- Audible has launched a cheaper ‘Standard’ membership plan
- It gives users credit for one audiobook per month and select access to audio originals and podcasts
- It is not as comprehensive as the ‘Premium Plus’ plan, but is designed to welcome new customers and casual readers
As audiobook popularity grows, so does the competition, and Audible’s new budget-friendly subscription tier could be its one-way ticket to surpassing top music streaming services, such as Spotify, in the audiobook race.
The Amazon-owned audiobook platform has rolled out its new ‘Standard’ tier, the cheaper $8.99 per month alternative to the ‘Premium Plus’ tier, which has an expensive monthly fee of $14.95. As well as in the US, Amazon announced that the Standard tier is available immediately in the UK (£5.99/month), Australia (AUD8.99/month), Canada, Germany and France, with testing underway in additional markets.
That said, audiobook access isn’t the only perk, and Standard plan members will also get ad-free streaming access to a select number of titles from the Audible Originals collection, in addition to over 200 podcasts from Amazon’s Wondery+ service, which is shutting down in the coming months. It’s a solid flavor plan for first-time audiobook users, but there are a few differences to note.
With the new Standard level, you get credit to buy one audiobook per month that you can listen to again as long as you don’t cancel your membership. You can choose more or less any title, including the latest releases.
While the Premium Plus plan also offers monthly credit for one book, it also gives subscribers unlimited streaming access to its extensive catalog of audiobooks, podcasts and originals included in Premium Plus – the Standard plan is limited to select few Audible Originals and Wondery+ titles as mentioned above. Standard members will also miss out on access to exclusive discounts on additional audiobook purchases.
As with most budget-friendly subscription tiers, Audible’s Standard plan simply scratches the surface of the full range of benefits in its Premium Plus tier. While it may not be the perfect option for avid readers, it does open a door to welcome a variety of fresh customers and accommodate different reading behaviors.
Bridge the gap with Spotify
Before the rollout of the Standard plan, Audible’s all-or-nothing membership wasn’t necessarily the best way to entice potential customers. As Audible’s Chief Financial & Growth Officer Cynthia Chu puts it: “The launch of our standard plan reflects Audible’s ongoing commitment to serving the diverse preferences and listening habits of history lovers everywhere”.
She also added: “By expanding our membership options, we maximize access for lighter listeners while enabling publishers and creators to reach new audiences – a win-win that grows the entire audiobook category”.
The audiobook space has become increasingly competitive, which can be attributed to Spotify’s own audiobook offerings, which the company has doubled in recent years. With each Premium Individual subscription, Spotify users have 15 monthly hours of audiobook listening, but unused hours do not carry over to the next month.
If this isn’t enough for listeners, the only way to get more listening hours is to purchase the Audiobooks+ add-on, which rolled out in July 2025, increasing your monthly subscription cost. On top of this, Spotify’s basic plans are getting more expensive, and the company recently raised its fees for the third time in three years.
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