Amazon’s audiobook platform Audible is increasing its subscription lineup with the launch of a new Standard membership plan, the corporate introduced Tuesday. It is a lower-priced possibility designed for listeners who need entry to audiobooks and podcasts with out paying for the corporate’s premium tier.
Within the US, the Standard plan costs $9 per month and contains one audiobook choice, which stays out there so long as the membership is energetic. The plan additionally contains limitless listening from a curated library, which Audible says features a collection of Audible Originals and almost 200 standard titles beforehand out there on Wondery Plus.
By comparability, Audible’s Premium Plus plan begins at $15 monthly and features a month-to-month credit score that can be utilized to buy any audiobook in Audible’s catalog. These bought titles stay in a person’s library even when they cancel their membership.
The launch comes as audiobook companies face rising competitors from each streaming subscriptions and library-based apps. Spotify’s Premium plans embrace a set quantity of audiobook listening time every month (Spotify currently advertises 15 hours per month for eligible Premium subscribers), whereas apps like Libby enable audiobook borrowing by way of taking part public libraries for gratis.
Audible, which Amazon acquired in 2008, stays one of many largest audiobook platforms and has spent years constructing out unique productions and unique audio content material, alongside its paid audiobook storefront. Lately, the corporate has additionally experimented with completely different pricing tiers and subscription perks because it competes with different streaming-style companies.
Audible says the brand new Commonplace plan is offered instantly within the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France, with further markets deliberate later.
