Amazon-owned Audible is adding a lower-priced subscription plan in the U.S. and five other global territories.
The new Standard plan costs $8.99 a month and a comparable amount in the UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France, where it is already live. The plan is being tested in additional markets, the company said.
Aimed at providing more “flexibility and access,” the Standard offering grants subscribers one audiobook a month from Audible’s catalog along (with access continuing until the subscription is canceled). It also comes with unlimited listening from a library curated by the company. The library includes select Audible Originals and nearly 200 of the most popular titles previously available on Wondery+.
The catalog available to Standard subscribers includes Audible Originals like Reinvent Your Life with Mel Robbins, Kerry Washington’s The Prophecy and The Big Lie, starring Jon Hamm. Also on offer there are nearly 200 former Wondery+ titles now Audible Originals, including notable series like Dr. Death, American Scandal, and Business Wars.
Early access and ad-free listening, perks previously for Wondery+ subscribers, are now available only for Audible members. Select titles such as Dying for Sex, The Shrink Next Door and Ghost Story will now be exclusive to Audible subscribers.
Acquired by Amazon in 2021, Wondery remains an active brand, but its focus has narrowed to primarily celebrity-oriented podcasts like Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert and Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights. Last summer, the company reorganized its combined audio operations. Wondery CEO Jen Sargent and about 100 staffers left as part of the reset.
While audio listening overall continues on a healthy trajectory, the go-go times of a few years ago, when Spotify and rivals were scooping up talent and emerging studios, have segued to a period of relative austerity. The current landscape is more consolidated, though many top podcasts are still growing at a healthy clip. Spotify has recently launched a challenge to Audible in the audiobook space.
In announcing the lower-priced plan, Audible said it would add “millions of customers” to its audiobook subscriber base.
After rolling out Standard, Audible will continue to offer its Premium subscription plan for $14.95 in the U.S. Premium subscribers get access to Audible’s full catalog, along with a monthly credit for one permanent audiobook purchase.
“The launch of our Standard plan reflects Audible’s ongoing commitment to serving the diverse preferences and listening habits of story-lovers everywhere,” Cynthia Chu, Chief Financial & Growth Officer at Audible, said in a statement. “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.”
Early testing of the Standard plan in some initial markets has shows strong member acquisition and retention rates, Audible said. In the UK and Australia, tests showed it drove a double-digit percentage increase in new member sign-ups compared with previous subscription options.
English (US) ·