Best app/subscription for audio books

[AColdDuncanGoodhew]

I’d love to try a sub for audiobooks, does anyone have any recommendations? I’ve looked at Audible and Kindle Unlimited, any experiences or is either one better?

I have a kindle but haven’t picked it up in a long time. I’ve always been an avid reader but can’t find the time to unwind enough that I can sit and enjoy my beloved books.

I love a podcast while i’m driving to work and have been enjoying fictional stories recently, thinking an audiobook might jumpstart me back into reading.

I've had an annual audible subscription for years-24 credits at once for £109ish. Lots of offers on there too

Try your local library for the following free services...

BorrowBox-has exclusive rights to Audible content and eBooks

Libby/Overdrive for audio ebooks and magazines

Cloud Library for audio and eBooks

Some authorities have all three, some one or two. All are free for members and have apps for smartphones and some tablets.

Another vote for Audible from me, I pay monthly and I really enjoy listening while I'm out walking or doing housework.

I love audible - I have the 24 book annual subscription and I’m tearing through it.

I’d also recommend the Myths and Legends podcast if you like that sort of thing - he does one retelling a week, or sometimes they run over several weeks. And the sister podcast Fictional retells classic stories from literature. Love them both and there’d be a huge back catalogue by now.

+1 for audible, I’ve had a sub for years and love it

I have:

Borrowbox (library app - free)
Libby (library app - free)
Audible (which I had a historic subscription, now stopped)

Much like regular book reading- by far the best way is the library. 1000s of audio books, for free. You listen once and return.

I'm current listening yo Book 4 of Hitchickers Guide to the Galaxy read by Martain Freeman, on the Borrowbox app. Libby is good for chick lit and what they call "modern fiction", I find. Borrow Box has some great niche market books and some fantastic classics.

Its worth having audible. But I wouldn't keep a subscription going. Much like normal books, most I don't want to land and will never read again. The thing with audible is you're buying the audiobook, you own it forever. So only useful for books you will read multiple times. I got Audible for the Harry Potter series primarily. And they've been listened too dozens of times over- so worth owning.

Mist other stuff tho, I listen once and move on. So free library apps are perfect. You pick your audiobook and have it for 21 days. I finish most audiobooks in 7-10 days

Thanks everyone

I’ll check out the local library, never even thought of there oddly. I used to love going when I was a kid and they’d stamp the book and put the wee card ticket into your wee membership folder. Loved the smell of the library too, could spend hours there.

I’ve just seen Audible have a prime deal,
99p for three months and Kindle unlimited also have 3 months free, will give them a shot too while the deals are on.

Thanks for the recommendations on podcasts too, i’ve been listening to a lot of the sci-fi/thriller type, most from BBC sounds. Been absolutely devouring them on my commute and when i’m pottering about the house.

I love audible but I tend to choose loooooong books (mostly sci fi) so I feel like I get my money’s worth. The 3 months for 99p is fab - and when you go to cancel you’ll probably be offered more at half price. It’s really easy to cancel and then subscribe again but always make sure you spend your credits before you cancel as you’ll lose them. The books stay in your library once you have cancelled so you don’t need to listen before you cancel

@AColdDuncanGoodhew

Thanks everyone

I’ll check out the local library, never even thought of there oddly. I used to love going when I was a kid and they’d stamp the book and put the wee card ticket into your wee membership folder. Loved the smell of the library too, could spend hours there.

I’ve just seen Audible have a prime deal,
99p for three months and Kindle unlimited also have 3 months free, will give them a shot too while the deals are on.

Thanks for the recommendations on podcasts too, i’ve been listening to a lot of the sci-fi/thriller type, most from BBC sounds. Been absolutely devouring them on my commute and when i’m pottering about the house.

All you need for the library apps is your library card, which lets you set up a free account. Library cards are free - so get one set up if you don't already have one.

I'd hold off on the Audible subscription until you definately know what you want to buy and keep forever. Most books are on the library apps as audio books, exactly as on audible, but free.

Then listen to a few and if you come across one, or a series, or a particular author or narrator that you think you will listen to again and again, then start your free audible trial.

The way audible works is:

• all audio books have a cost, which you can pay as a one-off. Many are £20-odd quid but there are offers.
• your audible subscription gives you one credit (for one book) every month. Any extra are paid for extra, or you buy extra credits.
• You can usually find a £1 per month for 3 months introductory offer.
• even if you intend to keep the subscription, go through the process to cancel after 3 months. You'll be offered 3 more months at half price (£3.99 per month).
• so 6 credits (one per month) is £15. If you have 6 audio books you want to own and keep and listen to over and over again, it's worth it.
• Then cancel subscription and listen to library apps for 6 months. Audible will send you a 99p for 3 months offer again - and you can start again.
• but only use audible for books you intend to listen to multiple times. If you intend to listen once only and move on to the next - the library audiobook apps are for you.

I’ve been looking into the library apps since reading this thread, and I’m all signed up with them and ready to go. But as a dedicated audible fan, I’m a bit underwhelmed with the selection. I mean, there are obviously loads of books on there, but I searched for a few things I’ve been listening to loads of on audible, and there was barely anything on the library apps. I think it depends what you want to listen to. I found them very lacking in “the classics” as a general rule. Some only had eg one Jane Austen. And I only found about three terry pratchetts. I’ve been very used to being able to find any book I’d ever want to search for on audible, choosing between narrators and being picky about unabridged, so I’m rather spoilt.
But, I’ll definitely keep an eye on them, as they’ll likely save me a credit every now and again.

@Talipesmum the selection will be dependant on your own library service choosing titles. All authorities will have different budgets and audiences demographics and that will reflect in the collection. You can always see if they have a stock suggestion form.

Absolutely. I think it’s just a question of scale - the library apps I can link to for Surrey libraries seem to have a few thousand eaudiobooks, whereas audible has a couple of hundred thousand audiobooks. They’re definitely a great resource.