Besides having a vast selection of audiobooks available, Audiobooks Now also offers many ways to save, thanks to its innovative pricing system. You can stream the audiobooks directly from the website or download them to the free app for Android, iOS, and Nook.
Our Audiobooks Now review uncovers why this is one of the best platforms for purchasing audiobooks.
Pros & Cons
Pricing Plans
Audiobooks Now Club Plan
$4.99/month
*30-day free trial
*one free audiobook for signing up
*50% off on first audiobook purchased each month
*then Club Price discount applies – 35-40% off
Audiobooks Now Features and Materials
Audiobooks Now is a subsidiary of BookLender, a well-known book rental service. The service was launched in 2012 with the main goal of offering a convenient way to access audiobooks. Currently, it hosts approximately 160,000 books available worldwide. Compared to Audiobooks.com and other competitors, this doesn’t seem as much, but it’s a fine selection. Plus, our Audiobooks Now review revealed that the site offers audiobooks that you can’t find on other sites.
Audiobooks Now Title Selection
Audiobooks Now offer 160,000 titles with complete information about each audiobook. You can see the author’s name, narrator’s name, genre, length, date of publishing, and full synopsis. Additionally, the regular and club prices are clearly shown so you can compare them right on-spot. Plus, you get an overview of recommended books based on the one you’re looking at.
What is more, the Audiobooks Now reviews and ratings can help you decide whether the audiobook is the right choice for you. You can also play a sample of the book to get the feel of the audiobook before buying it.
Audiobooks Now Playback Controls
The playback page has all the features you might need to control your experience. All playback controls are conveniently placed on the player, which allows you to pause and resume easily. When you press pause, a bookmark is stored so you can always pick up where you left off. There’s also a sleep timer and an incoming call auto-pause feature.
Audiobooks Now App Review
The Audiobooks Now app is available for Android and iOS devices. It’s free to download and syncs across devices, so audiobooks and bookmarks are automatically updated. The UI is simple, and the pages are easily navigable. Moreover, it’s effortless to find books and authors.
The app is convenient if you want to listen to books offline. What is more, it integrates with CarPlay so you can play audiobooks from your car. The only complaint about the Audiobooks Now app is that it occasionally crashes.
Audiobooks Now Downloading vs. Streaming
You can download audiobooks in MP3 format. Individual tracks are contained within a ZIP file to extract and play on your device. The download process is straightforward, and you can quickly transfer files to multiple devices. In addition, streaming an audiobook means you can access the file immediately using an Internet connection.
During our Audiobooks Now review, we’ve learned that only about 5% of the audiobooks have DRM protection. The remaining 95% of titles can be easily stored and played on different devices, hassle-free.
Customer Support
You can reach customer support at Audiobooks Now via phone during business hours (8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST). Additionally, you can write them an email. The reps respond quickly, usually within a few hours. What is more, the agent was very polite and helpful. In addition, Audiobooks Now has a FAQ page that’s not extensive but covers the bases. Plus, there’s a search bar so you can find quick answers.
Ease of Use
While testing the site to review Audiobooks Now, we had a great user experience. The site is easy to navigate and has a simple layout that allows you to overview the main sections (popular, fiction, and non-fiction) and subcategories. This makes it easy to find a category and a book that interests you. Additionally, you get easy access to the New York Times best-sellers on the homepage and an overview of the latest additions.
Audiobooks Now Reviews and Ratings
The company has a solid online reputation. It maintains a 4.4-star rating on Trustpilot, where users mostly praise the service for its simplicity, reasonable price, and excellent title selection.
On the flip side, the majority of complaints refer to the mobile app. Some of the users have reported it often crashes and glitches. The app has 3.8 stars on Apple App Store and 3.9 stars on Google Play Store. We noticed that customer support takes steps to resolve issues, and they seem to improve the app continually.
Audiobooks Now Price
Audiobooks Now uses a hybrid membership model. The membership fee is $4.99 a month, and you’ll be automatically enrolled in Audiobooks Now Club Pricing that lets you save on all purchases. You get one free audiobook for signing up and an additional 50% discount on the first audiobook you buy each month.
The second book purchased in the same month gets a 30–40% discount. If you don’t use the 50% discount, it rolls over to the next month. Furthermore, if you’re already a member of BookLender, you are enrolled in the discounted club pricing without paying anything. The Club Plan also includes exclusive offers and an entry to the loyalty program.
The Audiobooks Now free trial allows you to try the Club Plan for free for 30 days. You’ll be asked to enter your billing information, but you won’t be charged until the trial period runs out. Of course, you can cancel it at any time.
If you aren’t a regular audiobook listener and only want to purchase a book occasionally, you can do so at everyday prices. For each book, you get a price comparison for the standard and club price, so you can decide what’s the better deal for you.
Audiobooks Now Refund Policy
When making this Audiobooks Now review, we found out that you can deactivate our membership anytime through your account. However, the annual plan can’t be canceled and is non-refundable. Additionally, Audiobooks Now emphasizes they issue refunds at their sole discretion.
Audiobooks Now Specials
Under Specials, you can find a selection of audiobooks at a discounted price. The special offer is valid for a limited time, and the section is regularly updated with new titles. In addition, you can get the deals directly on-site without having to look for an Audiobooks Now promo code.
Audiobooks Now Gift Cards
The Audiobooks Now gift cards can be a great present. At the gift center, you can choose from three options. First, you can give one audiobook title away by clicking on the “Give as Gift” button found next to each title. The card can be sent via email or printed out.
Second, you can give away an Audiobooks Now subscription, which entitles the recipient to a 50% discount on the first 12 audiobooks and 35–40% afterward. The plan costs $29.99. Last but not least, you can give an Audiobooks Now certificate as a gift that starts from $10. The plan will be activated via the www.audiobooksnow.com redeem option.
Audiobooks Now Alternatives
When choosing one of the best audiobook platforms, you need to consider your needs and which app best meets them. Therefore, we made a head-to-head comparison of Audiobooks Now with two of its main competitors — Google Play Books and Audible.
Audiobooks Now vs. Google Play Books
Google Play Books is an audiobooks platform that is very user-friendly. It offers millions of audiobooks and books and, like Audiobooks Now free trial, it gives you the option to listen to a short sample. You can find a fine selection of free books as well.
That said, the service doesn’t offer a subscription nor a free trial; you need to purchase each book separately. In addition, when reviewing Google Play Books, we learned that renting and buying books is only available on desktop and Android devices.
Audible vs. Audiobooks Now
Audible and Audiobooks Now are very similar audiobooks providers. Both platforms have extensive libraries and offer a 30-day free trial. In addition, audible is comparable with the best language learning platforms, thanks to its vast selection of textbooks, phrasebooks, and other materials in 22 languages.
What’s more, according to our Audible review, this provider is compatible with a more significant number of browsers, including Android, iOS, Sonos, Kindle, and Fire and Alexa-enabled devices. On the other hand, Audiobooks Now has an app for Android and iOS only.
Audiobooks Now Pros and Cons
Pros
- 160,000+ books available — Audiobooks Now has a fine selection of audiobook titles, and its library continuously expands.
- A free app — The free Audiobooks Now app for Android and iOS gives you more flexibility.
- 50% off the first title of the month — When enrolling in the Club Pricing, you’ll get the first title of the month at half-price; afterward, you’ll get a 30–40% discount.
- A flexible membership — You can cancel your membership anytime through your account.
- Excellent customer support — Whatever issues you’re facing, the customer support reps are there to help.
- Gift subscription — Audiobooks Now offers three types of gift options, including an Audiobooks Now coupon and gift subscription.
- Special offers — There’s a dedicated page for discounted books, and the library is continuously updated with new special offers.
Cons
- Occasional glitches in the app — The app might glitch and crash without reason.
- Varying content across countries — Not all titles are available in every country; you can only download or stream the titles you see on the Browse page.
Audiobooks Now Review — Is It Worth It?
Considering all, we can confirm that Audiobooks Now is an audiobooks platform that you should consider, especially if you want to save money. The site offers excellent prices and deals, and it’s considerably cheaper compared to its competitors.
Its library might not be as extensive, but you’ll indeed find something from the 160,000+ titles. The app might occasionally glitch, but it’s still a perfect addition for those often on the go.