Audible: The Newest Innovation to Your Usual Reading Experience

There are many reasons why a person reads. For example, students read because they need to study, for employees, to improve skills and knowledge related to their jobs, parents probably read stories for their children, and the list goes on. There is both knowledge and entertainment in reading. Through reading, you acquire new learnings. You can also travel even to the deepest corners of the earth. You will also meet many people from different walks of life and get to know their stories. You will meet mythical creatures, fairies, gods and goddesses, and many more! If you use your imagination, you will see no limit to what you can do or reach when you read.

Nowadays, the reading experience has elevated a notch. From the traditional form of reading that we all know of, a new innovative upgrade to reading has been created. It is now what is popularly known as the Audiobook.  This audiobook, or what is also called the “talking book,” takes reading to another level by having the book read to you instead of you doing the actual reading yourself. These books are pre-recorded and saved in digital form to be played at a later time. This concept was originally designed for blind readers. However, nowadays, everyone can have access to and use this kind of platform. You can find this in almost every digital platform like podcasts and live streams on the internet. There are many platform sites that offers audiobook purchase and probably one of the best in the market right now is Audible.

What is Audible? 
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Audible is a podcast platform in audiobook form and can be purchased from Amazon. It can be downloaded to your smartphones and is accessible to almost any country in the world. You can find a variety of topics from educational to entertainment and many more with this platform. Once you sign up for an Audible membership, you will automatically be given a 30-day free trial access. This will give you the opportunity to learn and navigate through the different services and features this platform has to offer. Afterwards, you can select a particular monthly subscription to enjoy more of their services and features.


PROS and CONS

PROS	​CONS
Convenient	It is difficult to control which part of the book you want to read
Various titles to choose from	No cash on delivery
You can multitask	Lines cannot be highlighted
Helpful for visually impaired people	Monthly subscription fees
It does not occupy a physical space	You have no control over the narrator
It is not prone to wear and tear
Free trial
Available internationally
Can be accessed from different devices

Pros

• Convenient – By using an audiobook, reading becomes more convenient. You do not need anymore to carry books all around you because you can access it from your device. You can use it anytime and wherever you want to.
• Various titles to choose from – Books in this platform are not limited to only a few titles or categories. You have a variety of titles to choose from coming from different genres. 
• You can multitask – If you want to read a book but do not have that will allow you to do so, Audible can do it for you. You can listen to the recording of the book you want to read while doing another task or another activity. In that way, you are hitting two birds with one stone!
• Helpful for visually impaired people -  For me, this is probably the best thing about Audible or audiobooks in general. Those suffering from visual impairment can now enjoy the stories and information found in books like how people with no visual disability do. They can listen to the same exact content a physical book has through this platform. 
• It does not occupy a physical space -  The space this platform only occupies is probably the memory from your digital devices. However, in terms of physical space, you don’t need to worry about it taking up most of the shelf space because you can only save it on your digital devices. This is a book in digital format, and you do not need to have an actual book just to enjoy it. 
• It is not prone to wear and tear – one of the issues we usually have with books is that it is prone to damage as it gets older. However, audiobooks users will not have to worry about that kind of problem. Since audiobooks are in digital form, torn or crumpled pages will be a thing of the past.
• Free trial – unlike other audiobook platforms which do not offer a free trial period, Audiobook offers a 30-day free trial period for users to be able to fully enjoy the app.
• Available internationally – Another good thing with Audible is that it is not limited to a few countries alone. It is available to almost every country across the globe. In this way, you can enjoy all the services and features Audible has to offer wherever you may be.
• Can be accessed from different devices -  Whether you are an Android or an iOS user, or you might be using a Kindle device or your personal computer, there is no problem with that as Audible is accessible to different kinds of devices.

CONS

• It is difficult to control which part of the book you want to read -  Unlike physical books where you can select which part of a book you want to read by turning the pages or by skipping and scanning, it is simply hard to do with Audible. Since the books are already pre-recorded, it will be hard for you to control which part of the book is already being read.
• No cash on delivery – Unlike buying an actual book in the bookstore and paying for it in cash, it is something you cannot do when you are using Audible books. Audible does not have an option for cash-based transactions. Instead, you have to pay using your credit or debit card or other digital wallets.
• Lines cannot be highlighted – If you are the type of person who always tends to highlight favorite lines or part in a book, you have to temporarily say goodbye to that habit because it is not possible when you are using any type of audiobook. 
• Monthly subscription fees – If you are the type of person who does not want to pay a monthly fee just to be able to read a book or does not really read that much, then you should probably ask yourself again if you should sign up for a premium member account in Audible. Some books found in this platform are only exclusive for premium members, so you have to pay a little more extra to be able to purchase some of the books.
• You have no control over the narrator -  There will be those instances where you will probably not like the narrator reading the book. You might not probably like the narrator’s style of reading or even simply the narrator’s voice itself. That can be probably because you might feel that your book purchase must have been a waste. 

Audible Premium Membership Rates

 You want to fully enjoy all services Audible has to offer? You should definitely sign up for a premium membership! Here are the premium membership rates Audible offers to its users.

PREMIUM PLAN	FEE	CREDITS
Gold monthly	$14.95 monthly	1 per month
Platinum monthly	$22.95 monthly	2 per month
Gold annual	$149.50 yearly	12 per year
Platinum annual	$229.50 yearly	24 per year
Audible Plus	$7.95 monthly	0

​Why should I upgrade to a premium subscription plan? Is it worth it?

    When you are planning to download and use Audible, it might have already crossed your mind that you will have to pay a monthly subscription plan. You might have second thoughts about it because hey, actual physical books does not need to have a subscription plan, right? So, why bother paying for a subscription plan just for some books? Well, here’s why you should definitely upgrade your Audible membership account:

1. Discounts – Audible offers discounts to a lot of their books for premium members. And with the variety of books available, you can definitely save up a few bucks for your purchase.
2. Unlimited book access – Unfortunately, some books in Audible are only exclusive for members with premium subscription plans. So, you have to upgrade your membership in order to enjoy all the books available in their library.
3. Credits – If you sign up for an Audible premium account, you will be eligible for credits which you can use when you purchase your books from Audible.

See the perks of having an Audible premium account subscription? You should definitely try it now!

I want to use Audible. How can I sign up?

So, you want to sign up with Audible but don’t know how? Here are step-by-step instructions on how you can sign up and start with your Audible journey.

1. Download and install the Audible app from the Google Play Store or from the App Store.
2. Once you have downloaded the app, open it.
3. Once the app is opened, tap on the tab that says Get Started.
4. On the following page, tap on the tab that says Create a New Amazon Account.
5. On the next page, type in your name, email address, and your desired password. After you have entered all the necessary details, tap on Create your Amazon account.
6. Once you tap on Create your Amazon account, you will be sent a verification code to your email address. Type in the verification code and tap on Create Amazon account.

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And, that’s it! You have finally created your own Audible account. Now that you have your account, you might want to enjoy the 30-day free trial period Audible offers to its new users. Here are step-by-step instructions on how you can start enjoying Audible free trial offer:

1. Open the Audible app.
2. Once the app is opened, enter your login details and then, tap on Sign In.
3. Once you tap on Sign In, you will see a tab that says Start your free trial. 
4. On the next page, you will be asked to enter your credit card number and details, your full name, country, address, and phone number. Enter all the required details and tap on Start your free trial.
   
   

Easy, right? You now have access to over 500,000 books available in the Audible library!

Now, you might want to purchase books on Audible but don’t know how because you cannot purchase audiobooks directly from the Audible app. Here are step-by-step instructions on how you can purchase books for your Audible library:

1. Open the Amazon app, and then log in.
2. Once logged in, tap on the icon with three stacked horizontal lines on the upper-left corner of the screen.
3. Once you tap on the icon with three stacked horizontal lines, you will see several options on the screen. Tap on the option that says Books.
4. Once you tap on Books, you will see a variety of books available for purchase. These books are also the books available for Audible. Tap on the book you want to purchase from the selection, or you can directly search for the title of a particular book on the search bar.
5. Once you have selected a book, tap on that particular book you want to purchase.
6. Once you tap on the book you want to purchase, you will see the different purchase options for the book. Tap on the option that says Audiobook, and then afterwards, tap on Buy now with 1-Click.

You finally have your audiobook! You can now start and enjoy listening to the audiobook version of the book you have just purchased! 

Why should I use audiobooks? Is it worth it?

     For starters, most people would probably think, why should I use an audiobook? Is it even a real book? The answer is simple: audiobooks in general offer a different kind of experience and convenience that you cannot have from a traditional physical book and yes, audiobooks are also books, only in a different format. 
Living in these kinds of times where there is a fast development in technology, even books as we know it also has to keep up with these developments. That is why, new innovations in relation with reading like ebooks and audiobooks have been developed to keep up with the changing demands and lifestyle of the people. Although many people are still doubtful when it comes to using audiobooks, we cannot deny that the development of this type of digital book is a blessing for many. For visually impaired people, it is a chance for them to somewhat experience the joy of reading like what most people who can see do. For people who are able to learn more efficiently through listening than reading, this can also be a huge help for them. For those who want to read their favorite books but can’t simply find the time to read because of busy schedules, this is also another way for them to be able to read those books. So you see, audiobooks in general have a very big importance to the day-to-day activities of each person. And practically speaking, audiobooks are more affordable than actual physical books. Not to mention also that it will not take up any physical space in your rooms or in other places. So, using audiobooks is not only beneficial, but it is also practical. It might not be your version of a “real book” like how others see it, you can still get the same enjoyment and satisfaction from audiobooks like how you would experience and enjoy a traditional physical book.

I want to listen to audiobooks. Why should I try Audible?

      Audible is undoubtedly the best platform in the market right now for audiobooks. Although there are also other platforms that offer audiobook purchase, Audible has the most extensive number of books in their library. Although using Audible may cost you some monthly fees, the price you will have to pay will be totally worth it because of the unlimited access to available books that you can purchase. Also, you can use it from different devices, whether you are using an Android or an iOS device. You can also avail their free 30-day trial period if you are new to their platform. It also offers good deals for book purchases and excellent customer service. So, if you are still thinking if having Audible is worth it, without a doubt it is an easy YES!

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