[loudouncodes]

Audible, I’m a regular user and a big fan, but if you want to make me happy and increase my book purchasing volume:

1) get rid of the subscription service, I have avoided purchases altogether because the book was cheaper than my credit was costing me, but couldn’t bring myself to give you more money when I have a bunch of credits there. 2) include the kindle book. Just make it so I’m buying the rights to the content and I’ll willingly let you lock me in to both the kindle and audible.

3) improve the UI of the apps. I have 50 or so booos now, and it seems inconsistent how they are ordered, where they are downloaded, which devices recognize I’ve listened to them, etc. give me a way to organize my books, give me adjustable playback speed on my echo.

[lev99]

I'm a regular audible user with 72 audio books. Yes audiobooks are expensive, but I find them to be the most intellectually stimulating audio source. I have gathered these books over the last 30 months, with more heavy usage in the last 18 months.

Changes audible could make to increase the amount I consume audiobooks.

1) I'd really enjoy a "pause at the end of a chapter" button. So many times I would have pressed this and consumed more audiobook in a session than just pausing in the middle of a chapter. I think it would also improve reading comprehension and enjoyment.

2) Let me buy books on the app. I once spent a week without listening to audible because I kept forgetting to browse books when I was at a laptop computer.

3) The UI could have better grouping for series. I've read books without knowing they are series until I talk about the book with someone a few weeks later. The UI should let me know and suggest I buy the next book.

4) The UI should do a better job of highlighting the cheapest price. Sometimes it's cheapest to use a credit. Sometimes it's cheapest to buy the audiobook without a credit. Sometimes it's cheapest to buy the kindle book then buy the audiobook.

5) The books need better production quality. Books with multiple readers are significantly better then books with one readers. The reader has a large impact on the tone of the book. This isn't Amazon's responsibility now, but if they wanted to increase sales of audiobooks they could approach it from this angle.

[sli]

> 1) I'd really enjoy a "pause at the end of a chapter" button.

Audible has this feature, it's just hidden in the Sleep Timer menu. It has the exact functionality you describe, though: pauses the book at the end of the chapter. I've been using it nightly for a long time.

It also has timed options, of course, as well as pause at end of book part.

[lev99]

Thank you.

[LinkDJ]

#2 is only a problem on iOS devices, Android users have been able to purchase books in the Audible app for as long as the app has existed.

[malloreon]

2) will not be solved for the same reason you can't buy kindle books in the app. They're both digital content, and therefore subject to the Google/Apple 30% platform tax, and Amazon is unwilling to pay.

[vanviegen]

Google allows competing payment methods to be used on Android. And Audible on Android does indeed allow one to purchase books using a credit card.

[MaxBarraclough]

> Yes audiobooks are expensive

If you get an annual Audible 'subscription' you're looking at something like £7 per audiobook. (Oddly they don't advertise that this package exists, but it does.) Even less than that if you play the game and go for Audible's promotions.

> Let me buy books on the app

I agree this is an odd omission. Could it be something to do with Apple's rules about handing over their cut? They gave Spotify a hard time a while ago - https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/1/12082398/apple-music-spoti...

Edit: apparently the Android app has no such restriction, so I suspect I may be right. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16324731

Edit2: Yup - https://www.quora.com/Why-doesnt-Audible-allow-you-to-purcha...

[gordon_freeman]

Agree with all of the above and want to include one more:

I'd really like to have a start/stop button on UI by pressing which the app automatically captures a note in text format and stores in the cloud under the same Audiobook. I hate to always take manual notes and in process miss out what narrator said during the time I was taking the notes.

[notyourwork]

> I think it would also improve reading comprehension and enjoyment.

Listening comprehension.

[falcolas]

For point 2 - if you buy the kindle book first, you can add the audio book for a comparable price (not universally available, but it's still pretty broad). In fact, this kinda takes care of points 1 and 3 too, since there's no subscription needed, and the audio book is directly tied to the kindle book in the reader.

I just wish audio books were cheaper. I understand the price - voice acting and audio mixing - but it's still in the realm of too expensive for a few hours of one-shot entertainment.

[paulddraper]

Sometimes, it's actually cheaper to buy the Kindle + Audible version, rather than just Audible.

[jonmc12]

Agree on subscriptions. Audible is employing 2 dark patterns: carnival currency (credits), and the free trial / hidden cancel button. I'm not sure I understand why. I believe there is a recent (2017) class action lawsuit regarding some issues around expiring credits. I feel silly referring friends to the free trial, like I'm introducing them to a pyramid scheme. Its like Audible doesn't understand the psyche of their customer base.. optimizing for localized conversion metrics.

Otherwise, its a good product. The dark patterns represent short-term thinking. I'd be hooked on Audible if I could buy an Audible Prime-like subscription to purchase discounted audio books. Give me a deal on the latest recommended books and you can notify me all day long just like Netflix.

[pbreit]

It's totally insane that books cannot match the consumer pricing of movies, TV & music ($10/month for all you can eat).

[ProAm]

If you use your library's audiobook app its cheaper than TV or music, it's free.

[moat]

Adding to this, include the “supporting pdf” that comes with so many audiobooks inside the app instead of having to download on desktop through the actual Audible website.

[creator_lol]

1) Subscription service is what makes the books so cheap for the really expensive ones, but I regularly purchase books that are $30+ when they are first released.

2) Kindle book included would be great however I think the cross licensing would be difficult and distribution of income would cut their margins considerably.

3) UI improvement is a must! I have over 200 books and it is a nightmare to find anything on the mobile app.

[lev99]

I use credits for books that cost more then $12 and I buy with credit any book that costs more. I buy those 3 credits for ~$35 packages as needed. It's really cool that any book on audible has a maximum price much lower then if you were not a subscriber.

[dorfsmay]

Make that a epub file rather than kindle. There's more than one e-reader in the world.

[ProAm]

Once I realized my library had a wide audiobook selection that I could checkout and listen to from my phone I cancelled Audible.