Cheaper way of getting audio books?

[cavycavy]

I use audible and whilst I love it, I’m needing to find ways of reducing my outgoings in 2019. I often go over the 1 credit per month.

I’ve found a few free audio books online but they’re often so poorly read that I can’t enjoy it, so what’s the point.

I think I’ll probably have to limit myself to one book a month as I can’t bear poor narration, but I’ll be v.bored in the car without having a novel during the second half of the month :(

You can borrow audio books from the library...via an app I think? Not tried it myself yet..

Have you tried podcasts? They're often as good or sometimes better than audiobooks but are free. Some good ones I've listened to recently are:

• my dad wrote a porno
• Lore
• the butterfly effect
• unexplained
• welcome to nightvale (very wacky but entertaining)
• revisionist history

Seconding the library option.

Yes you can download audio books for free from most libraries.

I download from the library through BorrowBox. I also threaten to leave Audible quite often and get free credits...

I belong to two libraries (luckily living on borders of two counties ) and can choose from BorrowBox and RBDigital. Both have a really good selection of audiobooks.

I also have a subscription to Audible that I've suspended whilst I catch up. I think I'll cancel it. I don't need it.

Definitely check your library, saved myself a fortune - all you need is your library card. There are several different apps - my local has BorrowBox which has nearly 4000 titles and adds all the time (you can also borrow ebooks). You can request in advance if they're already on loan. Other libraries use Libby, it just depends what your authority bought into. And it's all from the comfort of your own sofa

The only issue with library stuff (and I LOVE my library!) is that it can auto-delete on the expiry date (if you haven't renewed and/or someone else has requested it)

In the past my library had a UI where it basically d/l mp3 files, so I could listen at leisure. But now they've moved to app-only.

Wooya is right. If you go through the leaving audible process, they try to get you to stay with things like 1 month half price, an extra credit, or whatever. I pushed it too far a couple of months ago and they didn't offer me anything just said goodbye then 😂 but after a couple of months unsubscribed they've offered me 3 months half price which I've taken, and I'm stocking up on daily deals too.

I find there's never anything I want to listen to in my library's free service! I do use podcasts a lot though.

I often buy kindle books when they are on offer and then add the audio if it is cheap. I have bought quite a few kindle/audio sets for less than the cost of a paperback.

Same as Vittys - often it is considerably cheaper to get the kindle book and then add the audio version to it for a few quid. This also gives you the convenience of going back and forth between audio and print depending on what you're doing. It's quite annoying if you're listening to an audio book in the car on the way to work (say) but then want to read a chapter at night and don't want to listen to it.

Library is another great option.

Thank you for all of those tips! I’ll definitely check out my library and see what they offer.

The last book I “read” from Audible (little fires everywhere) was so excellently narrated that I’m reluctant to sacrifice that to save money, I’ll just listen to less books, if that makes sense. So it will be interesting to see if the narrator is different if I download the same book from another source.

I don't think libraries use different versions: David Baldacci's No Mans Land is read by the same person on audible as on Leeds libraries, for example.
(I would do links, but my browser is playing up and keeps deleting my post if I go to another tab.)

library

audible

I have the Overdrive app for audio and e-books from the Library. RBDigital for magazines. All completely free. It's saved me a fortune.

I use audible and only get one credit per month. With the books i don't like or don't want to keep to read again, i return. They never ask why or refuse. So sometimes, i end up with more than one book per month. Its part of their standard service.