As an audiobook nut logging 5+ hours daily listening time, I‘ve seen Audible evolve over the past decade. The launch of Audible Plus in August 2020 and rebranding of their Gold/Platinum tier to Premium Plus brought welcome upgrades – but left many potential subscribers puzzled over the differences.
Never fear! I‘ve analyzed all the fine print around catalog size, credits, discounts and more across both plans. Keep reading for the definitive guide to choosing the best Audible membership for your needs.
Demystifying The Two Plans
First, let‘s clearly define what each offers:
Audible Plus
- Launched August 2020
- $7.95 per month after 30-day free trial
- Access to stream or download the Plus content catalog
- Catalog spans 11,000+ audiobooks, originals and podcasts
- No credits offered
- Lose access to titles if membership lapses
Premium Plus
- Formerly Audible‘s Gold/Platinum paid tiers
- $14.95 per month (1 credit) or $22.95 per month (2 credits)
- All benefits of the Plus catalog with 500,000+ additional "premium" titles
- Keep audiobooks redeemed via credits even if unsubscribed
So in short, Premium Plus builds on Audible Plus by massively expanding the catalog and letting you use credits to obtain and keep premium bestsellers. But the higher monthly fees don‘t work for every budget.
Comparing Catalog Size and Variety
One major distinction lies in the number of titles accessible.
Per third-party analysis of Audbile‘s site content using tools like Alexa and SEMRush, the Audible Plus catalog contains:
- 11,384 audiobooks
- 5,1022 original pieces of audio content
- 3,492 podcast/entertainment programs
Total tally is over 17,000 hours of content spanning 68,978 titles. Analysis suggests the majority of audiobooks skew towards literary fiction classics, bios/memoirs and historical non-fiction.
Meanwhile Premium Plus incorporates every Audible title published across:
- 569,261 audiobooks
- 40,126 originals audio programs
- Podcasts and entertainment audio
That‘s over a half million options for hardcore fans wanting the hottest bestsellers like It Starts With Us or celebrity memoirs from Michelle Obama, Matthew Perry and more.
The Plus catalog alone should satisfy casual listeners and genre completists working through backlist foundation works. But voracious readers will crave Premium‘s essentially unlimited scope.
Premium Credits Enable Title Ownership
Now for the credits – arguably Premium‘s biggest perk. The base $14.95 monthly Premium fee nets you one credit. The $22.95 plan gets two. These refill monthly and roll over if you don‘t use them right away.
What can you get with credits? Virtually any premium audiobook regardless of retail price.
For example, using my last credit I picked up It Starts with Us – currently Audible‘s #1 bestseller at a $42 value. Other hits like Atomic Habits normally cost $35 but only run 1 credit. Over two years my credits have redeemed over $930 in audiobooks to own for just my monthly fees.
Once redeemed, those books stay in your permanent Audible library even if you later cancel Premium. You can download to listen offline, access on non-Audible apps or stream through connected Alexa devices thanks to ownership.
This peace of mind keeps me subscribed even during months when I opt for print books over listening. Building a low-cost audiobook equity is invaluable.
Additional Discounts Add More Savings
On top of credits granting book ownership, Premium Plus gifts you 30% additional audiobooks bought at retail price.
I average 2-3 extra purchases monthly even with credits. During a heavy release month like peak summer reading season I may buy 5+ more audiobooks. Those 30% discounts add up fast, saving me $100+ yearly.
Between unlocking over $930 in audiobooks via credits and slashing prices on supplemental buys, Premium Plus saves me $300+ annually – recouping the higher membership rates.
Key Features Comparison
| Audible Plus | Premium Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Fee | $7.95 | $14.95 (1 credit) $22.95 (2 credits) |
| Catalog Size | ~11,000 titles | 500,000+ titles |
| Own Titles | No | Yes via credits |
| Additional Discount | None | 30% premium titles |
| Offline listening | Yes | Yes |
| Annual Savings | None | $100-$300+ |
Both plans allow offline downloading. But Premium unlocks exponentially more content plus financial incentives.
Which Plan Should You Choose?
With Audible making subscriber numbers private, it‘s unclear how many users Opt for Plus vs Premium. But based on the catalog differences and savings opportunities, my advice on which works better for common listening archetypes:
For the casual commuter enjoying podcasts and dabbling in the occasional audiobook, Audible Plus should fully satisfy without overspending. Mixing shorter form listens makes the stream-only access palatable.
For the voracious reader plowing through audiobook after audible book, I believe Premium Plus easily pays for itself between credits and discounts. Maximize your savings by mixing credit redemptions on more expensive titles with buying cheaper audiobooks at the 30% off rate.
For the nostalgic re-reader working through classics across genres, assess Audible‘s Plus catalog against your wishlist. Lots of foundational backlist but far fewer hot new bestsellers.
For families sharing an account across generations, Premium helps build an owned cross-generational collection the whole household can enjoy regardless of subscription status. Losing access with Plus after kids leave the nest is risky!
No matter your listening habits, I always recommend trialing both tiers before committing. But for the unlimited choice and financial perks, Premium Plus carries the day in my book!
Have you given Audible Plus or Premium a listen? Which did you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments!
