finish the workouts. It’s much cheaper than a personal trainer.
Other Favorites
Since I use Audible mostly on my commute, I like the car mode so I don’t have to mess with it too much while I am driving. I also have a terrible memory and I like the bookmark feature to write my notes for my reviews later. I am also a statistics nerd so I like looking at my listening time. Currently, my total time over the last 2 years is at 17 days. (I am in the car a lot! 😲).
There are a lot of benefits to Audible. I wish I could use them all. I wish I had time to listen to more Audible Originals or the News. Usually, I only listen to Audible Originals when I have time or it’s something I really like. I find the full cast dramatization with the original actors’ voices very interesting.
Deals
Be sure to keep an eye out for deals like 2 audiobooks for 1 credit. Sometimes there are restrictions on the deals, like only being available from a certain selection of books. The extra deals are always changing so jump on them while you can if you want to make the most of your subscription.
Gift Audible
The Holidays are around the corner. Do you have a book lover that you aren’t sure what to get? Easily gift them a 1, 3, 6, or 12-month subscription to Audible. Have a specific audiobook in mind? You can easily gift that as well.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Audible
Audiobooks are an experience. They are a great way to catch up on reading, learn more, and grow as a person. I personally love Audible because of the amazing audiobooks and all of their extra benefits. Audible makes my commute less boring and helps me stay in shape. If audiobooks or any of the many benefits of Audible sound interesting to you, start your free trial today!
Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, do you use Audible or something else? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
I just canceled my Audible subscription honestly, although it’s temporarily. I want to finish my listening library first haha. However, there are more plans, Silver and Bronze as well. But you can find them easily, you have to dig for it.
Yes, I believe you have to talk to customer service for a Silver Membership or when you go to cancel your current membership they will offer it to you as a last-ditch effort in the hope you stay.
I just got my niece a subscription to audible, I didn’t realize it had a car mode! I’m definitely sending this post her way, so many things I did not know lol. I think it’s a great service and hope to be able to subscribe myself next year!
Awesome! I hope she is enjoying it and taking advantage of the many benefits!