Amazon’s (AMZN) Audible is launching a more affordable, scaled-down membership, increasing its competitiveness with Spotify’s music, podcast, and audiobook membership.
At $8.99 per month, Audible’s new standard membership plan is priced a dollar less than Spotify’s “Audiobooks Access” membership and gives members unlimited access to audiobooks in the Audible library—albeit without full ownership of the title.
Alternatively, Spotify (SPOT) offers 15 hours of monthly listening from the Spotify catalog for $9.99 per month. For $11.99 per month, Spotify (SPOT) customers get 15 hours of audiobooks plus ad-free music and podcasts. Spotify also offers customers the option to “top-up” hours in 10-hour increments once the initial 15 hours are used.
