Audible subsidizes its streaming plan via premium credits: Difference between revisions
Seems to be pretty new. |
Fireablazin (talk | contribs) Edited to address the incomplete issues. Also buffed up the consumer response section. |
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{{Incomplete|Issue 1=Relies too heavily on Youtube sources|Issue 2=Partially inaccurate about the structural changes of Audible (The streaming plan is not a new feature, but the funding has changed, etc.)}} | {{Incomplete|Issue 1=Relies too heavily on Youtube sources|Issue 2=Partially inaccurate about the structural changes of Audible (The streaming plan is not a new feature, but the funding has changed, etc.)}} | ||
{{OngoingEvent}} | {{OngoingEvent}} | ||
'''[[Audible]],''' an audiobook marketplace and subsidiary of [[Amazon]], is | |||
'''[[Audible]],''' an audiobook marketplace and subsidiary of [[Amazon]], is changing its royalty structure to subsidize its streaming service with premium credit purchases.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Daniel |date=2025-08-25 |title=Nail in Audible's coffin |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BJIZA_OpDw |url-status=live |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hartness |first=John |date=25 Aug 2025 |title=AUTHORS ASSEMBLE! Audible generative AI takeover {{!}} How this hurts Authors and Narrators |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLKQAASI6y0 |url-status=live |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Daniel |date=12 Aug 2025 |title=Audible is Broken |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhTmMv_s578 |url-status=live |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=25 Aug 2025 |title=Learn more about audio books with virtual voice |url=https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G3QRL9HQNF273Q2H |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250825204046/https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G3QRL9HQNF273Q2H |archive-date=25 Aug 2025 |access-date=25 Aug 2025 |website=[[Amazon]]}}</ref> In August 2025, the new structure took effect. It works by spreading the reader's plan value and premium credits across all books the reader listened to during the month, regardless of whether or not the audiobook was purchased or streamed using Audible's streaming service.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Robin |date=8 August 2025 |title=Convince Audible to revise it's New Royalty Model |url=https://www.change.org/p/convince-audible-to-revise-it-s-new-royalty-model |url-status=live |access-date=26 Aug 2025 |website=[[Change.org]]}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=paigevoice |date=13 Aug 2025 |title=Audible's new royalty mess |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QZEEXOtJik |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
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===Digital ownership erosion=== | ===Digital ownership erosion=== | ||
Since 2020, Audible has been | Since 2020, Audible has been shifting more focus on its [[Subscription service|streaming service]]. In August 2025, Audible unveiled a new royalty structure to siphon money from credit purchases to subsidize their streaming library.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":8" /> | ||
=== Disingenuous pricing structure === | |||
In August 2025, Audible rolled out their new royalty structure which fundamentally changes how authors are paid when their books are streamed. Instead of the streaming plan being primary funding method for streamed books (via an up-front fee), the new structure takes the reader's plan value, adds the the value of any additional credits used, and then divides that value among the titles the reader listened to over the month.<ref name=":6" /> | |||
=== Streaming favors larger authors and publishers === | |||
Audible determines which authors and books are included as part of its streaming library.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greenwood |first=Allan |date=15 Sep 2023 |title=Discussion on "I really wish more authors would use the audible plus catalog for their first books, it's hard to test new stuff." |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/16jzbsq/i_really_wish_more_authors_would_use_the_audible/k0sxsc7/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |website=Reddit.com}}</ref> This disproportionately favors larger, more established authors and publishers who can negotiate premium rates with Audible.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mathews |first=J.R. |date=17 Sep 2023 |title=Comment on "I really wish more authors would use the audible plus catalog for their first books, it's hard to test new stuff." |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/16jzbsq/i_really_wish_more_authors_would_use_the_audible/k0ywscj/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |website=Reddit.com}}</ref> In 2022, via his blog, Brandon Sanderson says: <ref>{{Cite web |last=Sanderson |first=Brandon |date=22 Dec 2022 |title=State of the Sanderson 2022 |url=https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/state-of-the-sanderson-2022 |url-status=live |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |website=Brandon Sanderson's Blog}}</ref> | |||
<blockquote>However, they treat authors very poorly. Particularly indie authors. The deal Audible demands of them is unconscionable, and I’m hoping that providing market forces (and talking about the issue with a megaphone) will encourage change in a positive direction.</blockquote>This quote highlights two things: that the idea that Audible treats their indie authors poorly and that a very large author can directly negotiate with Audible where indie author cannot. | |||
==Audible updates their royalty structure== | ==Audible updates their royalty structure== | ||