Comparing Audiobook Services (Expanded & Updated!) | Reviewing Audible/Audible Plus, Scribd & More!

This is an updated and expanded version of one of my most popular videos! Let's compare different audiobook platforms & discuss the pros and cons of each. Platforms mentioned include: Overdrive, Libby, Hoopla, Audible, Libro.FM, Chirp, and Scribd.
AUDIOBOOK PLATFORMS MENTIONED
* Overdrive/Libby: libbyapp.com/interview/welcom...
* Hoopla: www.hoopladigital.com/
** Audible: Get up to two free audiobooks! amzn.to/3716JGF
* Chirp: www.chirpbooks.com/view-all-a...
* Scribd: 30-Day Free Trial www.scribd.com/gi/99ook6
** Libro.FM: Get a free audiobook with membership! www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinm...
EQUIPMENT
**Ring Light: amzn.to/3wFXbst
**Camera: amzn.to/3ecQnKo
**Note that all links above with ** are affiliate links & I earn from qualifying purchases
**WAYS TO SUPPORT THE CHANNEL**
MERCH: shop.spreadshirt.com/beautifu...
PATREON: / beautifullybookishbethany
****May Patreon Book Club: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
June Patreon Book Club: Trick by Natalia Jaster
July Patreon Book Club: White Ivy by Susie Yang
Buy Me A COFFEE: ko-fi.com/beautifullybookishb...
BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB, I get a free book when you sign up!: www.mybotm.com/578fcc747de5?s...
BOOKSHOP .ORG affiliate link: bookshop.org/shop/beautifully...
CHAPTER 3 PODCAST
Link: www.chapter3podcast.podbean.com
YT Channel: / @chapter3podcast
Chapter 3 Podcast Patreon: / chapter3podcast
| D I S C O U N T CODES |
AUDIBLE: Get up to two free audiobooks! amzn.to/3716JGF
SCRIBD: 30-Day Free Trial www.scribd.com/gi/99ook6
LIBRO.FM: Get a free audiobook with membership! www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinm...
Follow me on Goodreads and Social Media!
Discord: / discord
Goodreads: / beautifullybookishbethany
Instagram: / beautifullybookishbethany
Facebook: / beautifullybookishbethany
Twitter: @Bookish_Bethany
TikTok: @beautifullybookishbethany
Amazon Wish List: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...
**P.O. Box for postcards, letters & professional purposes **
527 Hudson St. # 20030
New York, NY 10014n

[@BeautifullyBookishBethany]

Join me on a literary tour of England! May 20-25, 2024: www.trovatrip.com/trip/europe/england/united-kingdom-with-bethany-pullen-may-20-2024

[@tappkalina]

Scribd is amazing, it totally changed my life. The limitation doesn't bother me, because I listen to more older titles than new ones.

[@ReadingAce]

I think it's important to point out that Libro fm is only available in the US and Canada, which is a shame. I don't think a lot of people know this. The only options I've found work where I live so far are audible, scribd, and kobo, so I tend to rotate between those three.

[@AmrutaRanade]

Incredibly helpful video! Thank you!!

[@pucksandpaperbacks]

Great video! I love how you went through the library apps, too! I say that Libby/Overdrive is more like the library where you put things on hold, loan, etc but Hoopla is instant access with a limit. I use those apps so much and I'm so grateful for them!

[@sunkissedbeautyxo]

I think Scribd has just changed - as long as it is saved before your billing period you can listen (I have like 140 audiobooks saved lol) but if you save it after the 1st or 2nd of the month, you cant listen until the end of the month! So the key is to save as many titles as you can before the next month 😊That’s what it has been like for me in the past few months!! That being said it is a very glitchy service honestly. It worth it for me because I listen to 3-4 of their audiobooks a month!

[@SuperAstor]

Just for reference, scribd on Android goes to 3X speed. On iOS it's only 2X speed. And for international users, especially for those who don't have access to library, its a pretty decent option. I have found since I moved abroad the monthly limit of books is higher, I can easily listen to 10-12+ books before limit kicks in.

[@exomake_mehorololo]

I'm in the UK and for me I feel as soon as I have just 1 popular book I'm listening too dozens of other titles start disappearing from all genres old and new... It doesn't even make sense. I'm reading a middle grade and now thriller, horror and non fiction books are no longer available

[@KahwahShutseh]

Brooklyn Library discontinued their e-card subscription for out of state people.🙁

[@Mmm-xi7fx]

This video was so so helpful. Thank you. 🥰🥰

[@Neverrgreen]

I held off on scribd for the longest time due to the downsides of the service but with the amount of audiobook reading I'm doing now it made sense to try it out. I do library, audible and scribd now and it varies monthly on which service I use more

[@braaron77ify]

Excellent video.. Ive been looking into the companies that offer audiobooks.. My job requires I be in front of a PC for more than 8hrs daily, and my eyes be tired so I cant read as much as I would love to. You’ve made my decision really easy for audiobooks. TY 🙏🏽

[@jayconvo]

Thank you ... I learned a few things I didn't know before

[@shaunyg_]

Very helpful! 👏🏽

[@Josephgreentv]

Brilliant video and love your conversational style. What is your fav audiobook? One that really changed my mindset was 'nonviolent communication'. do you like non fiction books? Love your shop btw! super cool

[@MeMyshelfAndI]

Libby is 3x speed. Honestly wasn't big into audiobooks before I found Libby, but since early in 2021 I've been more and more into them. Super easy to use and great library integration (I have about 9 library cards on there so can almost always find the book I want). My only complaint is wanting a higher speed. Neat extra features (most I don't use, but some I use often. not sure if these are common on other platforms): - bookmark a certain spot - your progress and bookmarks are all saved (even if you check it out again a year later from a dif library, etc) - can search through your library's catalog through Libby's site - has a sleep feature where you can choose either a specific amount of time (eg 30min) or til the end of the chapter and the audiobook will pause there - once you place a hold, you can go to your holds and see the wait time for that book across all your libraries - easy to Deliver Later (up to one month out) if you're not ready to borrow right away - occasionally has "skip the line" loans for books your library has chosen: you can skip any wait time despite a long line, but you only get the hold for 2 weeks instead of 3

[@ChandaElise]

I’m surprised Anyplay wasn’t mentioned? It’s like Scribd but actually unlimited I like their romance catalog. I know Jen from the book refuge loves it

[@soniaesquivel9385]

I just found out about Anyplay… I am seriously curious about it. I am looking for options to replace Audible (potentially). I’m curious what you think about the platform now?? After all this time.

[@rdenee]

@@soniaesquivel9385I just saw this and I’ve subbed to Anyplay for a couple years now. I’ve been really impressed with the book selection. So far I have not had any issues like with Scribd where I hit a limit each month.

[@caitmcg4382]

I'm an Overdrive and Hoopla girl. A free hobby is hard to find!!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I mostly use overdrive for my library 🥰 I love it so much!

[@kkimlyreads]

This came at a perfect time. I recently got a job where I’m able to listen to audiobooks and I’m going through one a day/every other day. I got an audible subscription but one credit is not enough. I like the yearly with 24 credits, however, with kindle unlimited you can get certain audiobooks for ~$8 which is cheaper than purchasing extra credits. If you have any credits you aren’t able to purchase at the cheaper price. I only keep a few credits at a time and rotate with the cheaper KU books. I haven’t had much luck with Libby. Everything I want to listen to has a really long waitlist.

[@katie5773]

I love audiobooks. I use Audible (the 24 credit plan), my library's audiobook app, and Scribd. I find with Scribd that it's when I listen to maybe two titles from the bigger publishers that I start to see the 'available soon' banner popping up. To combat that, I'll listen to some books from smaller or indie publishers as well, or some older titles. My phone allows me to go to 3x speed on Scribd. I've just seen another commenter say that it depends on the operating system you have.

[@huck1241]

Hi Bethany! really enjoyed your video about comparing Audiobook Services. I'm a real newbie when it comes to Audio, don't even know the basics. I love reading e-books on my phone, tablet and Kindle, and have only listened to one book on casset tapes, and that was over 20 years ago. I thought I might like listening to an Audio book while cooking or driving, with blue tooth ear buds. but I have a lot of questions: Do you have to buy the e-book and the audio to listen to audio? And what does Text to Speech enabled mean in an e-book? It sounds like you should be able to have it read to you, couldn't the first Kindles read to you? How do you read the e-book and listen to it at the same time? Do you have to have both apps opened at once? Do you answer any of these newbie questions in your podcasts?

[@TwinRiver100]

thanks for the video. was looking for audiobook alternatives due to hearing about some issues with Audible. but can't quite let them go due to large libby of stuff i ammassed. Also just trying to find an altarnative that doesn't have as many ethical issues. Google mentioned chirp, and then i found your video. thanks for the starting point of places to consider.

[@conniekoedyker8490]

I have not been able to test this extensively, but I have noticed two things about the Scribd limitations. First, most of the books in my saved list are still available after I've gone over the "limit." So, I always be sure to add a bunch when I can. Secondly, I think it depends on the genres you listen to. I have noticed that if I listen exclusively to one genre for a month or two, I can't search for any more in that genre until the new billing cycle. It does help that I listen to a wide variety of books. So, I will usually change genres for a week or so until the others are available again. I tend to listen to about 5-10 books a month. Of course, I do hit the limit sooner if I am listening to a bunch of shorter books in one month. Right now, I am about halfway through the month. I am limited on what books I can see in the self-help and horror genres when I search or look at recommendations but only one of the titles in my saved list is showing "available soon." Let me know if you have figured out a secret to this.

[@Pontiac-zb9kx]

Sadly, The Brooklyn Public Library no longer lets out of state people get library cards.

[@baby_ghoul]

I love Libro FM! I've found that audiobooks work best for me, but I still want to support my local bookstore, so it's nice to find a way to do that while still enjoying what I love. I'm a huge fan of fantasy books, but they can sometimes run as high as $50-60 USD which is pretty pricey, so I'm thankful for the monthly credit. The general 30% discount perk is great for those books in the $10-30 range that I'm always eyeing as well.

[@shock2ursystem357]

Thank you for doing this, I love Scribd and Libby they're my main go-to apps, and getting multiple cards from other counties or out of state definitely helps! I'm gonna have to try Chirp, it seems like another good one!

[@saxybrit]

These days I mostly listen to my audiobooks on Libby since I now have a few different libraries on there which has increased my selection a lot! I then supplement with audible but don’t have that sub all the time. I tried the scribd free trial once but hated that it restricted so much so soon without any transparency so haven’t ever paid for the service.

[@sarahmccauley6527]

I've been an audiobook listener for a long time, although historically it hasn't made up a huge percentage of My overall reading. Lately I've been listening a lot more. I get almost all my audio books through my library, although to be fair, I get most of my books in all format from my library. I'm lucky to live someplace with a really good library system, and I'm not usually super concerned about being able to read new stuff right away so long wait lists don't usually bother me too much.

[@Secret413]

Cool. I wonder if you're aware that Barnes and Noble now offer audiobooks now. I just downloaded it today and it's not too bad but I'm still exploring.

[@holeyheartedmelissa4503]

I use the out of state library card from Houston Public Library so I can use Libby. It’s $20/6 mo or $40/year. SO worth it!

[@NikkaPleeease]

I’m from the Houston area as well, with my public lib being Harris County. Haven’t pulled the trigger on Libby yet, but I’m intrigued! I’m apprehensive about Libby’s time limits for audiobooks. I read/listen to large fantasy titles (600-1500+ pages), and the time limit seems a bit unrealistic. Idk. How’s your overall exp with Libby been?

[@holeyheartedmelissa4503]

@@NikkaPleeease I would not want to be without it! You can renew loans if nobody's waiting for them. But I've been listening to audiobooks so long that I've slowly been increasing the speed. So I'm at 2x now and it sounds normal. That means I can read a book and half the time listed. That's all I listen to in the car. I don't even listen to music anymore. 😅

[@holeyheartedmelissa4503]

@@NikkaPleeease I'm not from Texas... 🙂

[@Neverrgreen]

One thing I find I want to know about speed is of they are "finely adjustable". Audible goes up by 0.05 increments - a little excessive but scribd does 0.2 or 0.5. Which isn't sensitive enough for me when I want a little higher

[@bonniestevens4329]

I love audiobooks, especially when I am driving, doing chores, or crafting. I tend to stick with Libby and Hoopla from the library. Sometimes I will do the free trial from Audible so I have a few books on there. I am doing the free trial of Scribd because I am reading the Malazan series and my library does not have it on audio. I have the physical books, but I do better with this series when I can listen and read.

[@littlecaesar1842]

Ms. Bethany, is there any audiobook platform(s) that accept high quality A I generated audio books? ACX apparently don't. thank you for your exp sharing~~~

[@aliebellule]

I use Libby and Audible. I'll definetely check out Hoopla!

[@vanfiabr]

With audible we can get heavily discounted audiobooks if we have the kindle book (either purchased or borrowed on ku) a£2,99 to £3,5. Also they offer purchase of 3 credits for £18. Do the other services you mentioned offer something similar? I listen to about 100+ audiobooks/year so am looking to the most cost effective way to carry on listening. Thanks.

[@easilystartled2203]

Thank you for all the different things you covered in this video, this has been helpful in my decision! Something I wish booktubers would consider in their reviews/guides would be country availability and language options/availability! Scribd seems to be one of the only apps where I've seen it specifically marketed where you are able to easily listen to/view content in multiple languages. I don't know how true that would be of apps where there are items you buy or exchange a credit for. Being easily multi-lingual and multi-format (ebook, audiobook, pdf, etc) makes Scribd a draw to me, even though it seems disingenuous to call your service unlimited when there are quite directly limits placed upon it.

[@christinelagueux8155]

I had issues with Scribd in the past and it seems like they have gotten a little bit better. But I don't like their marketing saying unlimited. Very misleading. I get emails from Chirp and wondered about it. I am happy that you mentioned it. Thank you :)

[@lalicurates]

I tried to use Hoopla- but it turns out that the agreement with my library system does not have any audiobooks available in the library. But, I have been able to find a few movies and TV series that we don't have on our streaming services.

[@davikladakis3882]

I love listening to audiobooks ( I use Hoopla, Libby, Audible, and, Scribd) It does get annoying when you are waiting for certain titles from Libby and not wanting to use any of your "credits " from Audible or Scribd. Talking about Scribd, I can usually listen to three audiobooks a month on their site ( space them out, as much as you can) Hoopla really is not really a favorite for me ( I often have to remind myself that it is free through my local library) Audible is okay, but I try to only use it sparingly or for only very long books ( think over 20 hour long books)

[@MidnightBaker]

I listen through Libby and BARD which is a library service for blind and physically handicapped. It is great but limited catalog and older titles are read by volunteers. I'm looking for a new audiobook player. I would like to actually start supporting authors by buying them. How do you store your audiobook files? Are they on your phone or computer or only stored with the service you bought them through?

[@christeascozycorner]

CHIRP SOUNDS AMAZING thanks for such an informative video!!! hmmm my scribd's app lets me listen to 3.0x speed, so that's weird

[@NightOwlReader2790]

I thought I bring this up because this might be something that other people are experiencing, but sometimes when I listen to audiobooks that I bought from Chirp, they will just pause very randomly as if they crashed. I don't know if it's something to do with my phone or what, but this happened a handful of times. Just fyi, it made me a little hesitant on buying any more audiobooks on Chirp.

[@lyndf4487]

I've been using Scribd for about a year which has worked well for me and I've found here in Aus that i can listen to about 5 or 6 a month before the options become really obscure.The marketing is definitely a little misleading.I'm currently on an audible trial and will probably keep that as well.I've found the library options around me to be not that great which is actually kinda surprising.

[@jessicastraw6593]

I've heard about the Scribd rate limiting but I've never experienced that myself. I may have just not hit the limit before. I don't think I've ever read more than 5 Scribd books a month so that may be why. I'm also listening to a lot of back titles and not new releases on there. I'm so happy I found Libby though as that is such a great option for free audiobooks as long as I'm willing to wait a while to get it.

[@ivystrong7203]

I listen to a lot of audiobooks. I use Hoopla and Overdrive thru my library and some Kindle Unlimited books. I love that Hoopla doesn't have a waiting period. The limit is 6 books per month for our library.

[@aricoleman5802]

Yes. Speed analysis. Only power users use 2x+ speeds

[@IngridInspired]

I am also an avid audiobook listener, I was able to get the liveship traders trilogy through hoopla, which was super lucky! Scribd annoys the crap out of me, but I still use it 🙄

[@SEH221]

I find Hoopla to be a great resource because it's on demand (you're limited by the amount of check outs you can have per month, not by the availability of the title), but I find the listening experience to be clunky compared to Libby/Pocket casts/Apple Music. Libro is amazing because they also have deals that relate to indies. For instance: spend $15 at aj indie bookstore and get a free audiobook!

[@AbiExists]

Hoopla is the fasted speed that I have seen, it goes up to 4x !

[@RKStumblingbear]

I am not a big audio book listener. I listen to audio books on car rides because I get motion sickness. I still tend to get the CDs out from the library, but I will use the hoopla or libby apps from my library as well. I am very picky on my narrator. I DNF audio books because of narration style all the time. When I DNF an audio book I always make sure to pick up the physical book to make sure it wasn't the actual writing. Some audio books that I really enjoyed were: American Street by Ibi Zoboi and Educated by Tara Westover. I do not know who the narrators were.

[@ladyflimflam]

Audible has a Silver level that charges only every two months and has no access to Audible plus. I converted my membership to that a few years ago. That way I get the sales and I can buy credit packs for about $11 per credit. A bargain for the types of expensive non-fiction books I usually read.

[@JessTalkingBooks]

I'm in Germany but an American citizen. I can access more out of state Libby accounts because of my ID, which is amazing. It's really helped. My local library has some English books, but they're mostly kidlit or crime stories. (A very German thing.) I need to cancel my audible later this month. I just don't use it often. Scribd, Libby, and Chirp really fulfill my needs for the most part. Chirp has a lot of romance and SFF sales. Scribd is a so-so option. I'm considering giving rid of it due to the rates and such.

[@lilifane]

It's really hard to be a German citizen in Germany who only reads/listens to english books. There are not many options through local libraries and audible can be really expensive (so I usually wait for limited audible offers and save some credits for books I'm really interested in). But I discovered bookbeat which is a monthly subsription service with 3 tiers (for 25h, 100h or unlimited time of listening per month) and it has lots of English audio books, even really new and popular ones. And you can pause anytime.

[@AmitKumar-lb7mk]

Mam, tell me about apps containing mathematics textbooks audiobook ?

[@quaintrelle3521]

I personally suggest scridb as they offer access to textbook audiobooks - I don’t know of any other platform 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

What I like most about scribd is that I can pause my subscription indefinitely. However, I did NOT know the price went up 😅.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

Ive just recently set up a lobby account and I'm amazed at the selection. Plus, many of them don't even have wait time (at least ATM). It enables me to avoid using my audible or scribd account when unnecessary.

[@JoshsBookishVoyage]

I have the 24 cred per year with audible. I like that bc even after I'm out of the 24, the cost for new credits is I think the same as the others (like 9 dollars). But I try to save audible for the very small (or really new) books that won't be in Libby or scribd. That said, I was shocked when I saw sea of tranquility on my Libby library like the week it was released.

[@JBaby_9783]

@@JoshsBookishVoyage A lot of the libraries with a money will get new release and will buy multiple copies of highly anticipated books. Some will even do so early so so you can get on the hold list for unreleased titles.

[@ladybug381]

I love scribd

[@jamiekosieracki6947]

I use hoopla and it goes up to 4x speed.

[@Ingomiel]

scribd is the best

[@eyeofsauron2812]

Audible seems like the best option

[@JordansShelves]

Although I do love Scribd because you can listen to a few audiobooks a month for $12, I have to say that their app sucks, in my experience anyway. It often crashes and jumps around in the audiobook on its own. Quite annoying. I do also use Libro & Libby, which are great.

[@DrGuy118]

I love that marriage material makeup 💘

[@dinsolas3384]

see i dont understand why people are saying scribd limits you i easily listen two or three audio books a week and have had no issues or limitations ever and i listen to both old and new books across all genres so i wonder if maybe its a thing that only happen is certain countries or somthing

[@annoyingorangefanclub]

what country are you in

[@fourwindsflowers]

I called the Brooklyn library and that option is no longer available. It was canceled due to politics.

[@doloresofcourse]

Update on the Brooklyn library card: "As of July 15, 2022, Brooklyn Public Library is no longer offering its fee-based out-of-state library card. Our priority remains serving Brooklynites and assuring that they can access the materials they need in a timely manner." ☹

[@TheGoofy1932]

Not a big audiobook listener unless it's done with a full cast of characters-like an old timey radio show. 📻 🎙 Those or I need it to be read by someone like Hugh Frasier or James Marsters. 😆 Otherwise, I tend to find them either too cheesy for my taste or too distracting (former theater nerd) as I'm both critiquing the performance as well as thinking 🤔 how I would have played the character instead. What's the book 📖 about?! Who cares! The performance is All!🎭 😆 🤣

[@ocdgirl115]

Hoopla goes up to 4x speed. It's the fastest I've seen.

[@JohnLopez-gt6og]

2x speed is not enough? To each their own but how can you soak in a rich story like that? 🤷🏻‍♂️