Audiobooks make fantastic gifts. They can transport your friends and loved ones to a faraway place, teach them something new, or make a long commute less boring. This makes audiobooks a fitting gift for any book lover.

However, figuring out how to give an audiobook as a gift isn't always so obvious. And sometimes, even the most popular audiobook services don't make it easy. Thankfully, we're here to help. And just in time for the holidays too.

1. Audible

Audible Gift Center

When you gift an audiobook from Amazon's Audible, the recipient can redeem it and listen to the title from their Audible library. Head to the Audible Gift Center, browse for the desired title, and click the Give as a gift option. You can email or print the gift voucher.

If you don't know which audiobook they might enjoy, you can also give them a gift subscription. In the Audible Gift Center, you'll see one-, three-, six-, and 12-month subscriptions with prices from $15 to $150.

What will your recipient get with this subscription?

  • If they're not currently an Audible subscriber, they'll get one credit for any free book per month, along with two Audible Originals (exclusive audio titles you won't find on any other service) and discounts on other books.
  • If they already subscribe to Audible, they'll get all the credits immediately. That means they'll get one, three, six, or 12 free audiobooks right away, plus the two Audible Originals per month.

Audible isn't cheap, but it's one of the best services out there. And the book lover in your life can always cancel Audible if they decide it's not for them.

2. Amazon

Amazon Sandman Audio CD

Amazon's downloadable audiobooks are only available through Audible. You'll have to use a workaround if you'd rather gift an audiobook that isn't tied to Audible. You see, Amazon still sells audiobooks on CD. And you can have them gift-wrapped and sent to your loved one if you'd like. If your recipient wants their audiobook in a digital format, once they have the CD, they can technically do what they want with it.

3. Audiobooks.com

Audiobooks Gift Card Center

Audiobooks.com doesn't let you gift individual books. But there are a number of gift options, including one-, three-, six-, and 12-month plans priced from $14.95 to $149.40. These are good for one book download a month. Check out the Audiobooks.com Gift Center to choose one.

With prices comparable to Audible, this is a similarly attractive option, especially if you'd rather stay away from Amazon. And if you know that the audiobook fan you're buying for already listens via Audiobooks.com, it's a good way to go.

4. AudiobooksNow

AudiobooksNow Michella Obama Audiobook

You may not have heard of AudiobooksNow, but it's one of the best places to buy books online, and you'll surely find an audiobook you want to give as a gift. You can easily give single books as gifts by finding the one you're looking for, and clicking Give as Gift below the Add to Cart button.

But you can also give a Gift Plan membership for $29.99. This gives members 50 percent off 12 books a year and 35–40 percent off books afterward. There are no credits for free books like in other plans, but the saving on the first 12 books is valued at around $120. Go to the AudiobooksNow Gift Center to get started.

And there's also a third way: gift certificates. These are a great budget option, available in $5 increments starting at just $10, and allow your recipient to spend them on whatever book they want.

5. Downpour

Downpour Homepage

Unfortunately, Downpour doesn't have any gifting options available. However, because their audiobooks are DRM-free, you can simply buy one yourself and send it to your gift recipient. They can then use an audiobook app to listen to it, as they would do with an audiobook they purchased themselves.

6. Apple Books or iTunes

If you're looking to gift a single audiobook, and your recipient has an Apple device, this is your best bet. There's no subscription option, and buying an audiobook as a gift only takes a few clicks.

  1. Open up iTunes Store or the Books Store if you have an Apple device and switch to the Audiobooks section.
  2. If you're using iTunes, click Store in the top menu.
  3. Search for the book you want, then click the arrow next to the Buy Audiobook button.
  4. Select Gift this Audiobook.

Then just follow the instructions to complete your purchase from there.

7. Libro.fm

Libro FM Credit Bundles

In addition to supporting independent bookstores, which is awesome, Libro.fm offers two ways to give audiobooks as presents.

First, you can gift individual books; no subscription is necessary. Just search for the book you want, and when you find it, click Send as gift. Be sure to choose your favorite independent bookstore before you buy the book so they get credit for your purchase.

But if you'd rather let your book lover choose their own titles, you can do that, too. Libro.fm offers credit bundles, starting at $30 for two credits. This gets the recipient their choice of as many audiobooks as their credits will buy them. Visit the libro.fm Gift Center to get started.

8. Scribd

Scribd Gift Page

Like Audible, Scribd is a popular subscription service and one of the best websites for downloading audiobooks. This platform lets readers access one audiobook and three ebooks a month. The standard subscription fee is $11.99/month, but you can buy a gift subscription for $59.99 (for six months) or $119.99 (for 12 months), saving up to 15% on the regular price. Just head to the Scribd gift page to get started.

Why You Should Give the Gift of Audiobooks This Year

Whether your gift recipient is a long-time fan of audiobooks or just starting to explore the medium, giving them an individual book or a subscription is a perfect way to support their hobby. Audiobooks are the kind of splurge that book lovers might hold back on because listening seems like cheating.

However, if your friend has complained about not having enough time to read, they might need that nudge to try an audiobook, especially if they have lots of time to fill during their commute or while doing chores.

If the recipient enjoys audiobooks and books in every form, consider gifting them a Kindle subscription instead. Or you could just pick a gift card and let them choose what they want.