Audible has launched a new Standard Membership Plan for $8.99 per month.
The new plan is $6 cheaper than the Premium Membership and allows users to select one audiobook a month from the collection of over a million titles, plus unlimited listening for a curated collection of titles, including Audible Originals like Dr. Death, American Scandal, and Business Wars. The company says the Standard plan is an entry point for new subscribers to get introduced to the world of audiobooks.
The Standard plan has launched in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and France.
“The launch of our Standard plan reflects Audible’s ongoing commitment to serving the diverse preferences and listening habits of story-lovers everywhere,” said Cynthia Chu, Chief Financial & Growth Officer at Audible. “By expanding our membership options, we’re maximizing access for lighter listeners while enabling publishers and creators to reach new audiences—a win-win that grows the entire audiobook category.”
Audible is still offering its Premium membership for $14.95 per month, for subscribers who was access to Audible’s full unlimited listening catalog, along with one monthly credit to purchase any audiobook to keep, regardless of membership status.
Audible has also announced a new slate of original narrative nonfiction podcasts. The lineup includes the fifth season of Dr. Death, a new season of the true crime series Over My Dead Body, a new series, Finding the Lost Girls, narrated and investigated by Paul Holes, and more.
“This combined slate represents a ‘Justice League’ of journalists and audio storytellers in one home,” said Marshall Lewy, Head of Audible Content for North America. “These are some of the very best journalists and hosts telling incredibly important and compelling stories in audio. They’ve developed loyal audiences who want to see what story they dig into next. By bringing Wondery’s award-winning lineup of investigative journalism and true crime together with Audible’s, we’ve created an unmatched slate in the industry.”