I started listening to Audible a few years ago. I’d been doing a self-awareness course which involved listening to mediations. I enjoyed the meditations so much I decided to look for more, and that’s how I came across Audible.
Audible is a fabulous seller and producer of audio entertainment. It’s free for the first month and then £7.99 per month afterwards. Each month you get a free download credit which you can use on any book or book collection. I’ve used mine on books worth £15 to £60. You can also get audible versions of your current Kindle downloads for £2.99.
I joined up for my free trial and straight away downloaded a book on meditations. After that I became hooked as I realised all the things I could with Audible. Here are my top five reasons why I love Audible.
1. Meditations
This is how I came to Audible, so it’s mentioned first. When you find a good mediation audio book you can just plug in and relax. It’s an amazing experience and so simply. I’d recommend anyone wanting to try any type of meditation or relaxation to give Audible a try.
Why would you want to meditate? Well, as well as relaxation, meditation has so many other benefits for your body and your mind.
You can find meditations for health, anxiety, sleep problems, mindfulness, self-healing, hypnosis, success, language learning. Practically anything you need.
Personally, I like mindfulness mediations like this one from Vidyamala Birch
2. Get Fit and Healthy
Whether you want to shed some pounds, try a new diet or learn a new exercise regime, Audible has an answer. It’s like listening to your own personal trainer or dietitian.
The cookbooks are great, much better than having a book propped up in your kitchen. No more losing pages and having to search with sticky fingers, or losing space on your worktop. Now you can have the recipes and instructions sent straight to your earbuds. Easy to follow, less mess, more space and no more running back and forth to read the next step.
Or if you are looking for a new way of exercise, why not listen to some motivational books to get you moving? Sometimes just hearing about how someone else has achieved their health goals can be incredibly inspiring.
Or maybe you’d like to improve your sleep patterns, or just learn the best ways to look after your body?
There is so much to find on Audible Like Tip The Scale; Introduction to Body Weight
3. Fiction
When I worked in the public library, we would load boxes of cassettes for people to listen to fiction on. They were mostly borrowed by old people or those with visual impairments. I never really imagined myself enjoying listening to fiction but Audible has given me a new love of books.
I can listen while I’m relaxing, crocheting, cleaning, I never have to worry about carrying a book around. I especially love to listen when I’m in hospital, I can sit back in my chair and block out the noise while becoming engrossed in another world. I don’t have to worry about holding a book up if I’m reading in bed, or even having the light on!
I love listening to a good story and with Audible you can listen to an excerpt to make sure you are happy with the narrator. You also get a taste of the story, just like reading the blurb on the back.
One of my favourite listens last year was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
4. Plays/Performance
Want something a little more than storytelling? Audible offers, often exclusive, dramatisations. I loved listening to Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals. Narrated by David Jason, John Culshaw, Matthew Horne, Josie Lawrence and Jaime Winston. It was a real fun listen and I’m now looking forward to listening to Good Omens.
There are plenty of other dramatisations to choose from, like Ruth Rendell, John Le Carre, P.D. James, Jane Austen to name but a few.
Or for no extra cost you can even tune into podcasts, there are so many to choose from and many of them are Audible originals. Maybe you’d like to listen to some comedy from the likes of Ricky Gervais or The Lost Voice Guy. Or you could tune into some Investigative Journalism or Health and Personal Development.
5. Educational
Have you ever fancied learning a new language, then Audible has the resources for learning most languages from French to Japanese. You can find something to listen to on most subjects from geography to science. And don’t forget the podcasts to back up the information.
Audible is also helpful for learning new skills like parenting, finances, self-improvement and many more.
Reading books can seem like a chore sometimes so why not top up the learning process with some listening.
And There is More!
- Whispersinc for voice lets you switch between Audible and Kindle, so you can listen or read at any time without losing your place.
- Adjustable listening speed lets you choose a pace that is comfortable for you, from 0.5x to 3.0x
- The Sleep Timer lets you choose a time for the narration to end so you don’t lose your place, or fall asleep while listening.
- Bookmark, keeps your place or saves places you may wish to return to later.
I love Audible, whatever I’m listening to I can have it on my phone, tablet, kindle, laptop, it doesn’t matter. I just pop in my earphones and I’m off on some adventure. I get excited when my credit pops up each month, but I also take advantage of other offers that are for members only that appear regularly.
Why not give audible a try, it’s free for your first month
