Does Audible Delete Or Remove Book Titles? (Checked)

Audible is a great way to have all of your favorite authors and titles in one place for easy audiobook streaming. But have you ever had a hard time finding a book that was once at the top of the charts?

Many streaming services, like Audible, like to keep their title list fresh by constantly launching new releases. But, does Audible actually remove titles from its database? Here is what we learned about the practice of removing books from Audible.

Here’s How Audible Removes Book Titles:

The book selection on Audible constantly changes as books are added and, from time to time, some titles are removed or deleted. Whether a book is not performing as well as others or its copywriting has been revoked by the author, Audible has complete control over which titles can remove or replaced.

Audible logo. White text on dark background

Why are Some Books No Longer Available on Audible?

There are several different reasons why a book title may go missing from the Audible database. Most commonly, you will find that Audible has removed a title because the contract with the author has expired.

When submitting a book to Audible, authors must first agree to sign a royalty contract with the audio streaming service. Depending on the chosen contract, the audiobook is only available for a short time which deems it a limited release.

However, this is not the only reason why your favorite book may no longer be available for download.

Along with royalty contracts, there are also copyright laws. If Audible finds that there is a credible violation, the book will be permanently removed from the platform.

Other common reasons why Audible removed a title – which we will explore a little later on – are due to your specific location as well as how the book itself has performed.

How Long are Books Available on Audible?

There is no set time for a book to expire and no longer be available for download with Audible. There are several factors the streaming giant has to consider before removing a title.

However, there is no need to worry about some books being deleted from your library.

Once you purchase a book through Audible, you can access it forever. This is because Audible considers this transaction to be final, which makes the owner of that particular title.

Most book titles will get their fair run on Audible, but if Audible does not find that particular title profitable, they can choose to remove it.

This means that titles that are not getting enough downloads or listens may be removed from the library. But remember that if you have already purchased that book, it will still be available for you to listen to whether or not Audible deleted it.

It is important to keep in mind that this does not always apply to the free download list. Often a title finds its way on the free download playlist because it is not performing well, and Audible wants to increase the number of listens.

This will often be the last step that Audible will take before removing the book title completely.

Check out our article about whether Audible books expire!

Can Authors Choose to Remove a Book From Audible?

As an author, having your book available for download on Audible is an amazing way to grow your fanbase. Avid readers are very loyal to authors that they adore and will buy every new title release from them.

So, the more visible you are on a streaming app like Audible, the more successful you can be as an author.

But, plenty of authors choose to have their book titles removed from the Audible database.

More recently, Audible has come under fire for not supporting smaller authors, which can make it hard to turn a profit on their work. This has caused several authors to remove their content from Audible altogether.

Along with being unhappy with the application, authors also can choose to remove work that needs editing.

Simple mistakes are more common than you may think when making an audiobook. Whether there are sound issues or a misspoken phrase, the author reserves the right to remove their titles for re-work.

So, while authors do have the right to remove any of their books, the reasoning behind the removal is much more interesting.

Can Audible Remove a Book Title That You’ve Purchased?

If you have an Audible library full of book titles that you adore and worry that one day Audible may remove those titles, do not worry.

Even if Audible does delete or remove a title that you have already downloaded, it will never be removed from your Audible library.

However, there is a condition. You had to have purchased this book using either a credit card or Audible credits, which and transferable as currency on the app.

Once a title has been bought and paid for, the user who purchased it is the legal owner of that property, even if it is just an Audible file.

If you find that an audiobook that you purchased is missing from your library, you can easily recover it even if Audible deleted the book from its database.

You will be able to re-download purchased titles that have gone missing because, usually, this means that there was a specific problem with your library and of no fault of yours.

Can You Delete an Audiobook From Your Audible Library?

While Audible will not delete or remove any book titles that you have purchased and that can be found in your personal library, you, as the user, have control of your own library. 

As an Audible user, you have complete control over your library, which means you can add, remove, and even shuffle around book titles depending on your preference.

However, depending on your specific device, the process may be different.

Users with an iPhone can choose to have book titles that they purchase automatically downloaded to their phone. This also means that as long as your cloud has space, it will be downloaded to your iCloud as well.

This is basically a safety net put in place to ensure that you will not lose any content that you have purchased if your Audible app becomes corrupted.

If an Audible app is not working properly, the best way to fix it is to remove the app and its data completely.

This means that you may lose titles that are in your library once the data has been deleted. While you should be able to re-download book titles, having a backup on your iPhone is a great way to be sure that you will not completely lose your content.

How to delete an Audible book from your library:

  1. In the library, click on the book and press delete.
  2. There will be a prompt asking if you are sure you want to permanently delete the title from your library.
  3. Once the title is removed from your Audible library, you can then delete it from your iPhone downloads as well as your iCloud by going to the device settings.

Does Audible Change the Selection of Books Based on my Location?

Different regions have their own set of standards and licensing laws regarding what can be downloaded. This has made streaming music and television very difficult for some because not all of the content is always available to everyone.

Currently, Audible is available in 174 counties and features books in over 40 different languages.

However, not everyone gets to access everything that Audible has to offer. But why?

The first reason why a download may not be available in your specific location is that it is not permitted under certain censor laws that that particular country has. This has raised the issue of control and censorship regarding entertainment.

It is worth noting that each country has its own licensing and distribution laws that Audible must adhere to, should it want to operate in said country.

Every country has its own set of copyright laws. Depending on the specific contract, some copyright royalties do not apply to certain countries. This means that a book that is popular for download in the US may not be available in the UK.

Lastly, you have to consider release dates. Not all book release dates are on the same day worldwide.

So, if you are having trouble finding a title in your region, just be patient. Chances are that it has not been released in your specific area yet. 

Many people get frustrated with the limitations of their region, which had led some to find alternative ways to use the Audible app. This is done by changing the location of your iTunes store or Andriod marketplace in order to access content that is not allowed where they live.

If you choose to take this route, be aware that this is against the Audible user policy, and it may result in you getting banned from the app completely.

Audible also features several sub-sites called “marketplaces” which each cater to the specific country or region you signed up in. You may find that this is the reason why some titles appear to have been deleted or removed.

What Happens When A Book is Updated to a New Version?

As mentioned, authors can remove their books from the Audible platform, and one of the main reasons why many chose to do so is because they need to update the book.

Whether there is an error that needs an edit or a slight change in the story, the author has all of the control when it comes to removing a book for updates. What does that mean for you? Do you have to re-purchase or download the book if it has been updated?

When it comes to books that have been purchased fully, you will always be able to access them even if the book has been re-submitted for updates. But, what about free titles or ones that you downloaded through your Audible membership?

When a book is re-released on Audible and updated, it becomes a completely new title available.

This means that if you have not purchased the audiobook outright, you will have to re-download it in order to access it in your library.

But, this is not always good news for the authors. Along with a new download, the updated book will also start at zero regarding listens and downloads. The other downside is that all reviews will be removed, so the book literally has to start fresh.

Please also read our article about free Audible books and whether you can keep them!

Final Thoughts

It can be frustrating to find your favorite book suddenly removed from the Audible platform, but it is usually done with good reason.

One thing to keep in mind is that just because Audible deletes a book title, it does not mean that you no longer have access to it, especially if you had already paid for it. Make sure to search for that title to see if the book simply just got an update. Good luck.

Sources

How To Delete Audible Books In Two Different Ways

Will My Audiobooks Disappear After I Listen To Them?

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