E-books and audiobooks are increasingly popular for their convenience and functionality. I, for one, love being able to either read an e-book or listen to an audiobook while on the go. Of course, audiobooks offer added functionality in this regard.
With the increased popularity of e-books and audiobooks has come increased accessibility to a wide range of titles across both formats, through various combinations of many software, subscriptions, and carrier mobile devices. So much so, that – as is the case with so many things today – we find ourselves comparing the pros and cons of the available options. Popular options that readily come to mind are Kindle for e-books and Audible for audiobooks – both from the Amazon platform. Naturally, that is where my search started.
From there, my search for ideal e-book and audiobook platforms led me to several free trials for platforms like Kobo and Audiobooks.com for comparison. Before I came across the platform I am highlighting in this article, I was stuck reading e-books on Amazon’s Kindle and audiobooks across the many available platforms. So, now on to my favourite find from all the available options – Scribd.
Introducing Scribd: What the Platform is all About?
As is the case with many of the existing comparative platforms, Scribd is a subscription access platform that allows users to access the platform’s extensive catalogue of available e-books, audiobooks, and a wide range of other important multimedia content. By subscribing for one low fee, users get unfettered access to all that the platform has to offer.
What I Love Most About Scribd
01. It’s a two-edged sword
Unlike the majority of comparable digital media platforms which usually cater to either e-books or audiobooks, Scribd caters to carrying both e-books and audiobooks within a single subscription. This is perhaps my favourite feature of the platform. I like the fact that I can get both my audio and e-book options on one platform. It makes for most space on my phone and other media libraries.
02. Extensive catalogue available just about everywhere
Oftentimes, many platforms carrying new media like audiobooks do not offer all titles in some regions. As such, your subscription does not necessarily give you access to all your favourite titles. I found this out the hard way. Scribd, however, proved to be different. Not only does the platform carry just about every title you can imagine from all over the world and accessible from anywhere in the world.
Importantly, in addition to e-books and audiobooks (the focus of this article), Scribd is also the home to magazines, comics, sheet music, and lots of other great multimedia content.
03. It’s great for reading lists
Of course, other features like the option to download the audio or e-book files of the titles you are interested in or would like to have access to offline, are also welcome features of the app. This feature is perfect for building your reading list and making your way through it. There is also a ‘save for later’ option that allows the user to get back to books they have started listening to or reading using the platform or app. Bookmarking is another feature that lends to continuity on the Scribd platform.
04. Convenient search features
As intimated previously, the Scribd app and platform are home to countless titles. As such, there is quite a bit to sift through. Consequently, the dynamic search options allow you to find exactly what you are looking for in seconds. You can opt to search by favourite author, book title (if you know it), topic, genre, type of media, and so much more.
Unsurprisingly, once you have found what you are looking for, there are suggestions for similar titles you can check out. However, the best thing about this feature is you can try these other suggestions guilt-free as they are available at no extra cost – often in both e-book and audiobook format. This is thanks to the flat-rate monthly subscription fee that is all access.
Trust me, this combination of easy search features and cost-effectiveness will have you going down the rabbit hole of e-books and audiobooks in no time. Best of all you can discover new favourites (authors, genres, and titles alike) by the day. Thanks to the flat fee, you can explore as much as you desire.
05. Full-service app
Whether reading for entertainment or education, Scribd is the digital platform and app for you and it is available on your computer and through your browser too, as well as your mobile devices. This is important, as many times when a platform has a corresponding app, some features and functionalities are not included. Thankfully, this is not the case with Scribd. Instead, the app is well-designed and all the important features are there and work just as well.
The Final Two Cents
While I haven’t tested and tried all the existing e-book and audiobook apps out now, I have tried enough to know a good one when I see one. Scribd is a great option. I would highly recommend it to anyone using digital options to enjoy their favourite books or other types of content.