It isn't hard, but most cost money
Amazon’s audiobook library, Audible, is one of the world’s largest audiobook services. For a monthly subscription, Audible enables users to listen to selected audiobooks on their chosen device. To access audiobooks that aren’t included in the subscription, books need to be purchased with either money or Audible credits.
Most audiobooks on Audible cost 1 credit to purchase, and then that audiobook is added to your library. Here are the best methods to get more credits to your Audible account.
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1. Free 30-day Trial of Audible
Amazon offers a free 30-day trial of Audible that includes 1 free audiobook credit (or 2 if you’re also an Amazon Prime member). This is a great way to determine whether Audible is for you and learn how it works (and get a free audiobook or two).
To sign up for a free trial, you will also have to input your payment details. But, payment will not be deducted until you’ve finished the free trial – so set a reminder in case Audible isn’t for you so that you can cancel the plan before you’re charged.
2. Audible Membership Options
After the 30-day trial, you’ll immediately be charged for the basic subscription plan. Audible used to offer Gold and Platinum subscriptions, but they’ve since changed their service. The new plans are:
- Audible Plus at $7.95 per month. This option grants you access to Audible’s Plus library which includes over 11,000 book titles. However, Audible Plus does not grant any new credits to your account.
- Audible Premium Plus at $14.95 paid monthly. Premium Plus includes access to the Plus library as well as 1 monthly credit.
- Audible Premium Plus Annual at $149.50 paid yearly. This option includes access to the Plus library as well as 12 audiobook credits.
- Audible Premium Plus 2-credits at $22.95 paid monthly. As the title suggests, this more expensive option provides you with 2 credits per month as well as access to the Plus library.
- Audible Premium Plus 2-credits Annual at $229.50 per year. This option includes access to the Plus library as well as 24 credits per year.
3. Buy More Credits
This may be obvious, but the easiest way to get more credits on Audible is by buying them. If you run out of credits on your membership, Audible offers a 3 credit bundle for a discount. The only caveat is that to access this deal you have to have been a member for at least 30 days.
The 3 credit bundle usually costs around $35 USD, which is generally cheaper per credit than most audiobooks. We recommend buying audiobooks directly which are cheaper and saving the credits for the more expensive titles.
4. Special Deals
Occasionally, Audible will offer special deals on either credits or books. For instance, Audible offers a 2-for-1 collection of audiobooks which allows you to buy two audiobooks for one credit. While this method doesn’t directly show you how to get credits on Audible, it will help to spread your credits out more!
5. Audible Challenges
Audible occasionally runs challenges for their subscribers. In 2020, they ran the Audible Challenge which granted a $20 Amazon credit to any user who finished 3 audiobooks of at least 3-hour length.
Unfortunately Audible doesn’t always run these promotions. So, keep an eye out for future Audible challenges!
6. Listen to Free Audiobooks
Audible offers a large collection of free audiobooks. These are located under Amazon Originals, which can be found by clicking on Browse and then Amazon Originals.
Audible also has a series of other free audiobooks (and podcasts) under Audible’s Free Listens.
To access these free Audiobooks you must have an Amazon account with payment details included. If you don’t like it, you can always delete your Amazon account. You can listen to as many of these free titles as you like without using your credits. This will help you save your credits for purchasable titles.
7. Promo Codes
Many authors who contribute to Audible’s library offer promotional codes to grow their readership, get reviews, or receive some general feedback on their work. These can usually be found by following the author on social media or by keeping an eye out in places where the author is likely to promote their work. These codes will enable you to listen to their audiobook for free without having to use another credit, which is like getting a free credit!
To enter a promo code, select Library, scroll down and select Redeem a Promo Code at the bottom of the page. Then simply add your code and select Redeem.
If you search for Audible promo codes, sometimes you can get lucky and find a book you’re interested in. Reddit is a great place to start for this!
Become an Audiobook Reviewer
There are several websites that allow audiobook authors to list promo codes in return for reviews on Audible (and other platforms). These include Audiobookworm, Audio Freebies, and Audiobooks Unleashed.
Each website works slightly differently, but typically you will choose an audiobook, be granted a promo code, and then have a timeframe and guidelines for providing a review of that audiobook once you’ve listened to it.
While this doesn’t show you how to get more credits on Audible, it’s a great way to get free audiobooks if you have the time! But, keep in mind that these audiobooks may be a part of other apps and not just Audible!
Now You Know How to Get More Credits on Audible
Getting more credits on Audible isn’t hard, but it usually costs money. There are several alternatives to consider if you just can’t afford the Audible subscription. For instance, your local library will offer several free audiobooks and perhaps even subscriptions to services like Overdrive. Overdrive gives you access to a huge collection of audiobooks for free through their app.
Failing this, there are a few free audiobook apps available on iTunes or the Play Store as well which, while generally having a smaller collection than Audible, can be a great place to start if you’re craving a new book!
