How Does Audible Work? The Ultimate Guide to All Things Audible!

Do you wish you read more? Or do you wish that your KIDS read more? You should definitely consider trying out audio books! I've been a reader to my kids throughout their childhood, but I'll be honest - sometimes I'm just tired.

Or my voice goes out.

Or I have a million other things to do!

So - I started looking into audio books. And for myself, too. I LOVE to read. But I'm in a super-busy season of life, as are most moms. And it seems that the older they get, the busier they get.

Enter audio books! Which will immediately take you to the next question: Where to get audio books without breaking the bank? (Hint: Grab it HERE for 30 days free)

Audible will be on the first page of Google when you start to research this question. So - one day when my 9th grader needed a particular book for school and it wasn't available at the library, I signed up, and haven't looked back since!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can learn more about that here.

Pssst.. If you are an Amazon Prime member, deals on Audiobooks are REALLY good (like - some are FREE). If you are not a Prime member yet, click on the Free Trial graphic below for Prime.

If you or anyone you know is a reader, Audible is worth a look into. Check out the Table of Contents on this page if you want to jump to a topic that will help you decide if Audible is a right fit for you.

Remember, it is a GREAT thing to read aloud to your kids on a daily basis! Reading aloud will help your younger child to excel in reading, and your older child to become well-educated.

Table of Contents

How Does Audible Work?
✅ Audible membership deals
Audible Credits - How to get them and what you can use them for.
Audible Reviews from Amazon - the good and the bad
How does Audible work with Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime free audio books
Amazon for your kids
Audible discount for students
Audible Gift Cards & Audible Gift Memberships
Is Audible worth it?

You may want to go ahead and sign up for the free trial, so you can get a look at what I'm talking about. You can use this link >> Audible Free Trial << to grab it.

I started out with the free trial, which was a great deal for me, so I would recommend it, especially if you are uncertain of whether or not you would like to pay for membership services. With the free trial you get these benefits:

• Get two free audiobooks to start -- after 30 days, get 1 book each month for the regular price/month.

• Get 30% off the price of additional audiobook purchases.

• Cancel anytime. Your books are yours to keep, even if you cancel.

In the picture: Link to free trial for Audible with 2 free audiobooks and 30 days. Get more info: https://amzn.to/2Lwbdbc

In the picture: Link to Audible free trial membership

Get more info: https://amzn.to/2Xd67Dj

Listed below are some of Audible's Best Sellers! You can check out this page to see more, also.

How Does Audible Work?

First, here's what Audible IS before we answer the question, "How does Audible work?" - It's a website that provides digital entertainment, information, and educational programming on the internet. Basically, it provides anything you can LISTEN to for the above. They provide digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers.

To use Audible, you'll sign up to become a member of their site. There are lots of different payment options for different programs, which I'll describe below. And for the first 30 days, you can sign up for a FREE membership. More on that here.

Once you sign up for a membership or for the free plan, you can browse through all that they offer. You click on the book or item that you want, and then you follow the instructions to purchase, either with a free credit, or through payment. (How many credits you have depends upon the membership you have).

Once you purchase or claim credit for your choice, you will:

Head over to your "Library" on Audible. (You may need to refresh your screen if you just purchased).
Click Play.
Listen!

You can do this on your laptop or desktop computer, straight from the Audible website, or you can download the free Audible app on whatever device you are using. (tablet, phone, etc.).

Audible will "remember" where your place is even if you switch from device to device, so you can pick back up to listen wherever you happen to be.

✅ Audible membership deals

You'll want to do your homework and know what each membership gets you before you decide which one to go for.

Currently there are 4 membership deals, and I'll add a fifth option as well.

"Gold Monthly" 1 Credit/Month (means you can get 1 free audio book per month). You pay a small monthly fee.
"Platinum Monthly" 2 Credits/Month. You pay a slightly higher monthly fee.
"Gold Annual Special" Instead of paying monthly, you'll pay for the entire year (and you can cash in your credits all at once, too, instead of waiting monthly.) You still get one credit per month, but at quite a huge discount per credit. (In that first year. After that, it picks back up to the Gold Monthly rates.)
"Platinum Annual" You get 24 credits per year. Again, you are getting all the credits up front in a year, instead of waiting monthly. And because you are paying a year up front (think purchasing in bulk), you are paying a lot less per book than you would be.
"Audible Escape" If you love romance novels, this may be the one for you. It's an exclusive offer, so isn't pictured below. But if romance is your jam, you can sign up for a free month of all the romance you can binge, and then it's a super-low price per book thereafter. And even lower for those who are members of one of the four options above.

All the Gold and Platinum memberships have benefits, too, that you can see from the graphic below. For any additional books in a month that you purchase beyond your credits, you get a 30% discount, you get to keep your books forever, you can exchange books, and you get free Audible Originals too! (two free/ month). Woot!

Here's what the Audible Membership Deal screen looks like from my daughter's account. I've blocked out the prices because I cannot confirm they will be same from the time that I publish this article, but it will give you an idea. You can click on the picture to view it on the Audible site.

Audible Credits - How to get them and what you can use them for.

Audible credits are allotments that are earned with an Audible membership. One credit is good toward the purchase of one audiobook on the Audible site, regardless of its original price.

When you sign up for a membership on Audible, you get free credits based upon the membership you choose.

You can use your credits to purchase items for yourself, or you can gift them to someone else. Although your credits do expire if you cancel your membership, there is an option to put your plan on hold for 1 to 3 months and not lose your credits.

Audible Reviews from Amazon - the good and the bad

Do you check out every single review about something before you buy it? I always do. It's a great idea to read all the reviews you can find on a product before buying so you can be informed.

Here are the reviews from Amazon buyers for Audible , both negative and positive.

I always keep in mind that there are always "unpleasable" people out there, or just people who simply don't understand how to use the products they buy into. So take both positive and negative reviews with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if they have merit.

I will say that most people I know or talk to have no problem with Audible, and I've enjoyed it for myself with no issues.

CLICK HERE to check out the reviews from Amazon's customers for the Audible program.

Get more info about Audible Originals to get 2 free every month with membership: https://amzn.to/2LyWhc6

Audible Originals - A Hidden Gem

For Audible members, you can choose any two of the six Originals posted each month to enjoy free as part of your Audible membership, and then come back the next month for an all-new selection of Audible Originals.

These are in addition to the free credit(s) that you already receive depending on your membership level.

You can check out the current Audible Original selections for this month here to get an idea of the diverse selection they post monthly.

And you can also see some previous Audible Originals on this Amazon page. (Note the ones with "Amazon Original" indicated.)

How does Audible work with Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime members do have some benefits, but Audible is not free for Prime members automatically. You'll still need to get a membership with Audible to get free monthly credits for books of your choice.

Amazon Prime members do have a large selection of free audio books, however, that they can listen to with the free Audible app or streaming online.

Amazon Prime free audio books

As I mentioned in the section above, Audible does not come free when you have Amazon Prime. BUT, you can get lots of free audiobooks on Amazon as a Prime member that you can listen to on your Audible app.

Check out this list of Free Audiobooks available for Prime Members that you can listen to on your Audible app.

Amazon for your kids

Check out this list of Free Audiobooks available for Prime Members that you can listen to on your Audible app.

Also, know that audiobooks can really change your home reading culture if you have kids. So, always have good books, and audiobooks in your child's library.

Audible discount for students

Audible has a terrific monthly membership, heavily discounted for students. Check that out here, and get all your questions answered!

You'll need to verify your student status, but if you are a student, this could be a great deal for you.

Audible Gift Cards & Audible Gift Memberships

If you want to give a GREAT gift to someone who either likes to read (or would like to become a better reader) (OR has kids!), then an Audible Gift Card or Audible Gift Memberships are the perfect and most thoughtful of ideas.

Head over to the Amazon Gift Card page (below) and type in Audible to find an Audible Gift Card:

And here are the Memberships you can gift to friends and family. You can choose from any of the Membership options described above in this article to give the wonderful gift of audiobooks year round.

Click on this link to get the current information on gifting Audible memberships: https://amzn.to/2xtYuNG

Is Audible worth it?

IS Audible worth it? Well, that depends I think. It is worth it for me.

You'll need to take a real look at how many audio books you truly think you will listen to in a month's time and then decide which membership plan is the best plan for you.

If you pick the right plan for your needs, Audible can be a really great deal for you!

The nice thing is that you CAN cancel your membership at any time, or check out putting your membership on hold when needed.

And the library is huge, so you'll be enjoying a massive library and getting that reading in, either for yourself, or for your kids.

Let me know in the comments if this was helpful for you, or if you have any other comments for our readers about tips for using Audible!

Also, be sure to check out this article >> The Best Tablets for Kids This Year to know what the best device would be for reading those audiobooks!

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If you are looking for online books for kids and you have a Samsung device (or are in the market to buy one), you should consider the Samsung Kids+ subscription. << Click for more info!

One Reply to “How Does Audible Work & Is It Worth It For Purchase?”

Melanie Morgan says:

September 22, 2022 at 4:02 am

Thanks for your sharing about Audible. I love audiobooks! I am too tired at the end of the day to pick up a book. This is where audiobooks come in handy. But sometimes I do not spend more fee on Audible so I will use some converter to download audiobooks from Audible. I have been using AMusicSoft Audible Converter for several months. It helps me download and convert many audiobook files for free! Intuitive and user-friendly. Super Love~~~Recommend to try~~