Audiobook Platforms
This year, I’ve discovered that LISTENING to books may be the only way I’m able to READ any.
Sitting down next to a fire under a blanket with a book just ends up in me picking up my phone and scrolling or falling asleep.
But LISTENING is something I can do. Although, it’s not something I used to THINK I could do. I thought I couldn’t focus on audiobooks since I’m not an auditory learner. Turns out, the books I was trying to listen to just weren’t the right book for audio.
For example, I’m still not great at listening to NON-FICTION on audiobook. I feel like I’m missing everything when I do. Honestly, the best way for me to digest non-fiction books is to get the physical book AND the audiobook and follow along in the book as the narrator reads to me.
So, I thought I’d highlight a few ways to listen to audiobooks. Each one has pros and cons and only you can decide which method is best for you.
Spoiler alert: I use a combo of TWO companies.
Let’s start with Audible.
Audible was the first audiobook listening platform I used. I’ve been an Audible member for a LONG time.
HOW IT WORKS:
You sign up for one of two plans: Audible Plus or Audible PREMIUM Plus. Audible Plus comes with unlimited access to a giant collection of audiobooks. This includes Audible Originals that you can only get in the Audible app and a good selection of podcasts. Audible PREMIUM Plus comes with everything in Audible Plus but then you can choose the 1 credit or 2 credit level. Credits allow you to purchase audiobooks that aren’t included in the Audible Plus catalog. 1 Credt = 1 audiobook.
There has NEVER been a book I couldn’t find on Audible. They get first access to new releases and have the largest library of audiobooks available.
This link will get you a FREE TRIAL plus TWO free audiobooks to start. It’s a no brainer. You can pause your Audible membership at any time as well if you’ve collected too many credits and want to work through them before paying for more.
If you HATE a book that you bought for any reason - you can easily return it within 365 days and get your credit back to use on a different book. THIS is the biggest perk to me as a terrible narrator can ruin a great book, in my opinion!
Hoopla is an audiobook platform offered through your local library. You’ll need to enter your library card info to use - check with your library for instructions on how to do this. Each library will have a different collection of books available on Hoopla as well as a different “borrowing limit”. Our current library in Hamtramck is quite small and has a meager selection of books available. We also are only allowed to “borrow” 4 audiobooks per month. So, I check on Hoopla first to see if the book I want to listen to is available. If not, I go to Audible and use a credit.
Pros to Hoopla is it’s free! Cons could be the limited selection of books and the fact that you have a small window of time to listen to the book before it automatically gets returned to the library catalog. Some larger libraries can have long wait times before it becomes your turn to listen to a book as well.
But, I definitely think it’s worth having if your library offers it!
Libby is another platform similar to Hoopla. So check with your library to see if they offer both!
Scribd is a combination of the above. You pay a smaller monthly fee and have access to their entire library catalog. You don’t own the titles and there is a limit on how many you can read per month. It’s not clear on the website how many that is. I don’t have personal experience with Scribd, but a lot of you on Instagram told me how much you love it! So it might be worth the free trial to see if it fits your lifestyle!