Amazon launches Netflix-style e-book service

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Updated on 26 September 2014 | 0 Comments

Amazon introduces an unlimited service for e-books and audio books.

Amazon has launched Kindle Unlimited, a Netflix-style service for e-books and audio books.

A subscription costs £7.99 a month, granting unrestricted access to a library of over 6,500 e-book titles and 2,000 audio books.

Users can read all of the Harry Potter and Hunger Games books, as well as classics such as Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

Life of Pi and Great Expectations are included in the audio book collection.   

The service is available on Kindle reading apps on iPhone, iPad and Android a well as the Windows phone, PC, Mac and Windows 8. It’s accessible through the Kindle itself as well.

Readers can try before they buy with a 30-day free trial. You won’t be charged if you choose to unsubscribe before the end of the 30 days.

Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice feature is included which allows customers to switch back and forth between reading and listening without losing their place.

The online giant hopes that the service will encourage readers to discover new authors, taking risks on something they may not otherwise read.

Kindle Unlimited holds titles from all independents in the Independent Alliance along with titles from Bloomsbury. Kindle Singles from the likes of Stephen King are also available.

Problems for publishers

None of the UK’s major publishers are believed to have signed up to the service directly, according to The Bookseller. The relationship between Amazon and UK publishers is rocky at best, while Amazon has also riled up authors, saying that they will only be paid if a user reads at least 10% of their book through Kindle Unlimited.

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What do you think of Kindle Unlimited? Would you sign up? Tell us in the comments below.

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