Audible is an audiobook and podcast service that launched back in 1995. Since it was first launched, it's had a pretty extensive history with big corporations like Microsoft and Apple. It was purchased by Amazon in 2008 and the service remains a subsidiary of the retail giant to this day.
IGN's audiobook content is managed by Jacob Kienlen, who is responsible for IGN's book coverage. Additional contributions are made by:
Audible Subscription Plans
Audible currently offers two different subscription plans: Standard and Premium Plus. The Standard Plan launched on March 3, 2026 as a replacement for Audible Plus.
| Plan | Pricing | Monthly Credits | Additional Content | Exclusive Discounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audible Standard | $8.99 per month | 1 | Podcasts | No |
| Audible Premium Plus | $14.95 per month / $149.50 per year | 1 | Podcasts and the Plus Catalog | Yes |
| Audible Plus* | $7.95 per month | 0 | The Plus Catalog | No |
Both subscriptions offer a 30-day free trial for new subscribers. The free trial includes the free monthly credit, so you can try out your first audiobook before you pay anything. Audible is also currently running a new promotion that gets you the first three months for 99 cents, no Amazon Prime membership needed.
Standard vs. Premium Plus
Both the Standard and Premium Plus subscription give you one monthly credit you can use on anything in Audibles audiobook library. However, only the Premium Plus subscription allows you to keep your audiobook forever. The standard subscription will only let you keep your audiobooks for as long as you remain a member.
Premium Plus also comes with the Plus Catalog, which includes a bunch of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts that you can listen to at any time at no additional cost via the Plus Catalog. The Standard plan only gets you access to podcasts and a few other freebies.
The last main difference between the two subscriptions is that only the Premium Plus subscription allows for annual plans or additional credits. You can change your subscription to include monthly credits for only $8 more or opt for an annual plan to get all your credits at once at a discount.
How to Listen to Audible
There are actually a few different ways you can listen to Audible: Using the app, in your web browser, or via your smart speakers. For most folks listening on the app is your best bet. You can find the app directly from the Audible website, in the App Store, or on your compatible Fire TV devices.
For those with a Kindle device, you can also listen directly from there within the Kindle OS. You can easily sync your reading tablet with Audible and switch between reading and listening at any time.
The Audible Library
With audiobooks growing in popularity over the last 10 years or so, the Audible library has only grown with it. You'd be hard-pressed to find a new release that wasn't also getting an audiobook when it first comes out. We're already seeing this with the upcoming A Court of Thorns and Roses book, which doesn't come out until October and already has an Audible version up for preorder. Needless to say, the Audible library has pretty much any book you could ever want in the form of an audiobook.
In addition to popular genres like LitRPG and Romantasy, Audible has also started releasing new full-cast audiobooks. Instead of a single narrator, these types of audiobooks are more like a movie without pictures. Each character has its own voice actor and there are background sounds that bring the whole thing to life. The most recent example of this is are the Harry Potter full-cast audiobooks, but there's also upcoming titles like Halo: The Fall of Reach getting that treatment. The effect is especially wonderful for fantasy audiobooks that already feel magical.
For a curated selection of top picks, check out IGN's guide to the best audiobooks on Audible right now. Our top pick right now is the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
Plus Catalog
Audible's Plus Catalog is included with a Premium Plus subscription. This specific library includes all of the Audible Original podcasts and recordings from celebrities, Disney, and more. There are also plenty of full audiobooks you can grab at no additional cost. According to audible, you're free to keep anything you download for as long as you have a subscription and that title remains available on the Plus Catalog.
For a full list of titles included in the Plus Catalog, you can check out the official page for it on the Audible website.
