Audible as a Holiday Gift: Why Audiobooks Make a Great Present
Some of the best gifts are the ones that fit into a life without taking up any space. An Audible gift membership is one of those. There's nothing to wrap, nothing to store and nothing to return. What you're giving is a stack of stories they can listen to on a commute, during a workout or while folding laundry. This guide covers how Audible gifts work, who they suit best, and what to check before you buy.
Details below come from Audible's own pages on Amazon and Audible.com. Plans and terms change, so check the Audible gift membership page for current options before you buy.
How we chose what to cover
We read Audible's gift membership page, its membership FAQ and its listening guide, and kept only what Audible states itself. We left out anything we couldn't confirm there, and we added the limits a gift giver should know about before checking out.
How an Audible gift membership works
Audible's gift memberships come in four lengths: 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. According to Audible, every Premium Plus gift membership includes:
- One credit a month that can be used on any title in the app, and the recipient keeps that title forever.
- The Plus Catalog, Audible's all-you-can-listen collection of thousands of audiobooks, podcasts and originals.
- One free app where all of it lives.
Each gift length includes one credit per month, so a 1-month gift comes with 1 credit and a 12-month gift comes with 12. Audible calls the 1-month option a great gift for newbie listeners and describes the 12-month gift as "the perfect gift to build a playlist for life."
Delivery is easy, which helps when you're shopping late. Audible can email your recipient on the day you choose, with instructions for redeeming the gift. You can also print the gift and hand it over in person, which works well tucked into a card or a stocking. Recipients who are new to Audible can start their membership right away. They get member benefits for the length of the gift, and they keep every audiobook they buy.
What if they're already an Audible member?
You can still give a gift membership to someone who already has Audible. Audible says existing members get all the gift credits at once. A 3-month gift, for example, adds 3 credits to their account right away. Their own plan isn't extended or paused, and they're billed as usual. Audible also notes that current Standard members who redeem a gift won't get access to the Plus Catalog or to exclusive sales. If your recipient is a Standard member, the gift mainly gives them extra credits.
Gift credits stay active for a year from the date they're issued. That gives your recipient plenty of time to choose their titles.
Who an Audible gift is perfect for
Commuters and road-trippers
Audible makes the point well: "You can't turn pages while you drive—but you can press play." Anyone who spends a lot of time driving, riding the train or waiting at airports can turn that time into listening time. Titles can be downloaded for offline listening, so a weak signal on the highway or a flight without Wi-Fi isn't a problem. For a frequent traveler, pair the gift with something from our travel gifts guide.
Book lovers who have run out of shelf space
Audible puts it simply: "Audiobooks don't weigh a thing." For readers whose to-read pile keeps growing, audiobooks let them get through books while doing other things. Your recipient chooses their own titles with their credits, so you don't need to guess which book they haven't read yet. For physical gifts to go with it, see our gifts for book lovers guide.
Busy parents
Busy parents rarely get to sit down with a book, but their ears are often free. Night feeds, stroller walks, school pickups and chores can all become listening time. For more ideas, browse our gifts for new parents.
Listeners with a reading goal
Audible pitches audiobooks as a way to reach your reading goals. For anyone who sets a "books this year" target each January, a gift membership is a practical way to support it.
Where they can listen
Audible's free app runs on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, and Audible says you can also listen on Fire tablets, Fire TV, Kindle, Alexa-enabled speakers, Sonos speakers and the web on a computer. Their library goes with them wherever they listen.
Want to try Audible yourself first?
If you've never used Audible, it can help to try it before you give it. Audible offers trials of its membership plans on Amazon, but eligibility and terms vary, so check the current details on the Audible membership page before you sign up. Audible says any audiobooks you buy with cash or credits are yours to keep even if you cancel. Titles from the Plus Catalog get locked again once a membership ends, though.
The honest downsides
- You can't gift a specific book with credits. Audible says credits currently can't be used to send gift audiobooks, so the membership is the gift, not a hand-picked title.
- Less value for Standard members. They get the credits but not the Plus Catalog or exclusive sales.
- No plan extension for current members. Their own membership keeps billing as usual.
- Credits expire. Gift credits last a year from the date they're issued, so a recipient who forgets about them can lose them.
- Plus Catalog access ends with the gift. Credit titles stay in their library, but all-you-can-listen titles lock when the membership ends.
- It's a screen-free gift, but still a digital one. Someone who loves the feel of paper may prefer a real book.
A few quick tips before you buy
- Match the length to the listener. A shorter gift suits someone trying audiobooks for the first time. A longer one suits someone who already loves them.
- Check whether they're already a member. It changes what the gift gives them.
- Schedule the email for the right day. Pick the date you want the gift to arrive, or print it so you can hand it over in person.
- Use Amazon gift cards if you have them. Audible says Amazon gift cards can be used for Audible titles and memberships bought on Amazon. They can't be used on Audible.com or in the Audible app.
The bottom line
An Audible gift membership is easy to send and easy to enjoy, and it doesn't add clutter. It suits commuters, book lovers and busy parents especially well, and because it arrives by email it's a strong option for our last-minute stocking stuffer strategy. If you're weighing other Amazon memberships too, read whether Prime is worth it for holiday shopping. Check current options on the Audible gift membership page when you're ready.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links; prices and availability change often, so check Amazon for current details.
