If you’re looking to access a mind-boggling library of audiobooks in every conceivable genre, an Audible subscription should be your first stop. This service has a huge selection of audiobooks to choose from, plus podcasts, exclusive content, and more.

But once you’ve signed up for an Audible subscription, and you’re ready to start building your library, what’s the next step? We’ll explain everything you need to know to buy an audiobook on Audible here!

Everything you need to know about buying audiobooks on Audible

How to buy an audiobook on the Audible website

• Go to Audible.com and sign in.
• Search for the title you want.
• On the book’s details page, find the available buying options.
• Choose “Buy with 1 Credit” or “Buy for [the price of the book]”.
• Confirm your payment method.
• Click Complete purchase.

How to buy an audiobook on the Audible mobile app

• Open the Audible app on your Android or iOS device.
• Search for the title you want to buy.
• Open the book’s detail page.
• Click “Buy for [the price of the book]” or “Buy with 1 Credit.”

How to buy an audiobook on Audible with Alexa

If you have an Alexa voice assistant-enabled smart speaker, you can buy audiobooks with voice commands, as long as you have Voice Purchasing enabled in your Alexa settings. To buy an audiobook with Alexa:

• Say “Alexa, buy “[audiobook title]”.
• Choose to purchase with your on-file payment method or credit (if available).
• Say Yes to confirm your purchase.

How to add a payment method on Audible

• Open the Audible website on a browser.
• Find your name in the top-right corner of the screen.
• Click Membership details.
• Click Payments, then Manage Payments.
• Add or edit your payment methods.

What’s the difference between buying with a card or with credits on Audible?

Anyone can buy a book on Audible with a supported credit or debit card, regardless of which Audible subscription they choose. Books will vary in price from title to title, but as long as you have a valid payment method on file with Audible, you can use it to buy any audiobook in the streamer’s catalog at any time.

Credits work a little differently. Listeners who have an Audible plan that includes credits can use them as a digital token to buy eligible audiobooks in the Audible catalog. Instead of paying the cover price, simply pay one credit per title, and it’s yours to keep as if you’d just paid cash for it. Remember, however, that not all Audible plans get credits; only Premium subscribers get credits with their plan.

Do you have to buy books to listen on Audible?

No, you do not have to purchase books to listen with Audible. Having an Audible subscription allows you to stream thousands of titles on demand and listen for as long as you maintain your account. There’s no extra fee to listen to these books, and you can stream as many as you want.

However, there are drawbacks if you choose not to purchase books on Audible. For one thing, the Audible library of books included with a standard subscription is smaller than the library of books available for sale. The entire Audible store has hundreds of thousands of titles, but the selection of titles available to those who don’t purchase books is much smaller.

In addition, you don’t get to keep any books you listen to with Audible’s standard subscription tier if you cancel your subscription. On the other hand, audiobooks purchased through Audible with a credit or your credit card are yours to keep, even after you cancel Audible.