Introduction:
So you want to get into audiobooks. Yay! I was once starting where you are and was lost and confused. I was also the reader that once turned my nose up to audiobooks thinking that it wasn't for me, and now I am an audiobook junkie! When you can read while driving, working, cleaning, and grocery shopping, it becomes a no brainer. You can go about your life and be productive while not ever feeling readers guilt! It's the best of both worlds.
I started audiobooks in March of 2022. My day job allows me to leave headphones in, and as a voracious reader, the temptation to be able to consume more stories anyway I could won out.
Below I will share all the things you need to know when getting started in audiobooks, and all the ways you can listen!
Getting Started:
Devices: You just need your phone, tablet, or e-reader, and you can have access to any audiobooks you want.
It's no secret audiobooks can be pricey, and when you are getting started, you are trying to figure out if you even like audiobooks to begin with, so there are some free ways below to test audiobooks, and be able to see what type of books and narrators you will like in audio. It can take a little time to get used to listening and finding narrators you like, so don't give up on the first book you try.
Pro Tip: I suggest starting with a favorite author of yours that maybe you have read a lot of. It can make the transition easier as it will feel a bit familiar and you already know you love that authors books. For example, my first audiobook was The Takeover by T L Swan. She's my favorite author, so it was easier to get used to listening to her books because I was already familiar with her writing style.
Listening Speed:
You will find what works best for you, but all books will start at 1.0x speed. My sweet spot is 1.2-1.3, but I listened on 1.0x speed for a long time until I got comfortable. You may need a super fast speed. Some audiobook listeners need it fast to keep their attention. Play around with it. And your speed many change based on the narrator. If it’s a slower narration, I can listen at 1.5.
Focus:
Some people say they can’t listen to audiobooks because they get distracted and their mind starts wandering. If you really want to be able to listen, you can try so many things to see what works. Driving, household chores, taking a bath, taking a walk, and more. I listen at my day job because I work alone manufacturing soap. It’s mindless work that allows me to listen. You’ll find what works for you, and the more you listen the better your focus gets!
Pro Tip: My favorite way to read is to listen to the audiobook while I “eyeball” read the ebook. Combining the two makes for an excellent reading experience!
Narrators to Try Out for Newbies:
-This is just a small sample list to get you started and find the type of voices you like. You will find your favorites beyond this list, and I know I didn’t even scratch a dent, but I hope this gets you started!
Female Narrators:
Elena Wolfe/Andi Arndt
Stella Hunter
Saskia Maarleveld
Emma Wilder
Erin Mallon
Sofia Lette
Samantha Brentmoor
Savannah Peachwood
C J Bloom
Vanessa Edwin
Male Narrators:
Teddy Hamilton
Zachary Webber/Jacob Morgan
John Solo
Shane East
Sebastian York
Jason Clarke
Connor Crais
Christian Fox
J. F. Harding
Aiden Snow
Free Ways to Try Audiobooks:
1. Your Public Library
- Get a library card
-You will usually listen through these services via an app. Libby, Hoopla, or CloudLibrary, whichever your library has.
-Some libraries catalogs are awful and not well stocked, like my own local one, but you don't know what yours has to offer until you sign up for a library card and take a look at their stock. It's worth trying.
Library Bonus: There are some libraries that offer out of state memberships for a great price, and have an excellent library selection. I've listed one below I see recommend a lot and I'm sure there are others.
-Stark County Library in Ohio is a $35 annual membership (last I checked) and you can borrow 15 books a month.
2. A Free Trial of Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Kobo Plus, Everand (Formally Scribd), or any other retailer that offers a free trial for audiobooks. Just don't forget to cancel before trial ends if you didn't enjoy it.
-Authors give away audiobook codes usually in exchange for a review of the book. This is a great way to try new authors and new narrators! So be on the lookout for authors giving away audiobooks codes, and check out your favorite authors website and social media to see if they have an audiobook review team you could join. Please always leave a review if you are fortunate enough to get a free audiobook. It helps the author and narrators so much!
Audiobooks By Platform: The 3 Subscription Services I Use: Kindle Unlimited, Audible, & Kobo Plus
Amazon: Audible
Amazon's audiobook platform is called Audible. You can buy Audible books on the regular Amazon website or use the actual Audible.com website.
Audible has audiobook membership based plans (monthly and yearly) you can choose from and those are listed here. The membership provides a discounted price on all audiobooks, access to the Audible Plus Catalog, (thousands of rotating audiobooks you can listen to like KU) and audiobook credits you will use to purchase books not included in the catalog. Also member exclusive deals and sales.
Depending on how much you listen, the membership may or may not be worth it. I currently have the Audible Premium Plus Membership which gives me access to the Audible Plus Catalog and a credit every other month. This is the better option for me as I listen to audiobooks on other platforms as well. It’s $17 every other month.
Kindle Unlimited: Read and Listen
If you are already a KU reader, you already have access to hundreds of audiobooks included in your membership. Just search for those KU Books that have a "Read and Listen For Free" button. And you can also use this link here to pull them all up on Amazon. This is how I got started with Audiobooks.
Note: If it is an amazon published book, it will most likely be Read & Listen. You'll start to recognize the publishers like Montlake is Amazon Publishing's Romance imprint, and Thomas & Mercer is Amazon's Mystery/Thriller Imprint.
WhisperSync For Voice and Amazon MatchMaker:
A ton of ebooks on Amazon are also available for WhisperSync. What does that mean? It means if you purchase the ebook or borrow it through KU, the audiobook might be available at the WhisperSync discount price. This price usually ranges from $1.99-$7.49
Tip: Always listen to the sample narration before buying to make sure you like the narrators.
To check if your ebooks in your Kindle library are available for the WhispersSync price you can use The Amazon Matchmaker Website to check your library. You can just open your browser and search "Amazon Matchmaker" and the website will pop up. Here’s a photo of a section of mine that pulled up. It will check every ebook in your library for a Whispersync match.
Rakuten Kobo: KoboPlus
Kobo Plus or KP is the new hidden gem in the book community. I subscribe to both KU and KP so I get the best of both worlds with KU exclusive authors and wide authors over on KP.
How Does it Work?
It works almost exactly like KU, except there is no borrow limit to the books and audiobooks you add to your library, and it's cheaper than KU! Woo Hoo! If you have a phone and the Kobo App, you can have Kobo Plus. It's super easy to use.
The difference: You have 3 different plan options with KP. I have the Kobo Plus Read & Listen and use it just as much as KU.
1. Kobo Plus Read (ebooks only) $7.99/Month
2. Kobo Plus Listen (audiobooks only) $7.99/Month
3. Kobo Plus Read & Listen ( Both ebooks & audiobooks) $9.99/Month
You can start with a 30 day free trial to see if you like this platform, but I highly recommend it.
Note: They do have a $9.99/Month option that is 1 audiobook credit only for any audiobook. So if you don't listen a lot, maybe you'll like credit systems better. This is better than the Barnes and Noble Nook Audiobooks as their credit program is $14.99/Month for 1 credit.
Non-Subscription Ways I Listen:
Chirp
Chirp Audiobooks is something I use all the time. It's discounted audiobooks that require no membership fees or subscriptions. Just create an account and shop! I love Chirp because you can snag thousands of audiobooks for $5 or less. And check back often because they are always rotating the deals.
-Again, don’t forget to listen to the sample narration before you purchase. I could have saved myself some money if I’d done this first so many times.
How to Use:
Create an account on the chirp website, buy discounted audiobooks, and download and login to the Chirp app to listen to your books. That's it!
Buying Direct From The Author:
Thanks to BookFunnel (Download this app) authors are now able to sell their own audiobooks on their websites to be delivered to you through BookFunnel. And since the author is selling direct and a platform isn't taking a cut, they can sell it cheaper! Be sure to check out your favorite authors websites to see if you can buy direct from them at a much cheaper price! I've done this with several authors now, and it's nice to support their business in this way.
Other Platforms I haven't Tried:
Below are a few platforms that I know offer audiobooks and that some people love, but I never got past a free trial, or haven't tried them out because I am happy with how I access audiobooks at the moment.
B&N: Nook Audiobooks
-I did do the free trial of this one. Hey, a free audiobook is a free audiobook. But you don't have access to any kind of catalog. You pay $14.99/Month, get your one audiobook, and that's it. And while I love the Nook platform and started out as a Nook reader, it doesn't have the same perks as Amazon.
-This is still a great app to keep around for those free BookBub ebook deals, and I did notice they had a free audiobooks section in the app to start a series for free so that was nice! Learn More Here.
Everand (Formally Scribd)
-This is a monthly subscription based service that a lot of audiobook listeners enjoy. You can find out more here.
-You can do a 30 day free trial and then it is $11.99/Month for access to the Everand Library.
Spotify
*Note: I am currently not supporting Spotify audiobooks because of their terms of service. It allows them to steal from authors and narrators.* Learn more from Laura here as she keeps us up to date.
-Spotify is new to having audiobooks, but if you are already a spotify premium subscriber, welcome to audiobooks.
- You do have access to a catalog, but you can purchase individually if you don't have spotify premium.
- The caveat is you are limited to 15 hours of listening time per month as a premium subscriber, so if you love to binge listen, this might not be the best option for you.
Audiobooks.com
-This is another subscription based program where you pay $14.95/Month for access to the catalog. You do get a 30 day free trial with 3 audiobooks included to test this one out! Find out more here.
And What About Google & Apple?
These two retailers are behind on the times. They don't have any type of audiobook credit system, or audiobook subscription service available. So if you buy your audiobooks from these retailers, you will be paying list price. Which will hurt your soul unless you have a gift card. If you can't part with these retailers, your audiobook journey is about to be expensive.
And that's it! Please let me know what you thought about this Newbie's Guide to Audiobooks in the comments below, and if you have any suggestions that I need to add, or if I got any of this information wrong. I hope this guide helps you in getting started in audiobooks, because I know I needed this when I was getting started.
Credit goes to the lovely people in The Aural Fixation Facebook Group for guiding me and getting me started in my audiobook journey. All this information is mostly from them, and if you want a safe space to share in the love of audiobooks, that's one to join!
Do you listen to Audiobooks? Is there anything missing that belongs in this guide? Let me know!
Happy Listening!
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