Unrelenting Presence of Ads in Audiobooks Continues to Spark Controversy
In a recent development, Audible, the popular audiobook and podcast platform, has reportedly been testing ads in some of its content for non-members. This move comes after years of on-and-off testing, according to sources.
The testing provides ad-supported access to a limited set of Audible titles, including some books, podcasts, and Audible Originals. However, it's unclear which titles are included in this test, as it's only being conducted with non-members.
Audible's current offerings focus on ad-free access to purchased or subscribed content, and do not indicate plans for an ad-supported listening option similar to some music streaming services. Therefore, as of the latest information from mid-2025, Audible does not appear to be testing or offering an ad-supported subscription tier.
Spotify, a major competitor in the music streaming market, has not announced plans for ads on audiobooks, at least for the time being. Spotify debuted its own, limited audiobook portfolio last year, allowing audiobooks for purchase in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand last November.
Amazon, the parent company of Audible, makes much more money through advertising than it does from subscriptions like Prime. This could potentially influence Audible's decision to explore ad-supported options. It's speculated that Audible may be looking to sell ads using the data it has on its millions of users.
Users will not hear ads "too frequently within a short time span." There is a total of eight ads that can play within a 24-hour period when listening to these titles. It's worth noting that ads in Audible podcasts have typically appeared in third-party podcasts, embedded by the creators.
The testing is not applicable to titles that have opted out of this test. It's important to mention that Audible offers two main paid membership plans: Audible Plus at $7.95/month, which includes a selection of about 10,000 audiobooks, and Audible Premium Plus at $14.95/month, which provides access to a much larger library of approximately 500,000 audiobooks along with monthly credits to purchase titles permanently. Most audiobooks on the platform ask those without an account to sign up for a free 30-day trial.
The testing is supposed to gain knowledge about the evolving needs of Audible's customers and partners. As the testing continues, it will be interesting to see how Audible's users respond to the introduction of ads and whether this could pave the way for wider adoption of an ad-supported listening option in the future.
