- Audible has launched a cheaper ‘Standard’ membership plan
- It offers users credit for one audiobook a month and select access to Audible Originals and podcasts
- It’s not as extensive as the ‘Premium Plus’ plan, but is designed to welcome new customers and casual readers
As the popularity of audiobooks grows, so does the competition, and Audible’s new budget-friendly subscription tier could be its one-way ticket to surpassing the best music streaming services, such as Spotify, in the audiobook race.
The Amazon-owned audiobook platform has rolled out its new ‘Standard’ tier, the $8.99 a month cheaper alternative to the ‘Premium Plus’ tier, which has a costly $14.95 monthly fee. As well as the US, Amazon announced that the Standard tier is available immediately in the UK (£5.99/ month), Australia (AUD$8.99/ 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 range 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 taster plan for first-time audiobook users, but there are a few differences to note.
With the new Standard tier, you’ll get credit to purchase one audiobook a month, which is yours to relisten to so long as you don’t cancel your membership. You can select more or less any title, which also includes the latest releases.
Though 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 that are included in Premium Plus — the Standard plan is restricted 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 it is 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. Though it may not be the perfect option for avid readers, it opens a door to welcome a slew of fresh customers and cater to different reading behaviors.
Bridging the gap with Spotify
Prior to the rollout of the Standard plan, Audible’s all-or-nothing membership wasn’t necessarily the best way to lure 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 story-lovers everywhere”.
She also added, “By expanding our membership options, we’re maximizing access for lighter listeners while enabling publishers and creators to reach new audiences — a win-win that grows the entire audiobook category”.
The audiobooks realm has become increasingly competitive, which can be attributed to Spotify’s own audiobook offerings, which the company has doubled down on in recent years. With every Premium Individual plan, Spotify users have 15 monthly hours of audiobook listening, but any unused hours aren’t carried over to the next month.
If this isn’t enough for listeners, the only way to have more listening hours is to purchase the Audiobooks+ add-on, which was rolled out in July 2025, increasing your monthly subscription costs. On top of this, Spotify’s base plans are getting more expensive, and the company recently hiked its fees for the third time in three years.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
