Bye Bye Audible: A Media Shift in Motion

This month was a watershed moment for me—and my wallet. After 85 consecutive months and 85 audiobooks, I’ve pulled the plug on my Audible subscription. It’s not just a canceled membership; it’s a sign of a bigger shift, driven by creators like you.

Why I Ditched My Longest-Running Subscription

Audible used to be my sanctuary for long-form content. For years, it delivered. But something’s changed. The quality pouring out of Substack, podcasts, and YouTube has hit a new stratosphere. It’s so good that the gap between a Penguin Random House audiobook and, say, a five-hour deep dive into Rolex history (here’s to the watch nerds!) has vanished. Individual creators are now producing content that’s as polished, gripping, and binge-worthy as anything from the legacy giants.

This isn’t just my story. The media diet has flipped—Audible and Netflix are collecting dust while especially the younger generation is getting hooked on newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube channels. So, to every creator out there who’s been crushing it: thank you. You’ve rewritten the rules.

The Start of Something Bigger?

I’d bet this is just the opening act. Folks like us—early adopters—are already riding this wave, but for most, traditional media still reigns. Take my parents: they’ve traded TV for Netflix (ads are the devil), but YouTube? Not even a blip. My dad’s never once said, “Hey, check out this YouTube show.”

Here’s the upside: we’re still ahead of the curve. The majority of eyeballs—and, let’s be real, money—haven’t fully migrated to our ecosystem. The runway for growth is massive.

Mr. Beast vs. The Old Guard: A Wake-Up Call

Look at Mr. Beast, the YouTube juggernaut. Word is he’s raising funds at a $5 billion valuation for his media empire. Now compare that to ProSiebenSat.1, one of Germany’s biggest TV networks, limping along at a $1.5 billion market cap. Digest that for a second. Mr. Beast has more subscribers than Germany has people. It’s a neon sign flashing how platforms like YouTube have obliterated the old distribution barriers, handing creators a megaphone to reach audiences traditional media can’t touch.

The tipping point is sneaking up fast. The pie’s getting bigger, and creators are carving out heftier slices every day.

Our Mission as Creators

So, what’s our next move? Simple: keep crafting content that drags more people into this ecosystem. Platforms like Substack and YouTube are our launchpads—no gatekeepers, just direct lines to readers and viewers. The more we captivate, the more we expand the pie—for ourselves and each other.

This isn’t just about dropping Audible or Netflix. It’s about forging a future where creators call the shots, audiences get the best, and the old guard fades into the rearview. Let’s keep the momentum going. The revolution’s only warming up.