Multi-cast audiobooks

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

No, you're right from a business perspective, but it bites from the customer side if I'm not a member. With video streaming, I can join for a few months at a time and binge watch exclusive shows, so that's not a big deal to me --- but with places like Audible, it's one credit per month, so if the list of exclusive I-want audio is long, I can't become a short time member and get them. Smart business reasoning, but frustrates me since I hate being denied

It would be good if Audible allowed a subscription like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. Then we could listen to the audiobooks we want without paying a fortune. eBooks can be rather expensive (overly expensive in some cases).

[aninme]

The Themis files by Sylvain Neuval, multicast and the story is told as a series of interviews. A series of 3 books and if you like science fiction [and even if you don't] you should give them a try. Excellent imo and thought provoking!

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

This might be a shocking idea for some, but you might actually like, you know, buy them. That's pretty much what I do. I have an old grandfathered in Audible account that I've had for the last 15 years, $10 a year with no credits. I get the membership price for books and that's about it. No stressing over how many credits do I have and anything like that. Of course, they don't have this particular membership any more, but you still get the membership discount when you buy an audiobook. I've been buying audiobooks for years and I haven't been struck by lightning yet.

Good for you on avoiding those lighting strikes

I was a member of Audible last year for about 6 months and enjoyed it, but I can't afford a lot of the new audiobook prices. I've switched to Scribd and have been enjoying it; have some Audiobooks from sales to listen to still that will last me for awhile, hopefully a few years. I do wish I could still use the Audible sales, but it wasn't working with me to stay a member with the credit system long-term.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Good for you on avoiding those lighting strikes

I was a member of Audible last year for about 6 months and enjoyed it, but I can't afford a lot of the new audiobook prices. I've switched to Scribd and have been enjoying it; have some Audiobooks from sales to listen to still that will last me for awhile, hopefully a few years. I do wish I could still use the Audible sales, but it wasn't working with me to stay a member with the credit system long-term.

The credit system never worked well for me. Books I like tend to come out in clusters rather than 1 per month.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

The credit system never worked well for me. Books I like tend to come out in clusters rather than 1 per month.

Yes, it got to where it was almost giving me anxiety. I was so uncertain which book (out of the large wishlist to use) for each credit. There were also plenty I'd want but didn't consider credit worthy due to length or age. I made everything overcomplicated

[JSWolf]

I would use credits for audiobooks I cannot get from the library.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

Yes, it got to where it was almost giving me anxiety. I was so uncertain which book (out of the large wishlist to use) for each credit. There were also plenty I'd want but didn't consider credit worthy due to length of age. I made everything overcomplicated

My method was to put anything that looked interesting but wasn't a "got to have it now" in my wish list. Then, when one of the got to have it now books came out, I would put that in my cart, then scan through the wish list and pick a few to buy - next in a series, or something that I know that I want to buy, until I reach a price point, they buy those. I also scan my wish list every so often to see if any are on sale. Sale books have really dropped off over the past couple of years. It's an odd system, but it works for me.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would use credits for audiobooks I cannot get from the library.

On occasion I have used a credit for very popular library books with lengthy hold queues as well.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would use credits for audiobooks I cannot get from the library.

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

On occasion I have used a credit for very popular library books with lengthy hold queues as well.

Yeah, both of these, with a corollary to the latter of books that I want to be able to listen to on demand, as opposed to when it comes up on my hold list even if the queue isn’t all that long.

I’ll confess that I tend to withhold my credits for “worthy” books, in terms of either or both heft or subject matter, which means I scrounge through OverDrive/Hoopla/RB Digital every time I want something mindless to listen to. Which is often. I try to cajole myself into blowing my credits on books I want to listen to, instead of books I think I’d like to listen to, someday, but I’m not all the way there yet.

In any case, my backlog of unheard books is so large that I’m on the verge of quitting Audible again and will rejoin the next time there’s a good offer. $14.95 per credit as the base price is way, way more than I’ll spend, and all the better value plans are a bigger outlay - and especially when there are so many options for free listens out there anyway.

[Catlady]

Audible's Silver plan has been perfect for me. One credit every two months, for $14, gets me the member pricing and access to all the sales and perks, and I can buy extra credits as needed.

Audible has enough books that I can't get at my library, so I like having a membership.

[Paperbackstash]

A friend gifted me the Dracula all-cast and I second that it is very well-done. I was enraptured. Good cast, although the voice for Lucy got on my nerves a bit, everything else was great. As a rare thing, I enjoyed the audio version more than I did physically reading the book.

[Paperbackstash]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Audible's Silver plan has been perfect for me. One credit every two months, for $14, gets me the member pricing and access to all the sales and perks, and I can buy extra credits as needed.

Audible has enough books that I can't get at my library, so I like having a membership.

I don't see a silver plan?
Plan Cost # of Credits
Gold Monthly $14.95 per month 1 per month
Platinum Monthly $22.95 per month 2 per month
Gold Annual $149.50 per year 12 per year
Platinum Annual $229.50 per year 24 per year
Audible Escape Subscription $12.95/month for standalone customers $6.95/month for Audible Members or Kindle Unlimited Members No credits

I see the Escape is 6.95 but they have no credits.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

A friend gifted me the Dracula all-cast and I second that it is very well-done. I was enraptured. Good cast, although the voice for Lucy got on my nerves a bit, everything else was great. As a rare thing, I enjoyed the audio version more than I did physically reading the book.

Another multicast audiobook that is quite well done is this version of Wilkie Collins's Woman in White. Since, like Dracula, it is also an epistolary novel, the structure lends itself to the multicast approach. It's in Overdrive, so your library may have it.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Paperbackstash

I don't see a silver plan?
Plan Cost # of Credits
Gold Monthly $14.95 per month 1 per month
Platinum Monthly $22.95 per month 2 per month
Gold Annual $149.50 per year 12 per year
Platinum Annual $229.50 per year 24 per year
Audible Escape Subscription $12.95/month for standalone customers $6.95/month for Audible Members or Kindle Unlimited Members No credits

I see the Escape is 6.95 but they have no credits.

It's not a publicly promoted plan. You'd have to call to inquire, although it may only be available as a "downgrade" to retain those with regular plans?

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

It's not a publicly promoted plan. You'd have to call to inquire, although it may only be available as a "downgrade" to retain those with regular plans?

I had an annual plan and was going to switch to monthly since I still had credits. One of the options offered was the Silver plan, which I'd never heard of. I guess if you don't see it offered, you would need to call.