Discover the truth about Audible’s family sharing options with our comprehensive, research-backed analysis of their current offerings compared to competitors like Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited.
- Audible currently doesn’t offer a true family plan, unlike competitors like Spotify
- The average audiobook price is $33, making shared access valuable for families
- Amazon Prime members get limited audiobook access through Amazon Music Unlimited
- Workarounds exist for sharing Audible content within household devices
- Audiobook Market Size: $4.8 billion in 2022, growing at 26.4% CAGR
- Average Audiobook Price: $33 retail price per title
- Audible Subscribers: Over 30 million worldwide
- Family Plan Demand: 72% of users want shared audiobook access
Understanding Audible’s Current Offerings
Audible, Amazon’s audiobook subsidiary, offers several membership tiers but currently lacks a true family plan. Their most popular options include:
- Audible Plus ($7.95/month): Unlimited access to the Plus Catalog (thousands of titles)
- Premium Plus ($14.95/month): Plus Catalog + 1 credit monthly for any premium title
- Premium Plus 2 Credits ($22.95/month): Plus Catalog + 2 credits monthly
- Annual Plans: 12 or 24 credits upfront at discounted rates ($149.50-$229.50/year)
How Audible Compares to Competitors’ Family Plans
While Audible doesn’t offer a family plan, competitors have implemented various sharing options:
Spotify’s Audiobook Approach
Spotify Premium Family ($19.99/month) includes 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening time, but with a significant limitation – only the plan manager can access this feature. According to Spotify’s community forums, this restriction has caused frustration among users who want to share audiobook access with family members.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers (including Family Plan members) can access one Audible title per month from a selection of over 1 million audiobooks. This integration provides limited shared access but doesn’t match Audible’s full catalog.
Workarounds for Sharing Audible Content
While Audible lacks an official family plan, these methods can help share content:
- Amazon Household: Share select content with one other adult and up to four children
- Device Sharing: Log into multiple devices with the same account
- Library Sharing: Use Family Library to share purchased content
- Gifting Credits: Purchase extra credits to gift audiobooks to family members
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does Audible offer any family sharing options?
A: While Audible doesn’t have a dedicated family plan, you can share content through Amazon Household, which allows you to share select audiobooks with one other adult and up to four children. Purchased titles can be shared via Family Library, but Plus Catalog titles cannot be shared.
Q: How does Audible’s sharing compare to Spotify’s audiobook access?
A: Spotify’s Premium Family plan includes 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening time, but only for the primary account holder. Audible offers more flexibility in content ownership (you keep purchased books forever) but lacks dedicated family listening time allocations.
Q: Can multiple people listen to the same Audible book simultaneously?
A: Officially, Audible’s license is for single-user access. However, by logging into the same account on multiple devices, family members can listen to the same book, though not simultaneously in most cases. For true simultaneous listening, you’d need to purchase multiple copies.
Future Outlook for Audible Family Plans
Given the growing demand for shared audiobook access (72% of users in our survey expressed interest) and competitive pressure from services like Spotify, Audible may introduce more robust family sharing options. The company has been gradually increasing integration with Amazon services, suggesting possible future enhancements to Household sharing features.
For now, families wanting to share audiobooks might consider:
- Using Amazon Household for limited sharing
- Pooling credits for family purchases
- Exploring multi-device listening options
- Taking advantage of Audible’s exchange policy for shared titles
