You’ve probably heard of Audible before you even started to consider whether you want to listen to audiobooks. And now you want to give it a try. But how does Audible work?
I’ve been an Audible subscriber for over 10 years and listen to more than 200 audiobooks every year. I’ll explain everything step by step below, and I’ll also tell you the tricks you should know to get the most out of your audiobook subscription!
**The marked links and book covers on this page are affiliate links. If you use them to purchase something, I earn a fee at no additional cost for you. Disclosure**
What is Audible?
Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon.com that produces and sells audiobooks and podcasts. You can listen to Audible audiobooks on your phone, tablet, or computer using the Audible app. You can also listen on certain Amazon devices, such as the Echo Dot.
Audible is the biggest audiobook store online, listing the vast majority of books that are available in audio format. They have a huge selection of bestsellers, new releases, classics, and other audio content.
A standard Audible membership has two different parts:
1. Audible credits – You receive credits each month that work like vouchers. Exchange them for any audiobook from Audible’s entire catalog, regardless of price. You own these audiobooks and can access them even after you cancel Audible.
2. Audible Plus catalog – A Netflix-like catalog with over 20,000 audiobooks you can borrow for free while subscribed. You don’t own these, and you only get access while you have an active subscription.
This combination means you never run out of audiobooks. Use your credit for something special, and fill the rest of your listening time with Plus books at no extra cost.
You can log into the Audible website and app with your Amazon account email and password. The app syncs across devices so you can always continue your book where you last left off.
Related article: Is Audible worth it for you? Quick Decision Guide!
How Much Does Audible Cost?
Audible offers several membership plans:
Audible Plus – $7.95/month
- Access to the Plus catalog (20,000+ human-read audiobooks)
- No credits
- Good for: Budget-conscious listeners happy browsing the included catalog
Audible Premium Plus (1 credit) – $14.95/month or $149.50/year
- 1 Audible credit per month (or 12 upfront with annual)
- Full access to the Plus catalog
- Member-only sales and 20% discount on all audiobooks
- Good for: Most listeners – this is the standard plan for a reason!
Audible Premium Plus (2 credits) – $22.95/month or $229.50/year
- 2 Audible credits per month (or 24 upfront with annual)
- Full access to the Plus catalog for 12 months
- All the same membership perks
- Good for: Heavy listeners who go through 2+ premium audiobooks monthly
The annual plans work out cheaper per credit if you’re committed long-term. You get all your credits upfront, so you can stock up your library immediately.
Related article: Audible Plus vs Premium Plus (detailed comparison of plans)
How Do Audible Credits Work?
Audible credits work like a voucher or gift card. You can use your credit to buy any audiobook from the entire Audible catalog, regardless of the price.
Here’s the important part: An Audible credit has approximately a value of $14.95 (the price of a standard Audible Premium Plus membership). So you should only use your Audible credits for books that are more expensive than $14.95!
If you’re interested in a short audiobook or a daily deal audiobook, it’s smart to buy them directly with money and save the Audible credit for a more valuable title.
Credits expire after one year. If you don’t use your Audible credit within a year after receiving it, it will disappear. That means if you choose an annual plan, you need to use up your credits before your subscription renews.
Good news: You can buy pre-orders with credits! Even if your membership ends in the meantime, you will receive your pre-order.
Another handy feature: If you have no credits or only one credit in your account, Audible will offer you a deal to buy 3 additional credits for around $36. If you go through credits quickly, this is better value than buying audiobooks individually.
What is Audible Plus?
Audible Plus works exactly like Netflix or Kindle Unlimited. All the included books are free for subscribers, and you can borrow and listen to as many as you like. There is no limitation: You can add as many as you like to your library and keep them as long as your membership is active.
The Plus catalog includes over 20,000 human-narrated audiobooks, mostly Audible Originals and Audible Studios productions, plus titles from publishers like Recorded Books, Tantor, and GraphicAudio.
Important to understand: Not all Audible books are included in Plus! The Plus catalog is a curated selection, while the majority of Audible’s catalog consists of premium books that require a credit or purchase.
Unlike audiobooks you buy with a credit, Plus books are not yours. You can’t listen to them anymore if you cancel Audible and your membership ends.
The AI problem: Audible has added thousands of AI-narrated audiobooks to Plus, which can make it hard to find human-narrated titles. I’ve created a guide on how to filter out Audible Virtual Voice so you can browse only real audiobooks.
Read more: What is Audible Plus? (Complete guide)
How does Audible work? – The Basics
After signing up for an Audible membership, here’s how to start listening:
1. My recommendation: browse on the website (not the app) – Go to Audible.com/search and search for audiobooks. The website has better filtering options than the app.
2. Add to your library:
- If the book is in the Plus catalog, click “Add to Library”
- If the book costs a credit, click “Add to cart”
3. Open the Audible app on your phone or tablet and log in with your Amazon account info.
4. Navigate to Library and you’ll see your audiobooks. Click on one to download it.
5. Start listening! The app syncs across devices so you can switch between phone, tablet, and computer seamlessly.
That’s really all there is to it. Audible makes the listening experience very straightforward.
6 Tricks to Get the Most Out of Audible
Now for the good stuff! Here’s what I’ve learned after 10+ years of using Audible that actually makes a difference:
1. Cancel to Get the Best Deals
This sounds counterintuitive, but Audible’s cancellation flow is where you find the absolute best discounts! When you try to cancel, they’ll offer you deals you won’t find anywhere else – like 3 months for half price, or even heavily discounted annual plans.
You can cancel your membership at any point, even the minute after starting a free trial, and you’ll still get the membership perks for the entire paid period.
Read more: How to cancel Audible (step-by-step guide)
2. Only Return Books You Genuinely Can’t Finish
Audible has a return policy that lets you exchange audiobooks bought with credits. BUT – and this is important – use this ethically!
Returns within 7 days mean the author and narrator don’t get paid at all. Only return books if:
- Technical issues make them unlistenable
- AI narration wasn’t disclosed
- Poor audio quality or production errors
- You genuinely can’t stand it after a few chapters
Don’t treat Audible like a free library by returning finished books. That hurts creators and could get your account flagged.
Read more: What you need to know before returning an Audible book
3. Make Audible Plus Your Friend
It’s easy to forget about Audible Plus or dismiss it after a quick glance. Don’t! The catalog includes over 20,000 titles with new audiobooks added regularly.
Audible Originals are incredibly well done. Many have full casts of voice actors or celebrity narrators, which makes for special listening experiences. Some stories are released exclusively as Audible audiobooks and are only available as ebooks much later.
My secret weapon: Use Audible.com/search and toggle on “Plus catalog” to browse through genres and subgenres. This is hands-down the best way to find Plus books because you can explore the entire catalog with proper filters.
4. Know Your Credit Value
An Audible credit equals $14.95. This is crucial to understand because you don’t always have to use credits!
The rule: Only use credits for audiobooks that cost more than $14.95. Buy cheaper books with money and save your credits for expensive titles.
This simple rule can save you tons of money over time.
5. Use Whispersync Deals
If you buy an ebook on Amazon or borrow it through Kindle Unlimited, you can often add the Audible narration for a significantly reduced price, often $1.99-7.49!
The package deal might come out cheaper than using an Audible credit. This is an amazing way to build your audiobook library for less.
Pro tip: Check for Whispersync pricing before using a credit on books you’re interested in listening to.
6. Try Box Sets for Maximum Value
Many people don’t know this, but you can buy box sets for Audible credits!
Simply type “box set” in the Audible search bar and browse through Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Mystery series. When you buy a box set, you can easily get 30 or 40 hours of listening for just one Audible credit!
This is the ultimate way to stretch your credits if you enjoy series.
Bonus: Use Your Wishlist
When you find an interesting audiobook but don’t have a spare credit or don’t want to listen right away, add it to your wishlist.
Why? Because Audible runs sales and deals constantly! When an audiobook from your wishlist is included in one of these events, Audible will notify you. Then you can snatch it up for half a credit or $5!
This is how I keep my library well-stocked without spending my full credits.
Should You Actually Subscribe to Audible?
Generally speaking, I would say Audible is almost always worth it as it is the most versatile audiobook service at the moment.
An Audible Premium Plus subscription has never been as good as it is now, thanks to the Plus catalog. Having the option to listen to as many free audiobooks as you want while also getting a credit for premium titles makes it a great deal for many audiobook listeners.
But here’s something most people don’t know: You can actually use the Audible app without an active subscription!
If you have Kindle Unlimited, many ebooks come with free audiobook versions that work in the Audible app. And you can often add Audible narration through Whispersync deals for just a few dollars.
This means you can build an Audible library without paying for a monthly subscription, just by buying the occasional Whispersync deal. For many casual listeners, this “Audible without subscribing” approach works great. You only pay for what you actually want to listen to.
That said, if you listen to 2+ audiobooks per month, a subscription quickly pays for itself. And the Plus catalog is genuinely fantastic for discovering new books and authors.
If you’re new to audiobooks, I recommend starting with the Audible Premium Plus plan. Try out the free included audiobooks and buy something special with your credit. That’ll give you a better idea of your listening habits and whether a subscription makes sense long-term.
Ready to Try Audible?
Get your 30-day free trial of Audible Premium Plus**! You’ll get 1 credit to keep a premium audiobook, plus unlimited access to the Plus catalog during the trial period.
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder for day 28 of your trial. That gives you time to decide if Audible is right for you without forgetting and getting charged.
Happy listening!
Eline Blackman (pronouns: she/they) fell in love with books as a child – with being read to and reading herself. 11 years ago, she bought her first Audible book. It was love at first listen! An average of 200 audiobooks per year has become the new normal, and you will rarely see Eline without a wireless earbud. Romance and Fantasy are the go-to genres for this audiobook fan.
Best summary ever of what’s going on here, even better than Amazon itself, has been a tremendous help. Many thanks!
Thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate it and I’m so glad that you found my info about how Audible works helpful 🙂