Welcome to Things That Make Readers Go Hmm...
Audio books can be pricey to purchase. There's no ifs or buts about it. Here's some ways you might consider to bring that cost down.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions can be your friend.
A subscription to Audible won’t limit the audio books you have access to in any way. In fact, it can increase the number of audio books available for you to choose from. Although Audible is owned by Amazon, many audio books “published” by audible are available on amazon, apple and other audio books sellers. (The same as books published by Random House are available on multiple sellers.) Both apple and amazon have access to some audible audio books. Audible does have some audio books that are exclusive to Amazon. (The same as Amazon books in Kindle Unlimited are for the most part only available on Amazon. However, with apple you pay per book each time you download one.
With Audible you can purchase a monthly subscription and that gives you 1 or more credits to use on to buy any audio book on Amazon – regardless of it’s price. So your monthly payment is say $16.00 and you get one credit – to buy any book regardless of whether it is $3 or $43. You can also roll these credits over from month to month and accumulate them. The number you can roll and accumulate is capped based on your plan.
Amazon also have an option called WhisperSync to purchase audio books. This is available to buyers who have purchased the ebook of a title as an add on option. ( No need to decide when you buy the ebook you can go back and choose this whenever you choose). You receive the audio book at a substantial discount – it could be 75% and can choose this add on at any time after you’ve made your ebook purchase. It allows you to go back and forwards between your kindle or kindle app and audible app as these will sync and pick up where you left off regardless of which device you use.
***Important note: The access to whispersync pricing is also valid for ebooks you have borrowed in Kindle Unlimited. You can read as many books as you like in Kindle Unlimited for your monthly fee of say $10. But can only keep a maximum of 10 ebooks in your Kindle Unlimited library at a time. If they are in your library you can access the Whispersync discounted price for the audio book. ***
Let’s look at the cost of how buying audio books three different ways might work out and finally with a money saving tip
I'm using the book Fallen Academy in this example -it's one of my all time favourite series. Please note that prices may vary and things change super quickly in the audio book world so be wary of that.
Buying Outright
Fallen Academy Audio book is $24.00
Total is spend is $24.00
With Audible Subscription
Audible monthly subscription $14
Fallen Academy Audio Book Free with one book Credit
Total spend is $14 (Cheaper option if you know you want at least one audio book every month.
With Audible and Kindle Unlimited subscription
Audible subscription - $14
Kindle Unlimited subscription $10
Fallen Academy Audio and ebook Free
Total spend $24
For the cost of the standalone audio book you get the audio book, ebook and access to all the other ebooks in Kindle Unlimited that month.
Money Saving Tip
Purchase Fallen Academy $2.99
Because I had already purchased the ebook I got whispersync pricing on the audio for $3.45
Total Spend for Audio and ebook for $6.44
If you are in Kindle Unlimited and “borrow” the book that counts as a purchase and you get whispersync pricing on the ebook.
If you're interested in audio books you might like to try a 30 day Free Trial of Audible - go HERE
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Until Next Time Much Love and Read Strong!
Rhonda Sermon is a USA Today and International Bestselling Author. A booklover, mother to two teens, proud Gryffindor, and Supernatural fan (#teamdean), she is followed by over 40,000 fellow booklovers across social media.
Hi i have recently found a audio sales site called chirp.com it has audio sales. they are time limited sales that range from 1 to 5$. You should check it out.