AudiobooksNow
AudiobooksNow is a US-based digital audiobook retailer founded in 2012, offering streaming and download access to over 420,000 titles via web and mobile apps, sold through pay-as-you-go purchases and an optional $35.99/year Club Pricing membership targeting individual consumers and bulk business buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSterling, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What AudiobooksNow does
AudiobooksNow is a US-based digital audiobook retailer founded in 2012 and headquartered in Sterling, Virginia. The company operates a web storefront at audiobooksnow.com plus free native applications for Apple iOS and Android, offering streaming and instant download of more than 420,000 audiobooks across categories including fiction (suspense, romance, mystery, fantasy, literary, sci-fi), nonfiction (biography, self-help, religion, history, business, true crime), and a free-audiobook section.
The platform supports two commercial models in parallel: a pay-as-you-go storefront in which customers permanently own every audiobook they purchase at typical prices of $10.49–$16.49 for bestsellers (roughly 50% off list), and an optional Club Pricing Plan membership priced at $35.99 annually (with a 30-day free trial) that layers additional discounts, monthly "50% off 50" deals, and a cash-back rewards program. A Bulk Purchasing program additionally serves business buyers, and a Gift Center supports gifting via email or printable certificates. The underlying technology is a conventional web/mobile e-commerce and media-delivery stack; no proprietary AI/ML components are disclosed.
The target customer is individual audiobook consumers who object to Audible-style credit-based pricing and rental/expiration models, plus a secondary B2B segment for volume buyers. Acquisition is product-led, relying on SEO through genre and bestseller pages, a direct pricing comparison page vs. Audible, affiliate partners, email capture, and a social presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Leadership consists of co-founders Andrew Bilinski and Douglas Ross, with Bryan Stafford serving as President & CEO. No funding rounds, M&A, or structural changes are reported; the company operates as a privately held, self-funded niche retailer.
AudiobooksNow firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AudiobooksNow
- Legal name
- AudiobooksNow
- Website
- https://audiobooksnow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AudiobooksNow is a US-based digital audiobook retailer founded in 2012, offering streaming and download access to over 420,000 titles via web and mobile apps, sold through pay-as-you-go purchases and an optional $35.99/year Club Pricing membership targeting individual consumers and bulk business buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AudiobooksNow industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Audiobook Retail
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer) (MPAJAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Books & Audiobooks Retail (E-books/Audiobooks) (CRALAAAI), Audiobook Distribution & Aggregation (To Retailers/Libraries) (MPAJAIAC)
Keywords
Where AudiobooksNow is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sterling
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AudiobooksNow business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel
Revenue model
- Club Pricing Subscription: Optional membership program offering discounted prices on all audiobooks, exclusive 50% off 50 monthly deals, double rewards for cash back, and access to exclusive offers and content. Includes 30-day free trial. Annual plan available for $35.99.
- Pay-As-You-Go Audiobook Sales: Individual audiobook purchases at everyday low prices without requiring a subscription plan. Customers own every audiobook they purchase outright. Transaction-based model with prices varying by title.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Club Pricing Plan - subscription with discounted prices |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-As-You-Go - no plan required |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
AudiobooksNow product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AudiobooksNow operates a digital audiobook retail platform that provides streaming and instant-download access to a catalog of more than 420,000 audiobooks across fiction, nonfiction, and specialized categories. Customers can purchase individual titles outright at transparent everyday prices with no subscription required, or opt into the Club Pricing Plan for member-exclusive 50% off monthly deals, cashback rewards, and approximately 50% or greater savings versus list prices. The platform is delivered through the audiobooksnow.com website and free native iOS and Android applications, with library persistence ensuring purchased titles remain accessible across devices indefinitely.
Product overview
AudiobooksNow is a digital audiobook platform offering both a pay-as-you-go purchasing model and an optional Club Pricing membership plan. The core AudiobooksNow Platform provides streaming and downloading access to over 420,000 audiobooks. The Club Pricing Plan adds membership benefits including 50% off the first audiobook and ongoing exclusive discounts. The service is accessible via the AudiobooksNow Mobile App for Apple and Android devices, as well as through the website. Additional offerings include a Rewards Program for loyalty points, a Gift Center for sending audiobooks as gifts, and a Bulk Purchasing program for businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AudiobooksNow Platform Core audiobook streaming and download platform providing customers access to more than 420,000 audiobooks through pay-as-you-go purchasing, with optional membership and perpetual ownership of purchased titles.
- Club Pricing Plan Optional annual membership offering member-exclusive 50% off 50 monthly deals, double-rewards cashback, and approximately 50% or greater savings versus list prices; includes a 30-day free trial.
- AudiobooksNow Mobile App Free mobile applications for Apple iOS and Android devices that deliver audiobook streaming and instant download with cross-device library sync.
- Bulk Purchasing Program Dedicated business program for organizations, teams, and libraries to purchase audiobooks in volume from the AudiobooksNow catalog.
- AudiobooksNow Rewards Customer rewards and cashback program that returns credit on audiobook purchases, with double-reward promotions for Club Pricing members.
- Gift Center Service enabling customers to purchase audiobooks as gifts for other individuals through the platform.
- AudiobooksNow Affiliate Program Affiliate marketing program that enables content partners and comparison sites to earn commission on referred AudiobooksNow purchases.
Quantifiable outcome
- Club Pricing example shows $31.47 total for 3 books vs $44.85 at Audible (approximately 30% savings)
Companies that use AudiobooksNow
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AudiobooksNow technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AudiobooksNow partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
AudiobooksNow competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Audible: Amazon-owned audiobook subscription service and the dominant audiobook retailer globally. AudiobooksNow explicitly positions against Audible in pricing and ownership model, making it the primary direct competitor with overlapping catalog and consumer base.
- Libro.fm: Independent audiobook retailer offering DRM-free audiobooks and a subscription model that supports local bookstores. Directly comparable to AudiobooksNow as a smaller, non-Amazon D2C audiobook platform with similar ownership-friendly positioning.
- Chirp Books: Discount audiobook retailer offering limited-time deals on audiobooks, similar to AudiobooksNow's '50% Off 50' monthly deal. Competes on price-conscious audiobook buyers with overlapping transactional (non-subscription) economics.
- Scribd: Subscription-based reading and audiobook platform offering unlimited access for a flat monthly fee. Comparable as a D2C audiobook subscription offering, though it bundles ebooks and documents together.
- Downpour: Independent DRM-free audiobook retailer offering purchases and rentals. Directly comparable as a smaller non-Amazon audiobook storefront with similar pay-as-you-go and ownership-oriented positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Apple Books: Apple's integrated bookstore and audiobook platform available on iOS devices. Comparable as a major audiobook retailer with bundled distribution through Apple's ecosystem, though part of Apple's broader services portfolio.
- Google Play Books: Google's digital bookstore and audiobook platform across Android. Competes in the same audio retail space as part of Google's broader content and services ecosystem, including integrations with Google Assistant and Android.
- Spotify Audiobooks: Spotify's audiobook tier offering audiobooks to Premium subscribers. Directly competitive as a flat-rate audiobook offering for consumers, leveraging Spotify's massive existing subscriber base in music streaming.
- Kobo: Rakuten-owned digital bookstore offering ebooks and audiobooks globally. Comparable as an established independent-leaning alternative to Amazon with audiobook retail capabilities across multiple devices.
- Storytel: Subscription-based audiobook and ebook streaming service operating primarily in Europe and emerging markets. Comparable as a flat-rate audiobook subscription player with overlapping catalog and consumer value proposition.
Market position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
AudiobooksNow social profiles
Digital presenceAudiobooksNow financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AudiobooksNow leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
AudiobooksNow funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AudiobooksNow M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AudiobooksNow
What does AudiobooksNow do?
AudiobooksNow operates a digital audiobook retail platform that provides streaming and instant-download access to a catalog of more than 420,000 audiobooks across fiction, nonfiction, and specialized categories. Customers can purchase individual titles outright at transparent everyday prices with no subscription required, or opt into the Club Pricing Plan for member-exclusive 50% off monthly deals, cashback rewards, and approximately 50% or greater savings versus list prices. The platform is delivered through the audiobooksnow.com website and free native iOS and Android applications, with library persistence ensuring purchased titles remain accessible across devices indefinitely.
Is AudiobooksNow a public or private company?
AudiobooksNow is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was AudiobooksNow founded?
AudiobooksNow was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AudiobooksNow based?
AudiobooksNow is headquartered in Sterling, United States, in the North America region.
How does AudiobooksNow make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Club Pricing Subscription is the primary driver. The others are pay-As-You-Go Audiobook Sales.
Who are AudiobooksNow's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Audible, Libro.fm, Chirp Books, Scribd and Downpour. Broad incumbents are Apple Books, Google Play Books, Spotify Audiobooks, Kobo and Storytel.
Does AudiobooksNow have an API?
No public API is recorded for AudiobooksNow.
What industry is AudiobooksNow in?
AudiobooksNow's product category is Digital Audiobook Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAIAD, Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer), with a secondary code of CRALAAAI, Digital Books & Audiobooks Retail (E-books/Audiobooks). Its NAICS code is 459210 and its SIC code is 5735.