Anyone who loves listening to audiobooks and podcasts is spoilt for choice with our gigantic range of titles. But if you’re new to audiobooks, you might have a few questions. We’re here to answer them, from “what is an audiobook?” right up to how to choose an Audible plan that’s right for you. Read this page before you select your first title.
How does Audible work?
Audible lets you choose from thousands of titles from every genre. If you see an audiobook you like, you can simply buy it on the Audible website or app, and it will be yours forever.
If you want to listen to audiobooks regularly, it works out cheaper to start a subscription. When you start a subscription, and for as long as you subscribe, you are an Audible member. Audible members get to pick (and keep) any one title each month, including bestsellers and the latest new releases. You can choose from thrilling fiction to highly rated self-help, the latest romance to celebrity memoirs; there’s even stand-up comedy sets and audio plays to download. In addition, Audible members have unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks, Podcasts and drama in the Audible Plus Catalogue, including Audible Originals: stream as many titles as you like from an extensive collection of audio entertainment including award-winning true crime, comedy and stories by celebrated authors. As a member you also get access to exclusive members only sales.
Audiobook basics
What is an audiobook?
An audiobook is a book that’s been read aloud and recorded by a narrator, which you can listen to from beginning to end, just as you would if you were reading a physical book. Audiobooks are perfect for when you need to be hands-free, like when you’re driving, working or cooking, and are a wonderful way for those of us with limited visual abilities to experience the world of literature.
Most audiobooks are narrated by actors, professional audiobook narrators or, often, the authors themselves. A great reading brings emotion, expertise and atmosphere to the storytelling that you can’t get from the printed page. Sometimes they even have atmospheric music and background sounds to immerse you in the story.
How do audiobooks work on Audible?
Listening to an audiobook is no different to listening to music – you select the title and press play, pause or stop as you require. Sometimes, simply tapping the audiobook’s icon in your library will start it playing, and it’ll remember where you got up to when you stop.
With Audible, you can choose to buy each audiobook individually or set up a subscription that includes a number of titles per month that you can purchase using credits, as well as unlimited listening to the thousands of titles in the Plus Catalogue.
How do you listen to audiobooks?
It’s easy to listen to audiobooks if you have a computer, phone, tablet, Kindle, MP3 player, smart speaker, or smart TV–and that includes Amazon, Windows, Apple iOS, and Android devices.
To choose an audiobook through Audible, simply sign in on your computer or device, pick the title you want, and order it. It will then appear in your Audible Library. If you’re using an iPhone or Android device, download the Audible app and sign in – you’ll see the title there. You can either stream it live or download it to listen to when you have no internet. Hit play and the audiobook will start. When you pause it, the app will remember where you are and pick up at the same place when you return to listening.
A growing selection of Audible Originals are being recorded in spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. This creates a truly immersive audio experience in next-level quality. Look out for titles marked with a Dolby Atmos badge. Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos is automatically turned on in the Audible app for devices that support Dolby Atmos playback. Visit our Audible collection with Dolby Atmos to learn more.
How do you download Audible books?
To download an audiobook to your device, find it in your Library, and select it to begin the download. Audible audiobooks feature high-quality audio and can be many hours long, so it’s not unusual for a title to be more than 200MB in size. Downloading your audiobooks when you’re on a wi-fi connection means you won’t use up your mobile data allowance. It also means you won’t have to stop listening to your audiobook if you lose your phone signal. On a desktop PC or laptop, you’ll also have the option of streaming it, which doesn’t download it but plays it in the Audible web player.
Your Audible Account FAQs
What subscription options are there?
Audible has four membership plans:
Every month or year (depending on the option you choose), the corresponding number of audiobooks can be added to your Library by redeeming credit(s), at no additional cost. You can add more titles, but you will have to pay extra for them. Once you’ve bought a book, either through your subscription or buying it outright, it’s yours forever, even if you cancel your membership With your monthly subscription, you’ll also have unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks, Audible Originals and podcasts in the Audible Plus Catalogue and as you’re a subscriber you’ll also qualify for generous discounts for cash purchase of thousands of titles.
Press Play and step into another world
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.
See here for free trial eligibility.
Do I need a subscription to buy an audiobook?
No, you don’t need to have a membership plan to buy audiobooks from Audible. You can add Audible to your Amazon account or simply open an Amazon account for Audible –- you need this account to hold your Library and listen to and download titles. You’ll have to pay the full price for audiobooks (unless there’s an Audible offer running), and you can keep them forever.
It isn’t worth starting a membership plan just to buy one audiobook. If you’re a regular audiobook listener and want access to other Audible benefits, like exclusive and Audible Original Podcasts, becoming an Audible member is the best option.
How do you cancel Audible?
We like to make it as easy and convenient as possible to cancel your subscription to our audiobook service whenever you want. All you have to do is sign in to our website using your account details and click “Membership details”. You’ll see a box telling you what kind of account you have. Underneath the box is a “Cancel membership” button. Click it and follow the instructions.
Make sure you use up any Audible credits you still have. You’ve paid for them, after all, but once you’ve cancelled, they will disappear. The good news is, even after you’ve cancelled your subscription, the audiobooks you have paid for are still yours to keep. So, if you’re only halfway through a story and need to cancel, don’t worry – you’ll still find out how it ends.
How does the Audible Library work?
Your Library is where you can download, access and organise all your titles. When you’re new to Audible and only have a few titles, it’s easy to find the ones you want. But once you have a collection of tens or hundreds, you can start creating categories and placing your books in them, just like a real library. If there’s a title you want to listen to again and again, add it to your favourites for easy access.
You can also use the Library to search for titles and to mark individual ones as finished, started, or not started, so you can easily look through your collection for new listens.
Can you give an Audible subscription as a gift?
Yes! An Audible membership is a perfect gift for the book lover in your life. You can choose to gift a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month membership.
Visit our gifting page to find out more and treat someone special today.
Are audiobooks free with an Audible subscription?
With your Audible subscription, you get credits each month, depending on which subscription plan you opt for. One credit is good for one audiobook of your choosing.
When you sign up for a free 30-day membership trial with Audible, you will receive one free credit. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you will get two free credits with your 30-day free trial. These offers are subject to eligibility criteria that can be viewed here.
All members get unlimited access to thousands of titles in the Audible Plus Catalogue. From this catalogue, you can listen to as many titles as you want, whenever you want.
Can you share your Audible subscription with someone else?
No, you cannot share your Audible subscription with someone else. Each Audible membership permits access for one user only.
Can you pause your Audible subscription?
Yes. If you want to take a break, monthly Audible membership plans can be placed on hold for up to three months at any given time. While on hold, your membership fee won't be charged to your credit card, but you will also not receive any new credits. You will still have access to many of your benefits while on hold, such as access to any unused credits and advanced notice of sales and promotions
Annual Audible memberships cannot be put on hold.
Ready to start?
Whether you want to buy one audiobook or you are interested in a subscription, you’ll need to sign up for Audible. You can sign in with your Amazon account or set up a new account just for Audible. When you first sign up, you’ll be offered a 30-day free trial subscription and one title, so you can see how it all works. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the free trial and you will be charged a monthly fee unless you cancel. We hope you’ll enjoy the benefits of Audible membership and stick around after your trial – there’s a whole world of amazing listening out there, from crime, action, romance and comedy to history, politics and science.
Press Play and step into another world
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.
See here for free trial eligibility.
Have more questions? Why not check out our Audible UK help centre?
