Amazon-owned Audible has started inserting ads into audiobooks, which could signal a sea change in the industry. This will probably piss off a lot of users of the service.
Audible is one of the best audiobook apps out there, but the latest update brings a not-so-great change, asAmazon added ads to your audiobooks. Now, in the middle of your next audiobook, you may be interrupted by an advertising pageenough to ruin the experience.
Some users have started reporting ads appearing in the middle of certain titles on the service, and Audible has confirmed it is currently testing an ad-supported version of the platform for non-members. On a support page, the company states that ” we are currently running limited testing for non-members only, which provides advertised access to a limited set of Audible titles “.
Ads are coming to Audible for non-members
The page therefore specifically states that ads are inserted into audiobooks for “non-members”, which probably means people who are not enrolled in the Audible Plus monthly subscription program. Audible clarifies that users should only hear eight advertisements per 24-hour period and that “ advertisements will not be heard too frequently in a short period of time “.
The presence of ads in Audible’s audiobooks or podcasts could cause a profound change in the market. If Audible does not receive negative reactions from consumers, this could encourage other companies to follow this example, including Spotify, which has every intention of becoming the world number one in this sector.
It is still unclear which titles are included in this test. Although some audiobooks are free, most require those without an account to sign up for a 30-day free trial. which of course becomes a monthly payment of 9.95 euros per month.
Audible confirmed that it is performing this test in several countries, but did not specify which ones. The limited rollout is taking place in the United States, the largest market in which Audible operates, but if you see ads coming to your audiobooks in France, let us know in the comments.