Amazon renames Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+ and expands audiobook access
The U.S. subscription remains $11.99 a month, with a 20-title borrowing limit. More audiobooks are being added, including titles from self-published authors.
Amazon renamed its Kindle Unlimited subscription Kindle+ on October 22 and expanded its audiobook offering, giving U.S. subscribers more titles to listen to without raising the monthly price. The service still lets members borrow from a selected catalog of digital books, comics and magazines.
Amazon spokesperson Josh Pflug told The Verge that the U.S. catalog now includes thousands of additional audiobooks at no extra cost. Engadget separately reported that Amazon notified subscribers of the new name and larger audiobook library by email. Neither report established a precise count of newly added titles.
Kindle+ price and borrowing limits
The U.S. price remains $11.99 a month plus taxes, according to Amazon. Members can borrow up to 20 digital books, audiobooks or comics at once, return them when they choose and then borrow more. Engadget reported that existing reading history, bookmarks, notes and saved titles carry over under the new name.
Kindle+ remains a subscription separate from Amazon Prime. It is available through Kindle devices and the Kindle app. Prime members have access to a curated selection of the Kindle+ catalog, Amazon says, but the full subscription carries its own monthly charge.
How authors can add audiobooks
The expanded catalog includes another route for authors who publish through Kindle Direct Publishing. The Verge reported that those authors can make their audiobooks available to Kindle+ subscribers. Engadget said self-published authors can include traditionally produced recordings, while Amazon is also testing a service that generates narration using a virtual voice.
The Verge reported that newly enrolled KDP Select titles with virtual-voice audiobooks become available automatically, while authors can opt in previously published titles. Its report attributed part of the virtual-voice detail to ZDNet; Engadget separately reported the test of generated narration. Authors who prefer human narration can use recordings made through Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange marketplace, according to The Verge.
The Verge said those ACX recordings will initially be available to Kindle+ subscribers in the United States, with expansion to other markets planned. Amazon’s stated U.S. price and audiobook addition therefore do not establish the catalog or subscription terms in every country; the company has not given a full timetable for the wider audiobook rollout.
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Sources and context
- Amazon renames Kindle Unlimited to Kindle Plus and expands access to audiobooksThe Verge
- Amazon rebrands Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+Engadget
- Amazon's Kindle+ subscription: Your questions, answeredAmazon (About Amazon)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.