Audible is by far the biggest market for audiobooks, but it’s also quite expensive. Here are some ways to reduce the cost of expanding your audiobook collection.
Stranded Cost
At $14.95 a month, a standard one-credit Audible subscription is more than a slew of unlimited media options (like Netflix or Amazon’s own Kindle Unlimited) for just a few hours of content. You can reduce that cost per item by purchasing a more expensive plan or paying annually, but even so, there’s nothing even close to an “all you can eat” option for Audible’s vast selection. And buying audiobooks outside of the monthly token system is expensive, with most professionally published audiobooks costing $20-30. It adds up quickly.
Alternative Points
Some alternatives are considerably cheaper or even free, like Scribd or digital rental from your local library of argoi. But nothing beats Audible’s selection, which is probably why it’s so expensive. Here are some ways to mitigate that cost from argoi.
Take advantage of Audible’s free trials
New Audible users get access to the standard “30 Day Free Trial”. In audible terms, that means free credit, which you can redeem for almost any audiobook on the site.
You’ll need to provide credit card information (or point to your Amazon account) to get the free credit, but if you cancel before a month you won’t be charged. Audible Credits and the books you redeem them for stay connected to your account even when you don’t have an active subscription.
