About Shelf & Sound
A small site about two Amazon subscriptions, written by someone who got tired of not being able to get a straight answer about what they cost.
Who writes this
Stephen V.. Stephen V. is an enthusiast who got tired of not being able to get a straight answer about what Audible and Kindle Unlimited actually cost and actually include. He reads the terms, compiles the published details, and does the arithmetic. No lab coat, no test bench.
That is a deliberately modest description, and it is accurate. There is no editorial team behind it and no panel of advisors. What there is, is a method — read the actual terms, check them against the company's own page, write down the date, and do the sums — which is set out in full on how we research so you can judge whether it is being followed.
Why this site exists
Try to find out what Audible costs. It sounds like a five-second question. In practice, Audible's detailed plan page redirects into an Amazon sign-in, Amazon renders the Kindle Unlimited price in JavaScript on a page that does not otherwise state it, and the sites that rank for the question mostly quote figures without saying when they checked or against what — several of which turn out to be describing plans that no longer exist under names Audible has stopped using.
That gap is the whole reason for this site. Not a better opinion about audiobooks: a straight answer about what these things cost, with the date attached, and an honest note where the answer could not be found.
How the site is paid for
Shelf & Sound takes part in the Amazon Associates program. When someone starts a qualifying free trial through one of our links, we are paid a flat fee for the signup — not a share of anything you buy afterward, and nothing extra comes out of your pocket.
You should read everything here knowing that. The reason we think it is still worth reading is that the site is built to survive the conflict rather than hide it: several pages recommend a public library card, which pays us nothing at all, and the comparisons with Libby are willing to end with “use the library”. Those pages cost us money. They are the point. The full statement is on our affiliate disclosure.
What you will find here
- Audible and Kindle Unlimited — what each costs, what it includes, how it works, and how to leave.
- Comparisons, including the two that measure a paid subscription against a free library card.
- Guides to the surrounding questions: what Prime actually includes, where free audiobooks really come from, how to start listening without giving up.
- A short decision page if you do not yet know which of these you want.
Who publishes it
Shelf & Sound is published by Type 5 Marketing LLC. Corrections, questions and complaints all go to the same place: info@shelfandsound.com, or the contact form. If something here is wrong, we want to know — we will check it against the source, fix it, and re-date the page.