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Audible is one of the biggest audiobook subscription services available. They create original content that can’t be found other places. Not only do they have book length Audible exclusive material, they also do six shorter monthly Audible Originals, and members get to choose two for free every month. They have Daily Deals and exclusive packages, with unlimited access to a number of additional titles. It’s a sleek service and very easy to use. But, how does Audible work? Let’s break it down to see if Audible is the right fit for your audiobook service.
The Basics: How Does Audible Work?
- Audible is a subscription service with four basic membership plans: Gold Monthly (1 credit per month), Platinum Monthly (2 credits per month), Gold Annual Special, (12 credits per year), and Platinum Annual (24 credits per year). The monthly plans charge a monthly rate, whereas the yearly plans are an upfront fee.
- Each credit is worth one title. Once the credits for the month or year are used, you can still get titles at a 30% discount for members.
- Audible titles can be listened to through their app, which is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
What Do You Need To Use Audible?
Audible requires members to sign up with their Amazon account and download the Audible app, which is compatible on many devices (tablets, cell phones, computers, Alexa) and systems (iOS, Android, Windows). If you don’t have an Amazon account, you will need to create one.
How Do I Sign Up?
The easiest way to sign up is through audible.com. You get to start with a 30-day free trial.
Here you’ll either sign in with an existing Amazon account or create an Amazon account. Once you’re signed in, your available credits will be listed in the top right hand corner.
How Much Does Audible Cost?
Depends on which plan you want:
- Monthly Gold: 1 credit per month at $14.95 per credit
- Monthly Platinum: 2 credits per month at $11.48 per credit or $22.95 per month
- Gold Annual Special: 12 credits per year at $9.96 per credit in year one and $12.46 per credit thereafter or $119.50 for the first year and $149.50 for every year after
- Platinum Annual: 24 credits per year at $9.57 per credit or $229.50 per year
Plus all members get an additional 30% off any titles purchased without credits, two free Audible Originals every month, and can exchange any audiobooks you don’t love within a year of purchase.
How To Browse Audible
Browsing is pretty easy. On the top menu, there’s an option that says “Browse” with an arrow next to it. Hovering your cursor over that option creates a dropdown menu with categories, which you can click on.
The categories are extensive, ranging from kids to horror to religion and spirituality. It’s a great place to get started. Once you’ve decided that you want to purchase a title, Audible gives you two options after adding it to your cart. You can purchase the title with your already paid for credit, or you can pay cash for the title.
This is helpful when you want to get a Daily Deal price or they are having a sale where the title costs less than you pay for your credit. Once purchased, Audible will send the title straight to your app and you can listen across all devices without ever losing your place thanks to WhisperSync. This feature remembers where you left off on your phone so you can keep listening on your smart speaker at home, so long as both devices are connected to the internet.
Returning Audible Audiobooks
So you downloaded your first title and just aren’t crazy about the story or narrator, or you thought you clicked on one thing but accidentally clicked on another. Don’t worry! Returning books to get credits back on Audible is easy:
- Go to the Audible website with your computer and log into your account.
- Select your name and then “Account Details” from the dropdown menu
- Now on the menu on the left hand side, you’ll click “Purchase History”
- From here, you’ll see a list of the titles that you have purchased and details such as when they were purchased and how, by credit of money and how much you paid. Find the title you want to return and click the “Return Order” button on the right.
- Boom! You’ll have your credit back and can keep shopping.
What Perks Do I Get As A Member?
So many! You get your monthly or yearly credits, plus access to Audible Originals, and two free Originals a month plus an additional 30% discount on any titles you want to buy without credits. There are also packages available for specific genre lovers. So let me break it down for you:
- Audible Originals: These are titles created only for Audible and produced by the Audible studios. They range from theater productions to lectures on brain chemistry to romance novels.
- News: Get stories from leading news publications from all around the country. Subscribe to one or more at no extra cost for members.
- Meditation and Fitness: This feature offers audio-guided classes. You can do weekly classes or a complete program. Whether you want to run a mile or calm your mind, there’s a program for you.
- Audible Escape: For an additional $6.95 a month, you get access to a vast library of romance titles. You can add up to ten romance titles to your library at a time. You’ll know which romance titles fall under the Escape package by the pink logo in the corner.
- Audible Latino: Audible also offers hundreds of titles narrated in Spanish.
Is Audible Free With Amazon Prime?
No, it’s not free, but there are some limited options. With an Amazon Prime account, you can download the Audible app and get free access to some Audible Originals and a limited number of Prime audiobooks through Prime Reading.
How Does The Audible App Work?
The app is very easy to use. You can browse and manage your audiobooks here, although no purchases can be made, those have to be done through the website. (Note these are iOS images; Android and Windows should be similar, but may allow in-app purchases.) Here’s a few key features:
- You’ll open the app to the home screen. It gives you several features to browse or go to your library. It also offers recommendations based on your purchase history.
- Your library is where you’ll find a list of titles that you have purchased and what is downloaded on the current device you are using. To to download, simply click on the title you wish to listen to and it will automatically start downloading. The downloaded items appear brighter than the other items.
- The “Discover” option is where you can browse or find recommended titles based on your past purchase history.
How Do You Cancel An Audible Membership?
If you’ve purchased one of the monthly membership options, canceling is easy.
- Go to the Audible website and click on “Account Details” from the dropdown menu listed with your name.
- Under “Your Membership” select “Cancel Membership.”
- It will ask if you’re sure. Simply keep clicking that you do, in fact, wish to cancel and ta-da! Your subscription will be canceled. You can learn more here.
If you have purchased a yearly membership, canceling is the same, but you won’t get refunded for your purchase and can still use all credit purchased. But you won’t be charged again next year and the subscription will not renew.