Audiobooks make great gifts. They can transport your friends and loved ones to a faraway place, teach them something new, or make a long trip less boring. This makes audiobooks an appropriate gift for any book lover.
Figuring out how to give an audiobook as a gift, however, isn't always that obvious. And sometimes even the most popular audiobook services don't make it easy. Fortunately, we are here to help. And just in time for the holidays too.
Amazon downloadable audiobooks are only available through Audible. So if you want a digital version of an audiobook, you'll need to sign up for Audible (which, as we'll see in a moment, doesn't allow you to give away individual titles).
However, Amazon still sells audiobooks on CD. And you can have them gift wrapped and sent to your loved one if you wish. If your recipient wants your audiobook in digital format, once they have the CD, they can technically do whatever they want with it.
Although Audible no longer allows you to gift individual audiobooks, you can give a gift subscription. Head over to the Audible Gift Center (just click the link or scroll to the bottom of the Audible home page) and you'll see your subscription options. There are one, three, six, and 12-month subscriptions priced from $15 to $150.
What will your recipient get with this subscription?
Audible isn't cheap, but it's one of the best services out there. And if the book lover in your life can get the most out of Audible 9 Audible Insider Tips to Get the Most Out of It 9 Audible Insider Tips to Get the Most Out of It If you're an audiobook fanatic, Audible is hard to beat. However, as good as Audible is, if you're not taking advantage of these tips and tricks, you may not get your money's worth... Read More You can always cancel Audible How to cancel Audible in 6 easy steps How to cancel Audible in 6 easy steps Audible may not be worth it to you right now. Let's see how to cancel an Audible subscription in a few easy steps. Read More
Like Audible, Audiobooks.com does not allow you to give away individual books. But there are a number of gift options, including one-, three-, six-, and 12-month plans priced from $14.95 to $149.40. These are good for downloading one book a month. Visit the Audiobooks.com Gift Center to choose one.
With prices comparable to Audible, this is an equally attractive option, especially if you prefer to stay away from Amazon. And if you know the audiobook fan you're buying already listens through Audiobooks.com, that's a great way to go.
You may not have heard of Audiobooks by now, but it is one of the best ways to gift an audiobook. You can easily give individual books as gifts by finding the one you're looking for and clicking Give as a gift under the add to cart button.
But you can also give a gift plan membership for $29.99. This gives members 50 percent of the 12 books a year and 35-40 percent of the books after that. There are no free book credits like other plans, but the savings on the first 12 books is valued at around $120. Go to the AudiobooksNow Gift Center to get started.
And there is also a third way:gift certificates. These are a great budget option (they're available in $5 increments starting at just $10) and allow the recipient to spend them on whatever book they want.
Unfortunately, the downpour has no options to give away. However, because their audiobooks are DRM-free, you can simply purchase one and send it to your gift recipient.
They can then use an audiobook app. The best audiobook apps for all types of listeners. The best audiobook apps for all types of listeners. We've found six of the best audiobook apps available right now, all of which offer something different. Your job is to figure out which audiobook app is right for you. Read More
If you're looking to gift an audiobook and your recipient has an Apple device, this is your best option. There is no subscription option, and it only takes a few clicks to purchase an audiobook as a gift.
Then just follow the instructions to complete your purchase from there.
In addition to being compatible with independent bookstores, which is awesome, Libro.fm offers two ways to give audiobooks as gifts.
First, you can give individual books as gifts. No subscription required. Simply search for the book you want and when you find it, click on Give this audiobook as a gift . Be sure to choose your favorite independent bookstore before you buy the book so they get credit for your purchase.
But if you prefer to give a subscription, you can do that too. Libro.fm offers one, three, six, and 12-month plans priced from $15 to $165. This gives the recipient a choice of one audiobook per month. Visit the Libro.fm Gift Center to get started.
Like Audible, Scribd is a popular subscription service that allows readers to access one audiobook per month, in addition to three eBooks. This combination makes Scribd a great value.
The standard subscription fee is $8.99/month, but you can purchase a gift subscription for $25 (for three months), $50 (for six months), or $100 (for one year). Simply head over to the Scribd gift page to get started.
If your gift recipient is a long-time fan of audiobooks or just starting to explore the medium, giving them an individual book or subscription as a gift is a perfect way to support their hobby.
And if you think you know someone who might be interested in audiobooks, but hasn't been released yet, try gifting them one of these great audiobooks for people who don't like audiobooks 10 Awesome Audiobooks For People Who Hate Audiobooks 10 Awesome Audiobooks For People people who hate audiobooks If you're not normally a fan of audiobooks, there are some amazing audiobooks out there that will appeal to even the most ardent audiobook fanatic. Read more . They really are some of the best audiobooks available.
