Is Audible Really Worth It?

Let me start by saying I’ve always been a reader. But the type that liked having a concrete book to read, lean on, smell… All that weird stuff. Despite owning a Kindle there’s always been something wonderful about having a book that you can hold and turn the pages, so the thought of an audio book never crossed my mind.

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I have been sent a couple of audio books from different brands recently for review (I will be posting in the coming days) which was what introduced me to the idea of audio books. I was cynical and unsure but I was very surprised that I really enjoyed the concept of having a novel read to me.

What is Audible and how does it work?

Audible is owned by Amazon and has the largest collection of audio books in the world.

You can start by signing up for a 30 day free trial – this gives you one “credit” which allows you to purchase any audio book.

After the 30 days are up you will be charged based on what plan you choose. Here are the plans available.

Here you can see the price of each plan as either a monthly or annual purchase. Of course the better the plan, the cheaper the credit. You can buy credits as a one-off occasionally but they will be more expensive.

Are Credits The Only Way To Purchase?

When searching for an audio book, it is usually much better value to use credits as audio books on their own are normally much more expensive. There are some anomalies, though. One example is a book I once read – Oryx And Crake – by Margaret Atwood.

Above you can see that it in on sale (at time of writing, October ’19) for £1.99. If you have a spare credit then you’re more than welcome to use that, but you could use that for a £20 audio book and just pay the £1.99. This is just a method to get more value for your money in your plan – even the most expensive plan equates to £4.59/credit so anything cheaper than this, you are better of purchasing without using up your credits.

The Fab Bits

The App:

• You can reduce the speed of narration down to 0.5x usual speed, or up to 3.5x
• The sleep timer is very easy to use, with the option of stopping narration at any time or chapter.
• You are easily able to bookmark at any time at during the audio book and add notes if you wish.

Listen Offline:

This is a real big one for me! I always run out of data as it gets to the latter half of the month and I’m the sort of person that needs constant entertainment when I’m out. Audible is available to listen offline, just makes sure you download them to your device first.

Whispersync:

• This great feature is for Kindle users that wish to interchange between reading and listening to the audio version. If you have already purchased a book on Kindle then there is the opportunity to get the audio version at a much cheaper rate. Whispersync allows the devices to connect with each other so you know where you left off – whether reading or listening.

Returns: Audible makes it very easy for us to return books – just go to your account and click ‘return’ within 365 days of your purchase and you will be refunded your money/credit.

A little not fab bit

I don’t have too many bad things to say about Audible but one thing that I find not so great is that you need to go on to Amazon to purchase. Considering that you can view all the audio books on the app and add to wish list, it is irritating that there is no option to buy unless you go online and search via Amazon.

So, Is It Worth It?

For me, the answer is YES! If I’m over tired or feeling unwell I would not have the energy to sit and read but it is great to lie down and still hear the story. Sometimes when I’m walking or travelling via public transport I will pop an audio book on which passes the time much quicker. It would be great for a long drive!

I hope you enjoyed this day 22 #Blogtober post and will consider giving Audible a go!