Following in the footsteps of unlimited content providers like Netflix and Spotify, Audiobooks.com has
just launched a new service that promises instant, unlimited access to audio books on demand, using cloud-based streaming.
Audiobooks’ service costs $24.95 per month, and gives users access to a library of 11,000 books on its website and HTML5 mobile app, which works with the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
The caveat? 11,000 books pales in comparison to the offerings of other book sites, like
Audible. Audible also offers a monthly subscription, which isn’t unlimited but gives customers a certain number of credits per month. One audio book costs $14.95 per month, and comes with a 30% discount on other purchases, plus free access to
The New York Times and
The Wall Street Journal.
Two credits per month, at $22.95, is on par with Audiobooks’ monthly service charge.
Audible may be limited to two credits a month, but the Amazon-subsidiary has access to more than 100,000 books, offering a far better selection than Audiobooks.com. Just two of the top five bestselling fiction books are available on Audiobooks.com, while all five can be found on Audible. With Audible, purchasers own the books they choose, but with Audiobooks.com, stopping the service cuts you off from books you’ve previously read.
Services like Netflix and Spotify have been overwhelmingly successful, proving that people want access to unlimited content. Will the same be true of audio books? With the adoption of iBooks 2 and all new forms of interactive ebooks, are audio books even going to be on the radar? Will audio book users turn to ebooks as they become more interactive?
I think audio books have a niche market, because there are always going to be people who prefer to listen to their reading material while working and driving, but I do question if unlimited audio books will be a viable choice. Listening to a song takes four minutes, and watching a movie takes just two hours.
Listening to an audio book takes significantly longer – an average of 15 hours, and generally, that’s spread out over several days. Are people able to listen to enough audio books in a single month to justify the cost and limitation of the Audiobooks.com service? I’m not sure.
Do you listen to audio books over ebooks? Would you sign up for this monthly service? Is it worth it? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Following in the footsteps of unlimited content providers like Netflix and Spotify, Audiobooks.com has just launched a new service that promises instant, unlimited access to audio books on demand, using cloud-based streaming.
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