Audible is testing a cheaper subscription tier in Australia that sounds like the answer Spotify’s audiobook push. Like the more expensive plan, the new Standard membership gives you one free title per month. However, like game services PlayStation Plusif you cancel, you will lose access to the books you claimed under the plan.
whom informed by Bloomberg, the Audible Standard plan costs AUD 8.99 (US$5.90) per month, which is significantly lower than the AUD 16.45 (US$14.97) per month of the Premium Plus plan in Australia. Despite the lower price, subscribers below Audible Standard can still request one audiobook per month to add to their library, download it, and listen online or offline.
But the catch is that unlike Audible Premium Plus, Standard members’ free audiobook credits don’t carry over to the next month unless they’re used. (So if you forget to request a book in May, you’ll still only have one credit to use in June.) Additionally, audiobooks you’ve selected on the Standard plan will have a lock next to them once they’re canceled. To listen to them after you cancel, you’ll need to purchase them at full price or re-subscribe.
Another difference between the plans is that Audible Standard members won’t get full podcast access. “Audible Standard members can listen to many podcasts for free” and Audio FAQ read about the plan. “Some Audible Original podcasts are not available with an Audible Standard membership.”
Spotify turned on the audiobook function challenged Audible’s established model last year. Spotify Premium subscribers in the US can stream 15 hours of music per month through an ad-free music plan. The service also offers audiobooks only level (with the same 15-hour limit) for $10 per month. If the allotted time is not enough, Spotify users can purchase an additional 10 hours. A single audiobook is often around 7-11 hours long.
