Audio Book Rental

There's no question that listening to your favorite novels on CDs or MP3 files is a great way to enjoy books while leaving your hands and eyes free to do other things, such as cooking, working out, or driving. But some people are hesitant to purchase these types of CDs because of the expense or because of a storage issue. Indeed, books on CD generally cost much more than their traditional paper-and-cardboard counterparts, and once you've finished listening to the CDs, you'll have to find a place to keep the thick plastic case that they come in.

One popular solution to these problems is to rent instead of buy. There are many companies that specialize in audio book rental these days, and you can easily find them on the Internet. Let's take a look at what you can expect if you decide to pursue this route.

Most audio book rental services work off of the same model. You pay a monthly membership fee, which then entitles you to receive a certain number of books each month. You select your books directly from the thousands of offerings on the company's website, and then they'll ship you the title, along with a postage-paid envelope so that you can return the CDs when you're finished. That's the basic structure of a membership plan, but the details vary from place to place. For example, some companies allow you to have several titles out at one time, while others require that you go through your books one by one. Some will charge you late fees if you are slow to return your audio book rental by a certain date, others have no such fees. You'll have to decide which membership features are the most important to you, then choose a service that matches your needs.

A handful of services provide audio book rentals based on an entirely different model. Instead of renting the titles online and receiving them in the mail, you actually come into a retail location to get the books that you want. This is great for those who prefer being able to browse through titles in person rather than on their computer screen. One national chain has successfully implemented a similar method with great results. Customers can some into any store location and buy books on CD. Then when they're finished listening, they can return the CDs to any other store location, at which time they'll receive a complete refund of the purchase price, less a small fee based on how many weeks the CDs were in circulation. This can be a very convenient way to rent, particularly if you travel a lot.

The bottom line is that renting books on CD is an excellent alternative for those who plan on listening to titles only once or for those who don't want to build an entire collection of their own. It this sounds appealing to you, check out the many audio book rental options that are available, and you'll soon be able to enjoy your books on the go.