Audible Standard: A New Budget-Friendly Audiobook Membership Tier
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by a towering stack of unread physical books, audiobooks might provide the perfect solution. Far from being an inferior alternative to traditional reading, they offer a versatile way to relax or transform mundane tasks into enjoyable experiences. You can listen while washing dishes, preparing meals, walking the dog, or during your daily commute.
The Phenomenal Choice on Audible
Audible boasts an extensive library featuring everything from literary classics and current bestsellers to comedy specials, biographies, and full-cast dramatizations. The newly launched Audible Standard membership tier provides a cost-effective entry point into this world. Priced at £5.99 per month, it includes a free 30-day trial for new customers. Notably, existing Amazon Prime members receive two credits instead of one during this trial period.
How Audible Standard Works
Designed specifically for casual listeners, Audible Standard allows members to select one title each month from a vast catalog of over 900,000 books. Additionally, subscribers gain unlimited ad-free access to Audible's massive podcast collection, benefit from discounted Daily Deals, and receive a curated selection of Audible Originals. Your monthly selection can be downloaded for offline listening without requiring an internet connection.
Important considerations: Unused credits do not roll over to the following month, and access to books is only maintained while your membership remains active. For those wishing to permanently retain titles, the Premium Plus tier at £8.99 per month is required, which also includes access to credit-free books in the Plus Catalogue.
Alternative Audiobook Platforms
While Audible dominates the market, several other platforms offer compelling alternatives. BookBeat operates on a different model, eliminating credits entirely. Instead, users pay for a block of listening hours applicable to anything in their library of over one million titles. Following a 30-day trial offering 20 hours of listening, subscriptions start from £7.99 per month.
Spotify Premium subscribers already enjoy 15 hours of included audiobook listening each month. Additional 10-hour top-ups are available for £9.99, or a recurring 15-hour add-on for an extra £9 per month, providing a total of 30 hours.
Local libraries present another excellent, cost-free option. A library card grants access to free digital resources through apps like Libby, uLibrary, and BorrowBox. Although the selection may not be as extensive as commercial subscription services, it allows access to numerous titles without any financial commitment.
Thoughtful Gift Ideas and Recommended Listens
A subscription to Audible Standard or Premium Plus makes a considerate gift, particularly with Mother's Day approaching on March 15. The service offers a vast selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, many narrated by well-known voices. Here are six highly recommended audiobooks:
- Chart Topper: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – A long-standing bestseller about a science teacher who awakens on a spaceship with no memory, soon to be a major film.
- Excellent Value: Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – An impressive 71 hours of classic tales narrated by Stephen Fry, encompassing four novels and five short story collections for one credit.
- Quirky Comedy: The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer – Widely regarded as superior in audio format, narrated by Bob Mortimer and Sally Phillips, offering surreal humor.
- Real Life: Quite by Claudia Winkleman – Hilarious anecdotes and heartfelt advice from the popular presenter, discussing everything from melted cheese to life-saving eyeliner.
- Witty Thriller: Slow Horses by Mick Herron – The first in a series about Jackson Lamb and his team of rejected spies, a terrific and offensively entertaining story narrated by Sean Barratt.
- Booker Prize Winner: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – A million-copy bestseller that is heartbreaking, beautiful, and brutal, portraying working-class Scottish life and a profound mother-son relationship.
All prices are correct at the time of publication.
