The most successful people invest in themselves. Audible could be one of those investments where you can be sure to get benefits from when your reading library grows over time.
The best thing about Audible is that you can test-drive it with zero risk – 100% free – and even keep 1 free book as the worst-case scenario out.
After you sign up for Audible’s 30-day free trial, you’ll have the opportunity to keep the subscription and have all access to their Audible Plus Catalog – a collection of over 11,000 books you can download or stream from – for as low as $7.95 per month.
To keep or not to keep (the subscription), that is the question.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Audible subscription starts as low as $7.95 a month with unlimited access to their Audible Plus Catalog.
- If you order any books from Audible, you will own the book forever even after you cancel the subscription.
- You can listen to your Audible audiobooks from any location using the Audible app on your phone, tablet, or laptop on both android and iOS devices.
- Some books are narrated by the author himself/herself, which makes the listening experience more interesting.
- There are no commitments. You can easily cancel your membership at any time.
It may depend on your reading habits, or how you can make the best out of the Audible app. If you’re still on the fence about whether to keep it or not after the free trial, at least you can keep reading to find out more.
What is the advantage of listening to a book vs reading it?
While the debate on whether listening has the same effect as reading a physical book goes on and on, I will highlight some of the advantages I benefited from listening to Audible as a paying customer on and off since 2016.
Audible 30-Day Free Trial.
Audiobooks enhance the reading experience
I found it most delightful to listen to the narration by the author himself/herself. Not only does it provide the most authentic presentation, but it is also a guarantee that will capture the true spirit of the story like no one else could.
How about classic books written years ago or stories with many characters? Audible also have you covered by getting celebrities to read these stories for you. Check out: The Best Celebrity Narrated Audiobooks for Storytelling by the Stars
Audiobooks let your hands free
Audiobooks allow you to work on other tasks while listening to the book, as you would with the radio. Just start listening to a book while you are cooking, cleaning, or driving!
Audiobooks let your eyes relax
Most Americans spend over seven hours a day looking at digital screens. This may lead to blurred vision, eye strain, and long-term vision problems. Being able to listen to a book with your eyes close is somewhat a blessing.
Audiobooks let you control how fast you listen
When you add up all the books Americans have read over the course of a year, it comes to an average of 12 books a year per reader. However, this accounts for people who read a little more than normal; most Americans read about four books a year.
Reader’s Digest
Everybody learns differently. Some people argue audiobooks are slower than reading. But audiobook players usually allow you to adjust how fast or how slow you play the audio. So you can decide your listening speed for yourself.
Two Types of Membership
Although the Audible membership might look a bit frustrating at first glance, at the end of the day, there are two types of membership you can choose from:
Audible Plus ($7.95/month) – You can listen to thousands of included titles in the Plus Catalog.
Audible Premium Plus ($14.95/month) – It includes the Plus Catalog + 1 credit per month for any premium selection title.
You can get 2 months free by subscribing to an annual plan for Plus:
Audible Premium Plus Annual ($149.50/year) – It includes the Plus Catalog + 12 credits right up front for any premium selection titles.
How to choose? Plus or Premium Plus?
If you’re an avid reader (alright, listener to be exact) and can finish at least a book per month or even per week, then the Premium Plus plan is probably a good investment for you.
The Plus Plan does not work like Spotify or Netflix where you get all-access to the content with a monthly subscription – You only get credit each month to redeem one book of your choice.
But, if you’re a casual reader and can merely go through less than one book per month, then you should sign up for the 30-day free trial for the Plus plan to test the water for yourself. It’s risk-free and there’s no commitment.
What’s include in the Audible free trial?
You can sign up for a 30-day free trial with either the Plus plan or Premium Plus plan. Just download the free Audible app to start listening on your iOS or Android device.
You can also listen on any Alexa-enabled device, compatible Fire tablets, Kindles, Sonos devices, and more.
With the free trial, you can have access to their library available to paying customers:
- Audiobooks
- Audible Originals
- Podcast
With the Audible Premium Plus free trial, you can download one audiobook as a free gift that you can keep after your trial is over.
What happens after the 30-day trial period?
Audible will send you an email reminder before your trial ends. If you decided to cancel the trial on or even before the trial, you can cancel anytime and you won’t be charged.
If you enjoy your Audible after the trial, there’s nothing you have to do and your membership will automatically roll over to a monthly subscription.
How can I save money?
Apart from listening as much as you can (who doesn’t want to achieve more, right?), there are at least four other ways to get the most out of your membership.
And not only will you save some money from these suggestions, but your friends or family may also get a free audiobook from you as a gift.
Tips #1: Only keep your subscription when you need it
This sounds so obvious. And the best thing about Audible is that you can keep the books you order forever, even after your subscription ends.
Unlike your Netflix plan, you don’t need to stay subscribed if you already have a handful of “un-listened” audiobooks in your library.
This means that you can just cancel your subscription and save some money until want more books. saving money in the process. Make sure you redeem all your remaining credits on your account before doing so, as they won’t be carried forward to a new subscription.
Tips #2: Spend your credit wisely
This works for the Premium plan only. With your monthly subscription of $14.95, if you spot an audiobook worth $10, then it’s better to buy it outright with the 30% discount you are entitled to.
And if you come across a more expensive audiobook, say $20, then using your free credit will save you $5.05. It works like getting the book with a discount.
Tips #3: Return your books if needed
Audible actually has a return policy for Premium users. It allows you to return a book and exchange it for a credit if you realized that you just don’t like it. This return policy is available to active Audible Premium Plus members only. And it must be made within 365 days of purchase.
Of course, we only suggest you use this feature when you discover a new version or accidentally purchase the wrong title.
Tips #4: Share a book with as many as 10 friends for free
While Audible allows you to buy a subscription and send it to someone as a gift, you can just send any audiobook from your library to share with your friends and family for free!
This can be done easily with a few clicks. You can send a title by Whatsapp, Messenger, or email.
Up to 10 recipients can redeem for each title you’ve already ordered. How gracious! You can actually share your favorite books with others while you are still reading (well actually listening) to them.
What kinds of books are best for listening to?
If you think an audiobook is just an “audio” version of a book read out loud by a narrator, you are missing out a lot.
As mentioned earlier, listening to the author read out his story is a revealing experience. Rest assured it is the best representation you can get.
Here are the types of books that I think are best for listening to:
Long (or series of) books – In today’s world, who has enough time (unless you are a CEO) to sit down and read a lengthy book chapter by chapter? Audiobooks come in handy because it allows you to multitask and listen to books while doing other chores during the day.
Self-development – These books are full of affirmations and mental exercises that help you visualize and realize your dreams. And affirmations are meant to be read out loud, listened to, and repeat. When you keep listening to them again and again, you will start to believe in them. And once you have belief, you will start making those changes you want.
Fiction/Drama (with full cast characters) – Imagine having each character play out their own parts with their distinctive voice. Top it off with sound effects that enhance the experience. You will feel like you are watching a movie rather than reading a book.
Memoir – Listening to these personal stories on audio will help you connect to the inner emotions of the author, like having a friend telling you his/her own encounter. Whether or not the book is read by the author themselves, the narration can help to re-create the true tone of voice to the story that exceeds the reading experience itself.
Humor – Who doesn’t enjoy a stand-up comedy? Anything that’s intended to be humorous is usually funnier in (spoken) words than in print. Audiobooks narrated by funny people or even the writer will surely make you giggle.
What kinds of books are not the best for listening to?
Some books are better to be read than others. Some are not. I hope you’d agree these books are not best designed to be narrated:
- Reference books, guide books, quotation books, and dictionaries
- Books that rely heavily on imagery (e.g. children’s picture books, comic books, board books, photography books, or art monographs)
- Cookbooks and sportsbooks
- Travel guides
Does Audible sync with my Kindle book?
Yes. What this means is that you can switch between reading and listening with ease between your Kindle and your Audible.
Whispersync for Voice is another feature that allows you to listen to your audiobook while exercising, then seamlessly pick up from your Kindle when you get home – at the exact place you stopped.
You can also use the app to make notes and highlight as you read, enhancing engagement, comprehension, and retention.
I’m an Amazon Prime Member, do I get Audible for free?
Unfortunately, no. However, you start your Audible trial with 2 credits that you can use to buy any titles from the premium selection. After the trial period, your subscription will be the same as all other Audible members.
Over to you
The most successful people invest in themselves. Audible could be one of those investments where you can be sure to get benefits from when your reading library grows over time.
The best thing is that you can test-drive it with zero risk – 100% free – and even keep 1 free book as the worst-case scenario out. There’s no need to worry because all you have to do is to start your 30-day free trial and experience it for yourself.
Audible 30-Day Free Trial.