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Audible

Simply Audiobooks

Barnes & Noble

Borders
url audible.com simplyaudiobooks.com barnesandnoble.com borders.com
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Pricing & Plans:
No. of Titles & Formats:
Customer Service:
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Purchasing Options:
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Rent by Mail w/ Membership   check    
Purchase by Mail w/o Membership   check check check
Basic Membership Plans:
Download MP3 Books from $7.49/mo $13/mo - -
Rent Books on CD from - $15/mo - -
Learn More REVIEW PLANS REVIEW PLANS - -
No. of Titles by Format:
Total No. of Titles 75,000+ 22,000+ 26,000+ 41,000+
MP3 75,000+ 11,000+ 8,000+ -
CD - 11,000+ 17,000+ 41,000+
Cassette - - 1,500 -
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What to look for when purchasing Audiobooks Online:

Customer Service

You want to make sure that the company you are purchasing from has responsive customer service in case you have any problems downloading your audiobooks or receiving them in the mail or just about any other problem you might think of. You also want to make sure that the company you are dealing with has a support number that you can contact by phone. Dealing with a real person over the phone can be much better than dealing with a company by email for some problems.

MP3 Audiobooks Available for Instant Download:

There are a number of reasons why we feel downloading audiobooks on MP3 is superior to purchasing or renting audiobooks on CD. They are:

  • MP3 audiobooks are downloaded instantly to your computer. There is no waiting for audiobooks to arrive by mail.
  • MP3 audiobooks are usually cheaper than the same audiobook is on CD. This is because MP3 audiobooks have no associated shipping costs or inventory costs for the company supplying them.
  • MP3 audiobooks can be burnt to CD which means you can still listen to MP3 audiobooks on CD though you will need a computer that has CD burning capabilities. If you have a computer purchased in the last 10 years it's safe to say that it has CD burning capabilities.
  • Audiobooks on MP3 can have the same sound quality as CD's. Companies like Audible.com now supply MP3 audiobooks with the same sound quality as audiobooks on CD

Renting or Purchasing Audiobooks on CD:

That being said, there may be reasons why renting or purchasing audiobooks on CD may be the superior choice for you. They are:

  • You have no reason to believe you will be listening to your audiobooks now or in near the future on anything other than a CD player.
  • You will be listening to a lot of audiobooks on your CD player and you don't want the hassle of always burning them to CD.
  • You want to use a Netflix-like subscription plan to rent audiobooks on CD by mail like the one offered by SimplyAudiobooks.com. With such a plan you pay a flat monthly fee and can listen to as many books on CD as you can a month, you just mail back your current audiobook on CD and they will mail you the next one you have chosen in your rental queue.
  • You simply don't want to deal with the technical hassles of downloading MP3 audiobooks. Downloading MP3 audiobooks is a very simple process and if you can browse this web site, you will most likely have no problem with downloading MP3 audiobooks. But for some, receiving audiobooks on CD in the mail might be simpler.
  • You'd just prefer to rent or purchase them on CD. At the end of the day do what makes you feel comfortable.

Membership Plans:

Whether they are membership plans for downloading MP3 audiobooks or renting them on CD in the mail, membership plans can save you a lot of money. They are especially useful if you enjoy listening to lots of audiobooks or best-selling new releases as often these can be harder to find at local bookstores or libraries. If you're sighning up for a plan you want to make sure they have a phone number you can contact them with if you have any problems, an easy and straightforward cancellation policy, rollover credits so that you can listen to your audiobooks at your own convenience, and also check for any other additional benefits such as membership savings on additional titles.

The Audiobook You Want, in the Format You Want, at the Best Price:

That's what The Audio Book Mart is for. We have up-to-date information on the pricing and inventories of four of the largest, most reputable audiobook providers on the web. Use our Browse Audio Books feature at the top to get started.