Amazon has released the Kindle Unlimited subscription service, which provides unlimited (natch) access to a curated selection of ebooks and audiobooks for $9.99 a month. I don’t often question Amazon’s business decisions–so far, CEO Jeff Bezos has proven his mettle in terms of reading the market and providing in-demand products and services.
Here are some of the specifics:
- $9.99/month subscription
- Over 600,000 ebooks
- Over 2,o00 audiobooks
- Over 150,000 audiobooks via a complimentary 3-month Audible membership
- iOS, Android, and Fire HDX support for both ebooks and audiobooks.
- Windows support for ebooks
- 10 titles can be accessed at one time
- 6 devices can access the service at one time
I’m a bit ambivalent about the service myself. I’m a fairly avid reader, but I have quite a backlog of books that I’ve received for free or at a very low price through various promotions over the years. If I were someone who commonly buys bestsellers the minute they’re released, and who buys enough books a month, then the $9.99 subscription fee could be attractive. I’m not that person, however, and so I don’t know if I’m part of the service’s target market.
There’s a 30-day trial available, and I’ll be taking advantage of it. If you have an Amazon account already and use a Kindle or one of the many Kindle apps, then I suggest giving it a try as well. Just remember to cancel the service prior to the end of the 30-day trial, or you’ll be charged for a month’s service.
After a quick check, I’m finding that the Kindle Unlimited selection is definitely limited, and that there’s a distinct difference between the ebooks available via Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited. You’ll want to do some quick browsing at least to see which titles are available on which service before swiping your credit card. Look for the Kindle Unlimited logo next to those ebooks and audiobooks that are included in the service.
Good luck, and if you sign up for Kindle Unlimited, let me know how it works out for you.
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