Anyone who loves listening to audiobooks and podcasts is spoiled for choice with our massive array of titles. but if you are new to audiobooks, you might have some questions. we’re here to answer them, from “what is an audiobook?” to how to choose an audible plan that’s right for you. Please read this page before purchasing your first title.
audiobook basics
what is an audiobook?
An audiobook is a book that has been read aloud and recorded by a narrator, which you can listen to from start to finish, just as you would if you were reading a physical book. Audiobooks are perfect for when you need to keep your hands free, like when you’re driving, working, or cooking, and they’re a wonderful way for those of us with limited visual abilities to experience the world of literature.
You are reading: Do you have to pay for audible books
Most audiobooks are narrated by actors, professional audiobook narrators, or often the authors themselves. A great read brings emotion, experience, and atmosphere to the narrative that you can’t get from the printed page. sometimes they even have ambient music and background sounds to bring the story even more to life.
how do audiobooks work?
Listening to an audiobook is no different than listening to music: you select the title and press play, pause or stop as required. sometimes just tapping the audiobook icon in your library will start it playing and remember where you got to when you stopped.
Unlike streaming services like Amazon Music, Amazon Prime, Spotify, and Netflix, however, you must first purchase each title, rather than have unlimited access to all available titles. With audible, you can choose to purchase them individually or set up a subscription that includes a number of titles per month.
how do you listen to audiobooks?
It’s easy to listen to audiobooks if you have a computer, phone, tablet, kindle, mp3 player, smart speaker, or smart TV, and that includes amazon, windows, apple ios, and android devices.
To choose an audiobook through audible, simply log in to your computer or device, choose the title you want, and request it. it will then appear in your audible library. If you’re using an iPhone or Android device, download the Audible app and sign in; you will see the title there. You can stream it live or download it to listen when you don’t have internet. press play and the audiobook will start. when you pause it, the app will remember where you were and pick it up at the same place.
how to download audible books?
Audible audiobooks feature high-quality audio and can be many hours long, so it’s not unusual for a title to be over 200mb in size. Downloading your audiobooks when you’re on Wi-Fi means you won’t be charged mobile data fees or risk having your monthly data allotment frozen. it also means you won’t have to stop listening if you lose your phone signal.
To download an audiobook to your device, find its title in the library and select it to start the download. on a desktop or laptop, you’ll also have the option to stream it, which doesn’t download it but instead plays it in the web player.
how does audible work?
audible lets you choose from thousands of titles from all genres. If you see an audiobook you like, you can simply purchase it on the Audible website or app, and it’s yours to keep forever.
If you want to listen to a lot of audiobooks, it may be cheaper to start a subscription. you’ll be able to choose one or two titles per month (depending on the subscription you choose) and you’ll also get discounts on hundreds of other titles. As a member, you’ll get unlimited access to thousands of audiobooks and podcasts in the Audible Plus catalog, including Audible original podcasts, best sellers, and new releases.
frequently asked questions about your audible account
what subscription options are there?
See Also: The Best-Selling Audiobooks in LGBTQ Right Now | Audible.com
audible has four membership plans:
- 1 book monthly membership: £7.99/month
- 12 book annual membership: £69.99/year
- 2 book monthly membership: £14.99/month </li
- 24 book annual membership: £109.99/year (best value)
each month or year (depending on the option you choose), a corresponding number of audiobooks can be added to your library, at no additional cost. you can add more titles, but you will have to pay more for them. With your monthly subscription, you qualify for generous discounts on hundreds of titles. You’ll also have unlimited access to original Audible podcasts as long as you’re a subscriber. once you’ve purchased a book, either through your subscription or by purchasing it outright, it’s yours to keep, even if you cancel your membership.
do I need a subscription to buy an audiobook?
No, you do not need to have a membership plan to purchase audiobooks from Audible. You can add Audible to your Amazon account or simply open an Amazon account for Audible; you need this account to maintain your library and listen to and download titles. you’ll pay full price for audiobooks (unless an audible offer is in progress) and keep them forever.
It’s not worth starting a membership plan just to buy an audiobook. If you’re a regular listener of audiobooks and want access to other Audible benefits, like original Audible podcasts, becoming an Audible member is the best option.
is audible included with prime?
Most people know that Audible is owned by Amazon and many assume it’s part of their core offering. Although Amazon Prime members can sometimes get special deals on Audible products, it’s a separate service.
bundling audible with prime would mean increasing the cost of the subscription, and people who aren’t interested in audiobooks or amazon prime would end up paying for something they never use. By keeping them separate, you can choose which services you want, when you want them.
how do you cancel audible?
We like to make it as easy and convenient as possible to cancel your subscription to our audiobook service whenever you want. all you have to do is log in to our website using your account details and click on “membership details”. You will see a box that tells you what type of account you have. Below the box is a “cancel membership” button. click and follow the instructions.
make sure you use all the audible credits you have left. after all, you’ve paid for them, but once you’ve canceled them, they’re gone. The good news is that even after you’ve cancelled, your audiobooks are still yours to keep. so if you’re only in the middle of a story and need to cancel it, don’t worry, you’ll still find out how it ends.
how does the audible library work?
your library is where you can download, access and organize all your titles. When you’re new to Audible and only have a few titles, it’s easy to find the ones you want. but once you have a collection of tens or hundreds, you can start creating categories and putting your books into them, just like in a real library. If there’s a title you want to hear over and over again, add it to your favorites for easy access.
You can also use the library to search for titles and mark individual titles as finished, started, or not started, so you can easily search your collection for new listens.
###can you give away an audible subscription?
yes! an audible membership is a perfect gift for the book lover in his life. you can choose to gift a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month membership.
Visit our gifts page to learn more and treat someone special today.
###Are audiobooks free with an Audible subscription?
With your audible subscription, you earn credits each month, depending on the subscription plan you choose. one credit is good for an audiobook of your choice.
When you sign up for a free 30-day membership trial with audible, you’ll receive 1 free credit. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll get 2 free credits with your 30-day free trial.
all members get unlimited access to thousands of titles in the audible plus catalog. from this catalog, you can listen to as many titles as you want, whenever you want.
###can you share your audible subscription with another person?
No, you may not share your Audible subscription with another person. each audible membership allows access to only one user.
###can you pause your audible subscription?
yes. If you want to take a break, monthly Audible membership plans can be suspended for up to three months at any time. while on hold, your membership fee will not be charged to your credit card, but you will not receive any new credits either. you’ll still have access to many of your benefits while you’re on hold, like:
- access to any unused credit
- advance notice of sales and promotions
Annual Audible Memberships cannot be placed on hold.
ready to start?
Whether you want to buy an audiobook or are interested in a subscription, you’ll need to sign up for audible. You can sign in with your amazon account or set up a new account just for audible. When you first sign up, you’ll be offered a free 30-day trial subscription and title, so you can see how it all works. We hope you enjoy it and stick around after your trial – there’s a whole world of amazing music, from crime, action, romance and comedy to history, politics and science.
have more questions? why not take a look at our audible uk help center?
See Also: Readers’ 10 best books of 2014 | Books | The Guardian