Are audiobook subscriptions still worth it?

For anyone who enjoys reading a good book from time to time, you know that there are several ways to read it. You can pick up a physical or digital book for in-person reading, or download an audiobook for on-the-go listening. Audiobooks are perfect for long commutes, working, or relaxing while you listen to your favorite book or new read. They’re a great option for those who prefer to hear the book spoken aloud, but audiobook sites have their own ups and downs.

If you like listening to books, there are several audiobook subscriptions available. Whether they’re worth it or not depends on several factors, because it all depends on the platform. Spotify is trying to unseat Audible, adding free audiobooks to its service for paid members starting in 2023. However, members only get a limited number of hours for audiobooks each month. If you listen exclusively to audiobooks during a long commute or while doing household chores, a limited number of hours each month might be worth it.

However, if you are a voracious reader who enjoys listening to audiobooks as your preferred form of reading, then being limited like that isn’t worth it. Paying for a subscription with Audible or libro.fm may be worth it, but even better is a free service. There are more nuances though, as you need to consider the content available. Spotify offers around 700,000 audiobook titles on its Premium plan, while Audible’s Premium Plus plan offers over 1 million audiobooks, but bundles them with podcasts.

Many audiobook sites offer subscriptions that only give you access to one free book per month, such as Audible and libro.fm, unless you opt for a more expensive plan. Meanwhile, Spotify’s plan offers 15 hours of audiobooks to its members, as well as all the music already on the platform. 15 hours would really only cover about two books – maybe three – depending on the length of the novel. If it’s something from “The Stormlight Archive”, it may be your only book of the month, and that’s only if you listen to it at 2x speed.

While reading physical books allows you to read at your own pace, audiobooks allow you to adjust the listening speed, increasing or decreasing the narrator’s speaking rate as you wish. It may not be the same as reading out loud or in your head, but if you have an annual reading goal, it can help you achieve it. Unfortunately, Spotify’s allocated audiobook listening time of 15 hours is not affected by adjusting the listening speed.

For example, if you select a 15 hour book, listen to it at 2x speed, reducing the time it takes to complete to 7.5 hours, you will still use up all of your audiobook listening time for the month. Spotify is not for someone who wants to read multiple audiobooks in a month.

If you don’t want to pay subscription fees and want to save money on purchasing physical books, there are free audiobook sites. Sites like digitalbook.io offer access to thousands of free books, including “Sherlock Holmes” and Jane Austen works like “Pride and Prejudice.” Even Audible offers free audiobooks. One of the best ways to access thousands of audiobooks and books in general for free is to visit your local public library. All you have to do is get a library card, which costs nothing, and you can start downloading audiobooks or listening to them while you visit the library.

Apps like Libby, a cheaper alternative for audiobook listeners to try, will help you find local libraries and let you check out audiobooks from there, provided you have a library card. If you want access to free books, a local library is a great choice. You can even listen online without entering the library. A Reddit user said that you may be able to enjoy audiobooks on Spotify if they are labeled as a podcast. This means they are not classified as audiobooks, which puts them outside the 15 hour per month subscription cost.