Can I Use Audible Without Subscription? (Checked & Explained)

If you’ve heard of audiobooks, then the chances are you’re familiar with Audible. The extensive library that Audible provides is very impressive, and their enticing membership plans are incredibly popular.

However, subscriptions don’t suit every user’s needs, and in this article, we look at what it means to use Audible without a subscription:

Here’s How to Use Audible Without A Subscription

Audible allows purchases to be made without a subscription to one of their membership plans. However, not having a subscription means paying full price for each audiobook. An audiobook on Audible can cost up to $25.00. If you read a lot, getting a subscription might cost less overall.

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Can You Buy Audible Books Without a Membership?

Audible offers some fantastic subscriptions to become a fully-fledged member. However, it is also possible to purchase audiobooks from Audible without signing up for monthly payments.

This is a perfect option for those users who only occasionally need to listen to an audiobook or are not ready to dive into becoming an avid audiobook fan.

It’s also possible for users to cancel their subscription to Audible at any time and purchase audiobooks on a whim. It’s worth noting that although you can purchase audiobooks without a membership, doing so may cost you a lot more in the long run.

How Much do Audible Books Cost Without a Subscription?

Purchasing audiobooks from Audible may be entirely possible, but there’s something that may give you pause for thought – and that’s cost.

You can expect to pay the full cost if you buy an audiobook from Audible without subscribing to one of their membership plans.

Audible members have access to discounts, and with some membership plans, you’ll even get free credits which you can use to buy content to keep forever. Users without a membership subscription to Audible can expect to pay up to $25.00 per audiobook.

Without membership perks, these users will not have access to any deals or promotions that Audible members otherwise find and will, therefore, always be paying full price. Moreover, non-subscribers won’t have access to unlimited listening of Audible’s ‘Plus Catalog.’

The bottom line is that Audible audiobooks cost users more without a subscription.

How Many Books Should You Listen to Before a Subscription is Cheaper?

A non-subscriber can pay up to $25.00 per audiobook. Once you purchase an audiobook with a credit on Audible, you’ll keep that book forever – even if you cancel your membership.

There’s also an option to sign up for a Premium membership that gives you 2 credits, which will cost you $22.95.

So if you’re planning on listening to at least one audiobook per month, then a membership plan really starts to make financial sense:

Audible Plus costs $7.95 per month, beginning with a 30-day free trial. You’ll be granted unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks, including original content, meditations, podcasts, and more.
Audible Plus Premium will cost you $14.95 per month and will begin with a 30-day free trial. You’ll get all the benefits of Audible Plus, but what’s more, you’ll also get a free credit to spend on any audiobook.

If you’re not too picky about which audiobook you listen to, then it may be prudent to sign up for the $7.95 Plus membership and access the vast library for unlimited listening.

However, if you want to own your audiobooks for life, and want to have the ability to access everything that Audible has to offer, then the Premium Plus membership should be your number one choice.

For the price of an average audiobook, the Premium Plus membership with Audible will allow you to use a credit to purchase a book once a month. You’ll also have access to unlimited listening from the Plus catalog as well as great discounts and deals on audiobooks to buy.

If you feel you’re unlikely to purchase or listen to audiobooks regularly, then there’s no need for a membership.

If you think you’ll want to listen to at least one audiobook per month or more, then it is a good idea to sign up for a monthly subscription and pick the membership that suits you best.

Can You Use Audible Without the App?

Audible’s app is incredibly handy as it allows you to take audiobooks wherever you go, whether on your commute home or at the gym.

However, you may be pleased to know that Audible can be accessed from your PC:

If you want to listen to your audiobooks at home on your computer, then head to ‘www.audible.com/lib.’
Sign into your account and then navigate to the library.
Now select the audiobook you wish to play and click ‘Listen’.

The Audible Cloud Player will launch and allow you to enjoy your content, but what’s more is that you can adjust the speed of narration, skip between chapters, and create bookmarks.

The Audible Cloud Player does not need any app installed and works with Windows and Mac. Moreover, you can also log into your Audible account online and set content to download for playback offline.

Can You Have an Audible Subscription Without a Credit Card?

To have an Audible subscription, members must have their account connected to a credit or debit card.

Without a linked payment method, it is impossible to sign up for Audible, even for the free trial:

When you first sign up with Audible, all members are automatically given a 30-day free trial.
To complete the enrolment process with the free trial, you will need to have a card connected to your Amazon account.
If you don’t have a card already linked, then you will be prompted to enter payment details to confirm your subscription.

This way, Audible can be certain that payment will be received immediately once a subscriber’s free trial has ended.

Even with a credit or debit card connected to your Audible account, you can still cancel the free trial at any point (within 30 days) free of charge. If you do not cancel on time, you will automatically be charged for the first month.

Do You Need an Audible Account to Purchase Books?

To purchase an audiobook through Audible, it is necessary to have an Audible or Amazon account.

It’s worth being aware that you can purchase books without an Audible account by using your Amazon account instead.

This differs from having a membership, as purchasing books without a monthly subscription to Audible is still possible.

Having an Audible account means you can log into Audible’s website or use the app and browse through the titles that are included in Audible’s audiobook catalog.

To have an Audible account without a membership, you must have previously had a subscription in which you canceled or signed up for the free trial and canceled within 30 days.