As of today, subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited in the U.S., UK, and Canada can now listen to one audiobook per month from Audible's catalog for free. The new feature gives subscribers access to Audible's collection of more than one million audiobooks, alongside Amazon Music's existing library of 100 million songs and podcasts.
The integration allows individual plan subscribers and family plan primary account holders to listen to one audiobook of any length each month. Subscribers can continue listening to their chosen title even after the next billing cycle begins, or select a new one. For additional titles, customers will need to purchase them separately or subscribe to an Audible membership.
"The combination of Amazon Music and Audible, two pioneers in audio streaming, brings an unmatched selection of audio entertainment to customers," said Steve Boom, VP of audio, Twitch, and games for Amazon, in a statement. Audible CEO Bob Carrigan, highlighting the strategic importance of the move, added: "As our category continues to evolve and scale, we've seen an ever-growing appetite for audiobooks. The opportunity to extend Audible to Amazon Music subscribers enables us to captivate the next generation of listeners."
The change positions Amazon Music to compete for audiobook listener with Spotify, which includes 15 hours of audiobook listening with Spotify Premium for $11.99 a month. Spotify also offers an audiobook-only plan for $9.99/month that includes 15 hours of listening time. Amazon Music Unlimited is available to Amazon Prime members for $9.99 monthly or $99 annually, while non-Prime customers pay $10.99 monthly.
