Posted on 07/01/2020 7:15:56 AM PDT by RoosterRedux
I am thinking about subscribing to Amazon's Audible but thought I would be wise to ask the opinions of any Freepers who might subscribe (or did so previously) .
I have read a good many books on tape over the years and actually kind of like it. As I get older, I noticed my eyes get tired of reading hard copy and I don't read as much as I used to.
And I was thinking that Audible might be the way to go.
Any advice/comments sure would be welcome.
I read a lot of non-fiction (mostly history) and was concerned that there might be a limited audio selection.
I love Audible. Easy to use..good value...I have over 100 titles in my library. - I like the speed up function that allows the reader to be heard at 1.5 speed or higher..It does become a little expensive (14.50 a month) if you don’t get that many books
Selection is excellent. Try the free-trial if you like. I am allergic to monthly subscription fees, so I don’t go past the free trial. Audible includes most of the big publishers in their selection. Their deal for content publishers (I was one) is AWFUL.
So you can listen to the books in your library even if you cancel your Audible subscription? And how many books do you get a month for $14,50?
Use it all the time. Got tired of music when working out or walking and now listen to books on tape.
Not cheap; about $15 per month and you get 1 credit per month. Audible books run around $15 to $20 per book (some more, some less; most popular books last 9 - 12 hours listening; but tons of short ones and some really long ones.
They recently upgraded both their phone app and the website, so it is easier to track you reads.
Also recommend you check your local library. Many now have free audible books for library members. Won’t be cutting edge stuff or as good of a user experience, but will augment your Audible nicely.
Nothing better for a long car ride than a good book on tape.
Excellent, if a little pricey. My kids love the Harry Potter speaker, great vocal range and emotive ability.
Yes - you own those titles. I may be off a little on the monthly fee - but you get ONE selection for that price - however - there are other books that cost less than the monthly fee so I purchase those out right..you also get a daily news brief - - I didn’t use it.. and other benefits - I just listened to my book - usually took about a month to hear the full book between drives to work and such.
I cancelled the monthly subscription when I found my self not listening as much with the new business venture.
I really like the Great Courses series.. like college courses on a LOT of categories.
You only get 1 book per month for the 14.95. Plus they have a selection of free books every month that you can choose 4 of. I find slim pickings there though. Plus, every now and then they offer 2 for 1 sales on selected items. Also, even though I like my membership and have around 100 ‘books’ from them, I often find the authors that I like offer the audible version in amazon cheaper than 14.95, often a couple of dollars. Sometimes you have to buy the kindle version for a dollar or two and get the audible added on for a couple of dollars.
I recently purchased 500 audio books from an affiliate of FreeEbooks.com for $20. Haven’t really used them other than to test one or two.
Amazon is a leftist company run by an evil man.
You can expect their technology to spy on you.
I have bought a lot of books at Audible....over 100. It has been 2 or 3 years since I stopped my subscription as things were piling up. I access them often w/o a membership.
Having said this I plan to transfer them to a device that I own. but they have never denied me access.
Been a subscriber to Audible for 20 years, absolutely love it. Audio is crisp and clear, easy to operate.
I listen while I work, have around 300 titles in my library.
Get a real satisfactory feeling when I start a new book and hear the intro “This, is Audible”...
And the adventure begins...
Yup. I won’t give Bezos a dime.
We Freeoers tend to be frugal
WHERE TO FIND FREE AUDIOBOOKS ONLINE
Librivox
Lit2Go
Loyal Books
Mind Webs
Open Culture
Overdrive
Podiobooks
Project Gutenberg
Spotify
Storynory
SYNC
Important note! These are all free audiobook options, but they’re legal.
https://bookriot.com/2016/09/15/11-websites-find-free-audiobooks-online/
So 1 credit is worth 1 book (any book available on Audible no matter what the price retail)?
Thank you all for your comments. Tremendously helpful.
I tried it. The service has many positives, but the choice of voice actors has influenced my enjoyment of certain books.
I started Audible about 6 months ago, but recently paused my monthly subscription since I couldn’t find anything else I wanted. It’s a decent service. You can even trade a book, no matter how much of it you listened to, for another title. Just a few tips...if you like autobiographies, make sure to check the description to see if it’s read by the author (that matters to me). Also, check the runtime as some books can be as little as a couple of hours. The favorite in my collection right now is Reclaiming History (Bugliosi) which runs almost 19 hours.
As for price, I subscribe at their platinum for three credits a month, comes out to 11 bucks and change per book. Less than a paperback. After that with a click you can buy a three more for 33 bucks and change.
Audible is a great company, got bought by Amazon a while back but I have seen no change.
I subscribed for a couple of years, dropped my subscription for 10 years and restarted it again. All my first purchases were still there.
The thing I have noticed is that a good narrator can really bring a good story to life. It can be a real value added situation.
I love Audible.
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