US — The Verge

Amazon renames Kindle Unlimited to Kindle Plus and expands access to audiobooks

SoftwareOctober 23, 20261 min read

Amazon has renamed its Kindle Unlimited subscription to Kindle Plus. The service also adds more audiobooks, including ones read by AI narrators, at no extra cost.

Kindle Unlimited is now Kindle Plus

Amazon has changed the name of its reading subscription from Kindle Unlimited to Kindle Plus. It costs $11.99 per month. Subscribers can read a set of ebooks, comics, and magazines for free while they pay. Thousands of these titles also come with audiobooks, so readers can switch between reading and listening at the same spot.

Key facts

Price: $11.99 per month
Thousands of titles include companion audiobooks
Subscribers can borrow up to 20 titles at once, with no return dates
Kindle Plus is separate from Amazon Prime

Why the new name and audiobooks

Many companies are adding the word 'Plus' to their subscription services. Kindle Plus also adds 'virtual voice' audiobooks. These are read by AI narrators, which means computer-generated voices instead of people. Authors can choose to have AI narrators for older books too. Authors who want a human voice can use audiobooks made through Audible's ACX marketplace, but for now this is only for US subscribers.

Why it matters

This change gives readers more audiobooks without paying extra. It also lets authors using Amazon's publishing tools reach more listeners. Using AI voices for audiobooks may also change how people make and sell audiobooks.

What to watch

Amazon plans to bring human-narrated ACX audiobooks to more countries over time
How many authors choose AI narrators for their older books
Whether the price of $11.99 changes later

Glossary

Kindle Plus: Amazon's monthly subscription for reading ebooks, comics, and magazines, with some audiobooks included.
Kindle Unlimited: The old name of the same Amazon reading subscription, now renamed Kindle Plus.

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