Scribd ebook and audiobook subscription service launches in Australia
To take on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and Audible
US-based ebook and audiobook subscription service Scribd has officially launched Down Under, putting it in direct competition with Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and Audible platforms.
For AU$13.99 a month, avid Aussie readers will get unlimited access to over two million ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and podcasts. In fact, Scribd is also home to a vast library of other documents like sheet music that's available to subscribers as well.
To make it a more compelling option for an Australian audience, Scribd has teamed up with local publishers like Fremantle Press, Allen & Unwin, Murdoch Books, and the Australian branches of HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, so readers can access titles from Aussie authors.
Scribd was established in the US in 2007 and today boasts over a million subscribers worldwide.
- How to buy, download and lend books on a Kindle ereader
- How to listen to Audible audiobooks on an Amazon Echo device
- Best audiobook sites
Taking on an Amazon
In Australia, a Kindle Unlimited subscription also costs AU$13.99 a month, but you only get access to books that authors have made available through the platform. Admittedly it's a staggering number of books (and Audible versions of those books), but there's no guarantee you'll be able to find your favourite Aussie titles on it.
To compete with Amazon, Scribd has promised to expand its existing library of not just books, but podcasts as well, including exploring options for some original content.
Moreover, Scribd's subscription also gets you access to newspapers, magazines and journal articles as well, not to mention sheet music for several instruments – a huge bonus for musicians – alongside other types of documents, like templates for contracts.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Scribd is already up and running in Australia, and is offering a 30-day free trial for new customers, with no lock-in contracts – you can cancel any time. The Scribd app is also available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store, so you can read anytime and anywhere.
To sign up for a free trial, head to the Scribd website.
While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.
Subwoofer-like mini PC hides eight (yes 8!) SSDs, a 16-core Ryzen CPU and a Geforce RTX 4060 GPU — and it won't cost as much as you think
Early Black Friday deal: get three months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free
Excited for Silo season 2? Here are 4 more sci-fi shows on Apple TV Plus with over 83% on Rotten Tomatoes