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Whether you’re a new fan of audiobooks or you’ve been enjoying them for years, you may have discovered Audible as a helpful resource for becoming immersed in your favorite books. As Audible has grown over the years, the service had added features to help you make the experience of listening to audiobooks more enjoyable.
Here are top tips to make the most of listening to audiobooks on Audible:
Enjoy Free Audible Plus Content
Audible has recently added a new member benefit called Audible Plus, which lets Plus members listen to free audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals. With an Audible Plus or Audible Premium Plus membership, you get access to thousands of free audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals which you can stream or download to your devices.
Check out => Streaming vs. Downloading — What’s the Difference?
To find Audible Plus selections, go to the Audible Plus catalog page or look for the Included button next to a title. For audiobooks and Audible Originals, tap Add to Library to download the title or Play Now to stream it. For podcasts, tap Follow to listen to the episodes.
Audible Plus replaces the monthly Audible Original free selections, but you get access to the entire Audible Plus catalog free, instead of two free selections a month.
Let Audible Lull You to Sleep
Audible is now offering members a new benefit called the Audible Sleep Collection. Listen to sounds of nature with the Soundscapes offerings, with selections such as Cape Cod National Seashore, the Atlantic, Yellowstone National Park in Winter, and more.
Or choose selections from:
- Bedtime Stories
- Meditations
- Sound Baths
- Sleep 101
- Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)
A Mornings section helps you wake up in the mornings. These can be helpful in case the Sleep selections get you too relaxed at night.
The Audible Sleep Collection is available free for members. Check out the free offerings at the Audible Sleep page.
=> Also see Audible Now Helps Listeners with a New Fitness and Relaxation Series
Use the Sleep Timer
Speaking of sleep… If you enjoy falling to sleep listening to Audible audiobooks, check out the sleep timer to automatically stop playing the book after a certain period of time.
To use the sleep timer, open an Audible audiobook in the app, and tap Sleep. Choose from a period of time, ranging from 5 minutes to 120 minutes. You can also choose to stop the book after a custom time or at the end of the chapter.
A timer will show in the app that tells you how long you have to listen before the book stops playing.
The Need for Speed
When you listen to audiobooks on Audible, you don’t have a speed limit. You can choose how fast the narrator reads the book. The default speed is 1x, but you can slow down the reading or speed it up.
Want the narrator to read more slowly? Choose 0.5x to hear the words at half speed. Or 0.6x if you want to go a bit faster. You can slow down the speed from 0.5x to 0.9x, and anywhere in between.
Want to get through the book more quickly? Speed up the narration, with speeds ranging from 1.1x to 3.5x.
Try different speeds to see which one works best for you. Change the speed based on the type of book you’re listening to or the pace of the narrator. Or find a speed that is comfortable for you and stick with it.
How to Change the Narration Speed
To change the speed of the narration, open a book in the Audible app and tap Speed in the bottom menu. Then tap the new speed you want to use for your listening.
Use Whispersync
With Whispersync, you can stop reading on one device and pick up where you left off on another device. If you have a phone and a tablet, you can switch listening between the two and not lose your place in the book. Just make sure that you have the Audible app and are logged into your account on both devices.
Tip: Whispersync works on Kindle books as well as Audible audiobooks.
=> Find out more at Whispersync for Voice: The Marriage of Kindle and Audible
Listen on Your Echo Device
Amazon owns Audible and you can listen to your Audible audiobooks using Alexa on your Echo devices. Just say, “Alexa, read my Audible book Anne of Green Gables” to have the narration begin on your Echo device.
If you’ve already started listening to the book on a different device, you won’t lose your place. Whispersync works with Alexa so its narration will begin where you stopped listening. Similarly, if you later resume listening on a different device, Whispersync will continue the narration where you stopped listening on your Echo device.
Find out more, including the commands you can give Alexa on the Audible Alexa page.
Read a Kindle Book and Listen Along with an Audible Audiobook
Using Whispersync for Voice you can listen to audiobooks as you read the Kindle book. If reading and listening helps your comprehension or helps you practice a language skill, then consider reading a Kindle book as the Audible narration is playing.
You can also switch back and forth between the audiobook and the Kindle book without losing your place. Whispersync for Voice lets you pick up where you left off when you switch between formats or devices.
You must own both the audiobook and the Kindle book for Whispersync for Voice to work but often you can add the Audible audiobook for a discounted price when you buy the Kindle book. Sometimes the price of adding the Audible audiobook is as little as $1.99, $2.99, or even free. Look for the Upgrade with Audio button when purchasing a Kindle book.
You can check to see which Kindle books you already own that offer accompanying Audible audiobooks by clicking Find my matches at the Kindle with Audible page.
=> Learn more at Kindle Matchmaker – Making the Most of Whispersync for Voice
Organize Your Audible Books with Collections
Audible now lets you organize audiobooks in your library with Collections. You can create Collections based on genre, length, favorite authors or narrators, Audible Originals, and more.
=> Check out Audible Introduces Collections – An Easy Way to Organize Your Audiobook Library to learn how to create Audible Collections.
Audible Daily Deals
Every day Audible offers a deep discount on an audiobook. You could go to the Audible website every day to check for the deal. Or you can sign up to get an email every morning notifying you of the Audible Daily Deal.
To sign up for the Daily Deal emails, go to your Account Details page on the Audible website, then click Notifications. Check the box for Audible Daily Deals.
Note that Audible Daily Deals are available only in the U.S. and Canada.
Return a Book
Audible lets you return audiobooks if you don’t enjoy them. To return an Audible book, open the book in your app, tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the page, then tap Return Title.
Audible members can return an audiobook up to a year after it was purchased. Refunds are given with a credit, if a credit was used to purchase the book, or by payment in the format in which payment was made.
If you don’t see an option to Return Title, then perhaps you purchased the book more than a year ago or got the book free from Audible Plus.
Note you’ll have to give the reason you’re returning the book and Audible may limit your ability to return books if you excessively return books.
Your Thoughts
Did you know about these 10 tips for making the most of Audible? Which of these tips are your favorites to use? Do you have any tips for using Audible?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
*Phone and headphones image courtesy of Lena Kudryavtseva via Unsplash
