If you’re curious about the Audible subscription in general or have specific questions, this post reviews the Audible subscription and answers an array of frequently asked questions.
I listen to 5-10 audiobooks per month from a variety of audiobook sources, and I have been an Audible subscriber for many, many years, so I have a lot of personal insight on this topic.
(Check out my favorite audiobooks of all time.)
First, I provide a quick review of the Audible subscription, and then I answer tons of very specific frequently asked questions about it.
Audible Subscription Review
My Audible subscription is called Premium Plus monthly, and I get one audiobook credit per month for a book of my choice plus access to The Plus Catalog, which includes a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
I have never had a problem using my Audible subscription. It’s also easy to return a book you don’t like and also, to pause or cancel your membership if you need to, in just a few clicks.
It’s especially helpful when books are exclusive to the Audible subscription. As far as The Plus Catalog goes, while I can find books on it, especially classics, I wouldn’t call it an exceptional bonus for me personally. However, it all depends on what you want to read. At the end of the day, it’s more of a “nice to have” than a “must” for me.
I also love getting access to exclusive sales to get audiobooks for less. The only thing I truly dislike is not supporting independent bookstores with Audible; however, I do that through other audiobook and book purchases each month.
Pros
- Lots of exclusive options, freebies, and sales
- Easy to use and I have never experienced technical issues
- Easy to return books and make changes to your account with just a few clicks
Cons
- Supports a large company versus independent bookstores
- The Plus Catalog, which includes an unlimited selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts is fairly limited in its selection compared to other similar “unlimited” audiobook services. So, your ability to choose exactly what you want to listen to may generally depend on how many credits you have for books of your choice.
Audible Subscription Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: I did my best to make these answers as accurate as possible; however, things like this do change. I will do my best to continue to keep it updated.
There are currently five total Audible membership plans (both by month and by year) available by which you can buy credits to choose your own audiobooks to listen to and/or access to the The Plus Catalog, which includes a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
Technically, you can read thousands of books a month with Audible. This is because all current membership plans offer access to The Plus Catalog, which includes an unlimited selection of thousands of Audible originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
However, it is fairly limited in its selection compared to other similar “unlimited” audiobook services. So, your ability to choose exactly what you want to listen to and how many books you want to listen to may generally depend on how many credits you have for your book of choice.
If you need more Audible credits, sign in to your account and look at the top right of your screen, near the shopping cart. There, Audible offers you 3 Extra Credits. You can also upgrade a monthly membership to an annual membership, by which you can purchase 12-24 credits upfront at a discount.
Occasionally, Audible offers “2 for 1” sales by which you can choose 2 audiobooks from a specific list of audiobooks on Audible for the price of 1 credit.
Yes, Audible has a Daily Deal page where you can find low prices on a rotating selection of books for limited-time offers.
Whispersync is a feature that allows you to continue listening to your Audible audiobook across a variety of Whispersync-enabled devices without losing your place. Further, you can also switch between listening to your Audible audiobooks and reading the Kindle ebook version at the same time.
Yes, Amazon Prime members can get free Audible books with Prime Reading. Prime Reading is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership. It allows unlimited access to a rotating catalog of ebooks and audiobooks.
Audible is not totally free with Kindle Unlimited. However, Kindle Unlimited includes thousands of free Audible audiobooks. Additionally, these audiobooks have Whispersync so you can switch between reading and listening to the Kindle eBook and the audiobook.
The point of an Audible membership is to choose audiobooks of your choice to listen to on-demand. There are multiple types of memberships currently available to best suit your needs.
Audible members get “free” audiobooks if they have a monthly or annual membership that includes credits. Essentially what this means is that you pay for your credits, by which you can choose any audiobook you want, PLUS as a free bonus, you get access to The Plus Catalog, which includes a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
Audible members may also get free audiobooks if they are also Amazon Prime members and/or Kindle Unlimited members. Amazon Prime offers Prime Reading, which allows unlimited access to a rotating catalog of ebooks and audiobooks. Kindle Unlimited includes thousands of free Audible audiobooks.
Yes. The Audible books that you purchase from Audible are yours to keep. Even if you cancel your Audible membership, your Audible account remains active. The Audible books you purchase may also be downloaded across multiple devices.
You can share Audible books with members of your Amazon Household (up to two adults and four children at the same address) through the Family Library feature.
Log in to Amazon.com and hover over “Account & Lists” at the top right of the screen. Go to “Content and Devices.” Select the “Preferences tab.” Next, select “Households and Family Library,” and then select “Manage your Household.” Click “Add” and follow the prompts to invite family members to your Amazon Household. Thereafter, you will need to “Manage Your Family Library.”
You can share an Audible book by opening your Audible app and tapping “My Library” at the bottom of the screen. Find the Audible book that you want to share and tap the three dots to the far right of the book. Tap “Send this Book.” My understanding is this only works if the person you share the audiobook with has never received one through this sharing feature.
You can share an Audible book by opening your Audible app and tapping “My Library” at the bottom of the screen. Find the Audible book that you want to share and tap the three dots to the far right of the book. Tap “Send this Book.” Or, you can purchase a gift membership for Audible in increments of 1, 3, 6, or 12 months here.
Yes. Two people may sign in to Audible with the same log-in credentials and listen on multiple devices at the same time. However, this can get tricky if two people are trying to listen to the same audiobook.
Audible credits expire 12 months after they have been issued.
Audible credits expire 12 months after they have been issued.
You can purchase a gift membership for Audible in increments of 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.
You can only buy an Audible gift membership to give as a gift. You cannot use an Amazon gift card on Audible.
Any books you already purchased on Audible are yours to keep forever, even if you cancel your membership. However, when you cancel, Audible tells you when your unused credits expire, so be sure to use all of your credits before they expire upon canceling your Audible membership.
To cancel your Audible membership, log in to Audible and navigate to your “Account Details.” Click “Cancel Membership” and enter the reason why you are canceling. Follow the screen prompts from there.
When you cancel your membership, Audible tells you when your unused credits expire, so be sure to use all of your credits before they expire upon canceling your Audible membership.
Yes, you can cancel Audible and rejoin.
Audible is worth it if you want to listen to any audiobook of your choice, on-demand, at less than the retail price. It is also worth it if you want unlimited access to The Plus Catalog, which includes a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts. It is also worth it if you want access to member-only sales and discounts.
Those are all the details of the Audible subscription I could think of! I hope it’s helpful to you.
Does the Catalog include current best sellers for free? Or is it mostly Amazon content (like Kindle Unlimited)? When i look at the Catalog, everything shows ‘$0 with free trial’ – wondering if all of these books shown will be included as ‘free’ in the regular Audible subscription or if I will still have to buy the ones I want. Examples: Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, David Baldacci.
Generally not. It is generally a mix of older books (including some recent bestsellers) and Amazon content. You will likely need to use a credit for the types of books you said you are looking for. I’ve also seen those authors on great sale prices for members too, though.
Are the books you physically buy, Hardback etc., are those automatically included with Audible?
No, they are not. There’s a chance they may be included in the Plus catalog, but it’s by no means an automatic guarantee.
My father is legally blind and loves audible. He listens to 10-12 books a month that are paid for. They are in his library. He listens on the app and would like to listen to some again. I know how to access them but I am wondering if there is a way I can download those previously purchased books onto the app? He cannot see to access them each time from the library. I download several books each week and he can chess those with help. I will be traveling and he needs a simpler way to listen. Thanks for any help.
Hi Ben, I’d really love to help you and your dad out, but I don’t totally understand the question. My Audible books remain on the app unless I delete them. Have you looked under “Downloaded” and “Finished” on the app? Have you tried to reach out to Audible directly? I hope you are able to figure it out so your dad can keep listening!