There tend to be three camps of people: those who think audiobooks count as reading, those who don’t, and those who could not care less. Where do I fall, you ask?

I think I’d probably classify myself in the last camp where I didn’t care. I read books either on my Kindle or as a physical book, and I moved on with my life. My brother-in-law almost exclusively listens to audiobooks. For the longest time, it just hasn’t been something I’ve been interested in.

I have tried to get into audiobooks in the past, but I just couldn’t do it! I was getting too distracted and losing the storyline. It felt like I wasn’t really retaining the story, so it didn’t count.

With all of that being said, I’ve been getting into audiobooks more in 2024! I’ve added them into my rotation, so I’ve learned a lot. Thus, this is my beginner’s guide to audiobooks.

Do audiobooks count as reading?

I believe they do! There is so much to be said about how we retain or receive information when it’s spoken to us, whether in a lecture hall, a podcast, or an audiobook.

Audiobooks also help make reading more accessible to those with learning disabilities or those who didn’t enjoy reading previously!

Please stop judging people for listening to audiobooks if that’s the only way they consume literature. It makes no difference in your life.

How do you “count” listening to audiobooks toward reading goals?

This might be an unpopular or uncommon opinion, but I don’t count them any differently. Most audiobook services will give you the percentage you’ve listened to, so I just update Goodreads or Storygraph with the percent like I do for Kindle books.

This probably messes with my overall page count or something, but it makes no nevermind to me.

There’s also a conversation for those who do count the minutes listened to about whether you count the actual minutes you listen (if you speed it up at all) or if you count the minutes of the audiobook. Confused? We’ll get into this in a bit.

How to Become an Audiobook Fan

Remember, I was NOT a fan of audiobooks. I also don’t like podcasts, for the record. I’m a firm believer that there are too many podcasts out and about and it’s time to stop making new ones. Okay, rant over.

While I would not call myself an avid audiobook fan, they are a regular occurrence in my book rotation. I feel pretty qualified to share these steps with you.

1. Find your TYPE of audiobook.

I’ve tried to listen to a few different genres of audiobook to see what I enjoy. I tend to gravitate most toward memoirs and mysteries/thrillers. I’ve tried fantasy, but I find that I miss some of the more intricate details and world building.

You might prefer to listen to romance or sci-fi. Don’t write off audiobooks if you’ve only tried a single genre.

2. Find the situation where you’ll listen best.

I think the reason I claimed audiobooks weren’t for me was because I was trying to listen at work. I would focus on work and lose the story. That was too much for my brain to process.

Now, I’m pretty selective about where I listen. I’ve found success:

• Driving in the car
• Walking on the treadmill
• Mowing the grass
• Doing house chores
• On an airplane that had no seatback entertainment
• Going through TSA or waiting for a flight

These are all essentially moments where my brain doesn’t have to do too many things at once, allowing me to focus on the book a bit more.

3. Find your speed.

You can speed up audiobooks! Another reason I was against them in the beginning was because I can read faster than someone can read something to me. Being able to speed up the audiobooks has been awesome. Plus, you finish faster, making more time for more books!

If you listen to a 9 hour audiobook at 1.5x, you finish in only 6 hours. If it’s 2x, you’re done in 4.5 hours!

For me, I’m somewhere between 1.5-2x. It varies by book and by narrator. I also sometimes start the book at one speed and speed up once I get used to the narrator. Narrators with accents are sometimes a lower speed, or multiple narrators too.

Don’t compete with other people about their audiobook speed! Everyone is different. Some people like the leisure of listening to a book as it was intended to be heard whereas others don’t mind if they can’t always understand what’s being said.

4. Narrators make a difference!

I’m also big on people’s voices. A bad narrator can really take away from a book. The Paris Apartment had one character/narrator that I COULD NOT STAND. Ugh, she was awful. It fit with the character well enough, but it threw off the speed of the book and all sorts.

Also, as you listen to more audiobooks, you’ll find narrators that you really like (or those that you don’t so much enjoy). I have not yet reached this point, but a lot of my friends who are farther along in their audiobook journey have said this happens.

5. Start for free.

There are so many resources out in the world where you can get into audiobooks without any sort of fiscal investment. I’m a big fan of using Libby in conjunction with my library card. The selection available might not be top tier, but it’s a low pressure way to get into it.

Since the books are free, don’t be afraid to return a book early if you’re not feeling it. I can’t tell you how many I’ve started and realized it wasn’t for me. Just “Return early” and move on.

Also, if you’re a Spotify account holder (not a family member or someone else on the bill), you get up to 15 hours of free listening each month. Lots of the popular books are there and available. I do, however, believe that it counts the hours of the book, not the hours you spend listening though.

There are other audiobook services with paid subscriptions, like Audible or Libro.fm as well.

Enjoy your audiobook journey!

Now, you might make your way through this whole beginner’s guide to audiobooks and realize that they just are not for you. Life is too short spending time consuming media that does not serve you.

However, if you are starting your audiobook journey, let me know! I’m always looking for new tips and tricks for getting more out of my audiobooks.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, so I may receive a small commission from sales generated (at no extra cost to you). Happy shopping!