Scribd Review: Netflix for Audiobooks? Not Really.

Our Scribd Review & Test Reveals That Scribd Provides Access to a Huge Book Library. But Unlimited Listening to Major Audiobook Titles Is Severely Restricted.

This Scribd review shows it is a huge resource of the written word, but if you are looking for unlimited reading and listening to major blockbuster book titles, it does not exist. Scribd is a good unlimited audiobook subscription service but is plagued by limited major book titles and user access throttling.

While Scribd claims to be the Netflix of Audiobooks and the written word, the reality is quite different.

Scribd Rating 3.6/5.0
💸 Pricing ★★★★★
🚦 Audiobook Availability ★★★★✩
📰 Library Depth ★★★✩✩
↩ Returns Policy ★★✩✩✩
☎ Customer Support ★★★✩✩

Scribd Review Summary

Our Scribd review and test reveals that Scribd has a huge library of books, audiobooks, and magazines. If you are looking for unlimited audiobook access to premium titles, you will be disappointed as the selection is weak and access is throttled.

There are a lot of fans of Scribd out there, especially avid readers and audiobook listeners.

Scribd announced something very new in the world of media, a Flat Rate unlimited access to the Audiobook, eBooks, and Managzine Library.

This essentially went viral because, before this announcement, everyone was forced to pay for audiobooks individually.

There is nothing official from Scribd, but I estimate the Audiobook library to contain about 30,000 to 40,000 titles, this is a lot lower than Audible or Audiobooks.com, but I also suspect that the publishers receive a lot less revenue from Scribd, so they are less inclined to release new and best-selling titles.

Scribd Review: Features

⚡ Features Unlimited Reading & Listening
🏆 Unique Features A Huge Library of Older Books
🎯 Best for Older Titles
♲ Subscription Monthly, Yearly
💰 Price $9.99/mo
💻 OS Android, Apple
✂ Discount None Available
🌎 Region Global

Scribd Pros

★ Unlimited Audiobook Listening
★ $9.95 Flat Rate per Month
★ 100+ Magazines
★ Good Apps for Android & Apple
★ 1,000s of eBooks

Scribd Cons

✘ You do not own the books
✘ Limitations on Accessing Popular Titles

Visit Scribd Find Scribd Alternatives

Is Scribd Netflix for Audiobooks

Scribd App for Audiobooks - A Good User Experience
Scribd App for Audiobooks – A Good User Experience

Scribd is very similar to Netflix in its business model; it licenses content from publishers and pays those publishers on a per-use basis.

As consumers, we see only a low flat rate subscription charge per month for a large amount of content.

The monthly subscription is so low because you do not own the books; you are only allowed to access them for the duration of your subscription.

It isn’t easy to compare Scribd for Audiobooks with Audible or Audiobooks.com.

The Scribd library is not as large, does not contain the sheer depth of blockbuster, and bestseller titles and popular books are throttled.

Aside from that, I have found many audiobooks to enjoy, including the entire works of Tolkien and books by my favorite British comedians.

Scribd will become tiresome for the hardcore Audiobookhphile, but it is quite compelling for casual listeners who also enjoy magazines and ebooks.

Scribd Magazines

Scribd has 100 magazines, which you can access via browser or the App. I was impressed because some good magazines are included in the Scribd subscription.

Flagship magazines like Time, T3, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Newsweek, and Inc are included.

Scribd Magazines - A Good Selection
Scribd Magazines – A Good Selection

I was very excited to see this, but when I read a few magazines, I realized the experience is not like really reading a magazine.

I do not mean the paper; I mean the layout and editing. The magazine articles are in simple HTML with simple images; in fact, some magazines like T3 were very poorly formatted.

This detracted from the magazine experience.

Scribd Pricing Plans

The Scribd pricing is straightforward; it is $9.99 per month for unlimited access to their library of books, audiobooks, and 100+ magazines for the duration of your subscription.

If you stop the subscription, you lose access. For many, this is not a problem; if you listen to many audiobooks and are not interested in building up a library of books that you own, then it is a great solution.

I have been with Audible for nearly a decade, I have 255 audiobooks, which cost me approximately $2,500 over that period, but those books are mine for life and for my children.

If I had been with Scribd for that period, it would have cost me $972, but I would own nothing. It is like the difference between renting and owning a house.

Scribd Alternatives

If you want to build a library of excellent books that you can keep forever, then Scribd is a poor choice. Excellent Scribd alternatives are Audible and AudioBooks.com, which provide cost-effective subscriptions to audiobooks you get to keep for life. Compare Audible vs. AudioBooks.com.

Customer Service & Returns Policy

I have seen many complaints online that Scribd is throttling heavy audiobook consumers who consume too many books. Also, I have read that certain bestselling titles are restricted to one or two per user month or not even visible for some users.

I have not experienced this, but I can understand that it is a balancing act for Scribd to ensure they earn in revenue what they need to pay to publishers and that some do not abuse the system.

Scribd – A Large Collection of the Written Word & Music

I must say you could never get bored inside the SCRIBD ecosystem; you can see below the sheer depth of content available for the small monthly subscription.

Managing Your Library With Scribd
Managing Your Library With Scribd

Scribd App & Device Compatibility

Scribd App Store Rating: 4.5 ☆ Excellent

I have been using the App with my new subscription for two months and have found it an absolute delight to use. Running on Android and iPhone, the AppApp actually has everything you would need to enjoy Audiobooks and other media.

Key App Functionality:

  • Sleep timer
  • Bookmarking & Note Taking
  • Sharing
  • Playback speed control

Scribd Review Summary

Scribd gets our recommendation; although it cannot compete head-to-head with Audible or Audiobooks.com on audiobooks alone, it provides added value in magazines, eBooks, and even sheet music. So if you are looking for a good overall written work package, look no further.

Scribd – Key Feature & Benefits Table

Scribd Audiobooks
Our Rating☆☆☆☆
Audiobook TypeFull
Do You Own the Audiobook
Lifetime Access to Books
Audiobooks Collection40,000 est
Membership /month$9.99
Membership /yearly
Scribd Audiobooks
# Audiobooks / monthUnlimited
Cost per book /monthly subscription-
Cost per book /yearly subscription-
Subscription RequiredYes
Audio QualityExcellent
Books Returns PolicyNothing to Return
Customer SupportEmail Only
Scribd Audiobooks
Special Services
eBooks
Magazines
Podcasts
App Store Rating4.5 ☆
DevicesiPhone, Android, PC
Smart Speaker
Scribd - Key Feature & Benefits Tabe
Barry D. Moore
Barry's 25 years of experience with Silicon Valley Corporations such as IBM, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Hewlett Packard Enterprise & DXC Technology enables him to share his knowledge of succeeding in today's professional corporate environments and develop a great work life for yourself.

1 COMMENT

  1. Scribd is a ripoff. I canceled Scribd 3 times but they kept billing me anyway. So I called CitiBank and they said all I could do is cancel my credit card and get a new one. So I did that and Scribd still managed to bill me again. Now I have to get a new card CitiBank will block Scribd but it will take a week to do that and get a new card. Save your money, get online with your library, get a card, download Libby, and you can borrow thousands of books free.

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