E-Audio Books

[megfitz]

I am no longer able to read actual books as my AMD has become worse, my County Library selection of e E-Audio books is very poor , I have been told that Amazon have a site called Audible but I know very little about it.
I gather it has a monthly subscription, …can you stop and start again or do you sign up for a set period?
Is there a limit on the number of books you can download….I presume I can load them on my I-Pad?
Can I stack up several when they are offered as free or only one at a time?
Thanks for any information and advice.

[TheWinner]

https://help.libbyapp.com/en-us/6144.htm

[Buenchico]

Audible offers various membership plans, with £7.99 per month allowing you to purchase one audio book per month, £14.99 per month allowing you to purchase two audio books per month and annual plans based upon the foregoing two. Members also get unlimited access to audio content to the 'Plus Catalogue'. You can pause or cancel your membership at any time.

There's a free 30-day trial available, which allows you to download two audio books:
https://www.audible.co.uk/

Audiobooks.com is a rival service, with £7.99 per month getting you access to one 'premium' book and one 'VIP' book. (See the website for an explanation). There's a 30-day free trial, including access to two audio books. (Actually, it might be three free books; the website says 'two' on the home page but 'three' on the sign-up page):
https://www.audiobooks.co.uk/

Kobo.com works in a similar way, at £6.99 per month for 1 title, with a 30-day free trial:
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/audiobooks

With regard to access to audio books from county library services, it's worth remembering that some library services offer membership to people who live in neighbouring counties (or even further afield). For example, you can join Suffolk Libraries via an online application if you live in Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire or Essex. (You can also join if you can show that you study or work in the county, or that you're visiting an address in Suffolk, but only by applying in person, rather than online).

So, if you've exhausted everything that your own county library service has to offer, it might be worth finding out if neighbouring services are also accessible to you.

BBC Sounds gives you free access to (usually abridged) audio versions of books which have been broadcast on Radio 4:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/category/audiobooks

[barry1010]

Nearly all of Amazon's Kindle books have the option to add narration with a cost ranging from free to several pounds.
It might be worth checking out a few titles and investigating the Kindle Unlimited subscription, some people say that is a better option than Audible

[bhg481]

You can join some libraries run by areas other than your own eg, I live in Berkshire but am also a member of Oxford, Staffordshire and Wiltshire libraries where I can take out ebooks. Not all libraries do this (Hampshire doesn't) but it's worth checking a few.

[megfitz]

Thanks for all the info, just one last question …if I download my free one book per month can I download any more at the same time ( ( with paying the required amount) as I would read 5 or 6 per month. Thanks

[Buenchico]

Thanks for your reply (and for the BA). Audible allows you to buy additional credits at any time:
https://help.audible.co.uk/s/article/how-can-i-buy-more-credits

. . . as does Audiobooks
https://www.audiobooks.co.uk/pricing
(See the bit about InstaCredit).

Kobo allows you to buy additional credits in bundles of three. Alternatively you can simply pay the listed price for any particular book:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobooks/plans