Would you listen to a book? I wouldn’t. I firmly believe, books are meant to be read. And that is, real, actual books, ones that have been printed on paper. Black text on white paper, with the font large enough to be legible without straining or squinting. But that’s just me. I’ve recently crossed 50 (which makes me a dinosaur as far as my 15-year-old son and his friends are concerned) and have decidedly old-fashioned tastes when it comes to books. Ultra-high definition 4K is wonderful for movies – I don’t feel the need to go back to VHS. And FLAC is perfect for music; I really don’t miss LP or music cassettes. But when it comes to books, ink and paper still haven’t been surpassed by new-age tech. Of course, many readers don’t agree with that, hence the proliferation of eBooks and the Kindle, with which storage and portability are never an issue. But technology doesn’t stop at that. Why read at all when you can have books read to you? Hence audiobooks, which have actually been around for a long time but seem to have become more widely available in recent years, and are getting increasing more popular.
I have to admit, I’m not too convinced about audiobooks. With regular books (and even eBooks), readers can pause, think, take some time to comprehend a complex thought or concept, instantly turn back a few pages and go over a certain paragraph again for added context, and resume reading – all at their own pace. With audiobooks, I feel comprehension has to follow the pace of narration, which is a an issue, at least for me. But the world seems to be okay with audiobooks in general and companies like Google, Apple and others are already working to make those more popular by reducing the cost and complexity of producing audiobooks. This they’re doing by eliminating the human narrator and getting AI-powered bots to read out books to you. So if anything, expect audiobooks to become even more widely available in the coming months, which bodes well for those who’d rather not read and prefer to listen to books instead.
Like elsewhere in the world, audiobooks are easily accessible in India and providers have extensive catalogues with a wide selection of books across genres. Where can you get the best selection of audiobooks in India? Some names that come to mind are Audible (which is backed by Amazon), Storytel, Apple Books, Google Play and Kuku FM. There are others also, of course, but some of those (audiobooks on Spotify, for example) are not accessible in India. If you’re based in India, the names mentioned here might be your best bet for audiobooks. Let’s take a quick look at these services and what they provide.
What is Audible?
According to Wikipedia, ‘Audible is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken content. This content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model where the user receives ‘credits’ that can be redeemed for content monthly and receive access to a curated on-demand library of content.’ Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon, is the one of the world’s largest audiobook producers and retailers. Some might be surprised to know that Audible has been around since the mid-1990s and came to India in 2018.
What does Audible offer?
The Audible catalogue of audiobooks is one of the biggest, with thousands of titles available, across categories like Literature & Fiction, Computers & Technology, Arts & Entertainment, Biographies & Memoirs, Business & Careers, Comedy & Humor, Education & Learning, Money & Finance, Parenting & Relationships, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Travel & Tourism, and many, many more. Plus, each category has many sub-categories, so your choices are pretty much endless. You get audiobooks from your favourite authors, Audible originals (exclusive audio content that’s only available here) and popular podcasts in English and Hindi. Some audiobooks are also available in Tamil, while podcasts are available in Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Kannada and other Indian languages.
Audible can be accessed via multiple devices – smartphones, PC, laptop, tablet etc. You can stream titles, save titles to your library to download and listen offline, and follow your favourite podcasts. For those who wish to listen to English or Hindi content, the selection is quite large. For other Indian languages, not so much.
I tried listening to a few audiobooks and the quality of narration seemed to be a bit inconsistent. Some narrators were just perfect, with a neutral accent and a pleasant tone/pitch of voice. Some others seemed to speak with a strong accent and were overly dramatic, which was tiresome. This is something you need to try for yourself and see if it works for you.
Audible Plans and Pricing
Here’s a bit of good news – Audible offers a large selection of free content – audiobooks, audio shows, podcasts, fiction, non-fiction – that you don’t need to pay to access. Those who want more can buy a membership, which gets you access to their Plus Catalogue, which features premium/exclusive content that’s not available in the ‘free’ section. With this, you get a 30-day free trial, after which it costs Rs 199 per month, which I think is reasonable.
Should you try Audible?
Sure, why not. First try listening to audiobooks that are free to access. If you find that you like listening to books and you want more, go for the paid membership, which will get you access to a wealth of audio content. Remember, there’s a 30-day free trial and you can cancel anytime during those 30 days, so you have nothing to lose.
What is Storytel?
According to their website, ‘Storytel is one of the world’s largest subscribed audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers listening and reading of more than 500,000 titles on a global scale. Storytel’s streaming business is conducted under the brands Storytel and Mofibo [and] its publishing business area is carried out through the audiobook publisher StorySide and acclaimed Nordic publishing houses such as Norstedts, People’s Press and Gummerus.’ Storytel, which was set up in Sweden in 2006, now operates in over 20 markets around the world and came to India in 2017.
What does Storytel offer?
‘Open your ears to stories. Enjoy unlimited access to audiobooks and ebooks in languages of your choice. Listen to thousands of audiobooks – everything from bestsellers to acclaimed thrillers, breathtaking novels or weighty biographies. Read and listen to as many books as you like. There is no limit to how many and how much book you can listen to. Download books offline, choose stories for your kids, or try out a book that you didn’t think you would like to listen to,’ they say.
Audiobook categories on Storytel include classics, fiction, non-fiction, crime, sci-fi, thrillers, history, biographies, economy and business, religion and spirituality, personal development, young adult and a few others. There is a ‘recommendations’ section, with audiobooks organised by weekly picks, top 50, trending titles, Storytel originals and coming soon. Languages include English, Hindi and other Indian languages.
You can either install the Storytel app on your smartphone (Apple and Android phones are supported) or, of course, log in via their website on your laptop or PC. We sampled a few audiobooks – both in English and in Hindi – and narration and audio quality both seemed to be impeccable.
Storytel Plans and Pricing
Subscribers can choose from two plans – Select, which offers 10+ Indian languages, excluding English, and Unlimited, with English and 10+ Indian languages. For Select, you can either pay Rs 149 per month (charged monthly) or Rs 999 for 12 months (charged yearly). For Unlimited, it’s Rs 299 per month or Rs 2,899 for one year.
Is a free trial available? Surprisingly, I’m not too sure. It seems there might be, but you need some kind of a code to activate it. No code, no free trial. A bit weird.
Should you try Storytel?
Probably, especially if you’re looking for audiobooks in languages other than English or Hindi. Visit their website and browse their collection. They have the largest selection of Indian-language audio content – apart from English and Hindi, they also have audiobooks in Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Urdu, Assamese, Gujarati and Odia, which you might not get elsewhere.
What is Apple Books?
Apple Inc. wants to own big chunks of your life, it wants to be everywhere. Music? iTunes. Movies and television? Apple TV+. Books? Why, Apple Books of course. ‘Read, listen, discover. All in one place. Apple Books is the single destination for all the books and audiobooks you love – and all the ones you’ll love next. Browse the audiobook store to find the perfect book to listen to,’ says Apple. And you can do that listening on your iPhone, iPad, MacBook and even the Apple Watch, just so you never – ever – need to leave the world of Apple. Not for a minute.
What does Apple Books offer?
A fairly large selection of audiobooks, paid and free, fiction and non-fiction. Categories include biographies and memoirs, history, business and finance, mysteries and thrillers, religion and spirituality, sci-fi and fantasy, science and nature, self-development and more. Use your Apple ID to sign in to your Apple account, go to Apple Books, buy the audiobooks you like and listen away to glory. They even encourage you to set ‘reading goals,’ ostensibly so you read more and strengthen your intellect, but perhaps also so you buy more audiobooks from Apple Books, so that Apple earns more money. But maybe I’m just cynical.
Apple Books Plans and Pricing
Since I don’t have an Apple ID, no Apple account to log in to, and hence no access to Apple Books, I haven’t really been able to sample their service. But I think the way it works is quite simple – just log in to your Apple account, browse the audiobook store, buy what you like and listen. As a service, I suppose it would be many times more expensive than the other options listed here. Then again, it’s more of a bookstore – Apple simply wants you to buy the audiobooks you want and then listen. It’s not really an audiobooks ‘service’ in the way Audible or Storytel is.
Should you try Apple Books?
Only if you own an Apple device and have an Apple ID. And even then, something like Audible might make more sense.
What is Google Play?
Google Play needs no introduction – millions of Android phone users know (and love?) Google’s app store. The store includes apps, games, movies, eBooks and, yes, audiobooks. If Apple can offer audiobooks to iPhone users, Google will, of course, ensure that Android phone users aren’t left behind.
What does Google Play offer?
No specific numbers on how large their collection of audiobooks is, but Google Play does seem to have a fairly good selection, with the usual categories that you’ll find elsewhere (arts and entertainment, biographies and memoirs, business and investing, fiction and literature, history, mystery, religion etc.). You can also browse titles categories by popularity, price (under Rs 99, under Rs 499 and so on), new releases and top sellers. Click on any audiobook and Google lets you play a sample. If you’re logged in to your Google account, you can buy the audiobooks you want and add those to your library, or, if you don’t wish to make a purchase, just add to your wishlist.
Google Play Plans and Pricing
No ‘plans’ as such – just log in and buy the audiobooks you want. There’s a wide range of prices, which start at below Rs 100. You can also share the audiobooks you purchase, with up to five family members using Google Play Family Library.
Should you try Google Play?
Probably not. This seems to be a half-hearted, not-very-serious attempt at selling audiobooks. It’s like someone at Google thought, ‘we’re doing everything else, so why not also audiobooks?’ But dedicated audiobooks services like Audible and Storytel are definitely better options.
What is Kuku FM?
Kuku FM is the homegrown alternative to other audiobook services mentioned here. ‘Kuku FM is India’s leading audio content platform that creates, produces, markets and distributes exclusive premium audio contents in the form of audiobooks, stories, summaries, courses and more categories via its mobile app (available on android and iOS) and website,’ they claim.
What does Kuku FM offer?
They do seem to a large selection of audiobooks, the categories being more or less the same as mentioned for other similar services above. In addition to English and Hindi, content is available in other Indian languages, including Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil and Malayalam.
Kuku FM Plans and Pricing
Paid subscriptions, for one individual, cost Rs 99 per month or Rs 899 for 12 months. There’s also a ‘family plan’ for Rs 199 per month, which gets you access for up to four users.
Should you try Kuku FM?
Honestly, I’m not too sure. There seems to be no mention of a free trial, for one. Then again, with only Rs 99 for a month, you could anyway give it a shot and see if you like using the service. The quality of narration seems to be okay and they do have a large collection of Hindi audiobooks, especially fiction.
The above is not an exhaustive list – there are other services that also provide access to audiobooks. But the above list includes some of the best options for audiobooks available in India. If you can’t be bothered to pick up a book and actually read, then head up to one of the above, choose an audiobook and start listening now!
-Sameer Kumar
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