Amazon-owned company Audible launches cheaper ‘Standard’ subscription plan that costs $8.99 per month was announced on Tuesday. The new plan is $6 cheaper than the platform’s existing “Premium” plan, which costs $14.95 per month.
The Basic plan includes one audiobook per month from Audible’s catalog and unlimited listening from a curated library that includes a selection of audio originals.
Under the new Standard plan, subscribers will lose access to the audiobooks they’ve consumed when they unsubscribe. The Premium plan allows users to keep the audiobooks they’ve listened to even if they unsubscribe.
The Standard plan also includes access to nearly 200 of the most popular titles available on the Wondery+ app, which is closing in the coming months.
The Standard program is launching in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany and France. Audible is testing the plan in additional markets, the company says.
The launch of the new subscription plans comes as Audible faces increasing competition from Spotify, which launched audiobooks in 2022 and has combined the format with music and podcasts as part of its own Premium subscription.
Spotify said last October that the number of users listening to audiobooks increased 36% last year and listening hours increased by 37%. Additionally, he noted that more than half of Spotify’s 281 million premium subscribers have engaged with an audiobook.
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Spotify recently raised the price of its monthly subscription plan for the third time in three years, potentially opening the door to competitors like Audible.
“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 expands the entire audiobook category,” said Cynthia Chu, Audible’s director of finance and development, in a press release.
Audible says early trials of the new program have shown strong member acquisition and retention rates, with trials in the UK and Australia showing the scheme led to a double-digit increase in new member sign-ups compared to previous offers. By expanding into new markets, the Standard plan is projected to bring in millions of new customers, the company says.
