Downpour Review

Downpour is a service offered Blackstone audio, a major distributor in the audiobook industry. As its brainchild, you can expect a lot from Downpour. Fortunately, this service is reputed and won’t let you down. If you’re interested, read ahead as we’ll be discussing everything you need to know.

Downpour At A Glance

It’s parent company Blackstone was created in 1987 and functioned as an audio service. In 2004, they took the leap and allowed their users to get hold of their favorite audiobooks through CD and MP3s.

Over time, they joined their competitors and became digital. Blackstone started publishing audio, distributing quality audiobooks to major names like Audible.

In 2012, Downpour was created, allowing the company to offer clients a taste of Blackstone’s own audiobooks and audio from major publishers. Now, they’re looking to revolutionize the industry by allowing users to pick endings to their favorite books through Downpour’s interactive book program, which is set to be launched in 2021.

The Pros

Now that we’ve gone through everything you need to know about the service, let’s dive into its pros.

It’s Cheap

Compared to the many sites available, Downpour is relatively cheap. If you look at major names in the game like Audible, their basic plan is over $14 a month. This isn’t the case with Downpour as you can access its complete library for only $12.99.

What’s best about this is that you have the option of choosing different monthly packages. So if you opt for the 12-month or 6-month subscription, you can save quite a bit as the total cost is discounted.

Do You Want To Save Money?

Similar to Audible, you will be allocated credits depending on your membership, allowing you to cash in the credit for a book.

With Downpour, you’re given 1 free credit a month. If you’ve already used your credit but still want to access more titles, you can buy audiobooks from their library. Downpour lets you buy them at an incredibly low price: up to 70% off its original price.

So, in the long run, you’ll be saving quite a bit with a Downpour membership, especially if you consider how low its subscription fees are.

Considerably Large Library

If you want to be entertained with countless audiobooks, you should get a Downpour membership as it offers 75,000 audiobooks in its library. From this selection, there are over 100 genres for you to choose from.

Although this is much less than its competitors, especially Audible, 75,000 titles is still an immense number of books.

Of course, you can download the books from their library and listen to them anytime you want. You can do this even when your subscription has been canceled as they will be saved to your device.

Cancel At Any Time

What makes Downpour so great is that you can cancel your membership any time you want. Unlike other names in the industry, if you want to cancel your subscription, you don’t have to pay a penalty fee. Depending on the name, these penalty fees are known to be pricey.

It’s DRM free

One of the biggest advantages of having a Downpour account is that its audiobooks are DRM free. This means their audio has a lack of restrictions, allowing you to download and paste it anywhere you want without being copyrighted.

It’s Easy To Use

Many would say that Downpour is one of the easiest sites to navigate if you want to access audiobooks. This is due to its clutter-free domain and lack of unwanted features.

You Can Use It Anywhere

If you can’t get enough of Downpour, you can access it from anywhere you want as it’s available as a web player. You can download it on IOS and Android devices as an app.

Of course, your account will be synchronized so if you stop reading an audiobook on your PC, it will be bookmarked when you log in through the app.

Do You Want To Rent Audiobooks?

As Downpour is part of Blackstone, you also have the option to rent audiobooks. As you can imagine, this is much cheaper than buying. You could even get the audio brought to you via CD or MP3.

The Cons

If you consider the above points, you’ll see there are many benefits of having a Downpour account. With the pros out of the way, let’s take a look at some of its cons.

No Free Trial

It’s normal for any streaming service to offer clients a one-month free trial to decide if they like the services provided or not.

Unlike major names in the audiobook industry, Downpour doesn’t give you a free trial, which is a shame.

However, there are talks of Downpour starting a 30-day free trial.

Limited Library

With only 75,000 titles in its library, you might be disappointed. This is a small number compared to Downpour’s competitors, many of whom offer libraries with over 100,000 audiobooks. Of course, the 75,000 titles consist only of audiobooks. Downpour offers a separate library for e-books.

Lack Of Support

If you have a problem with your Downpour account, you can contact their customer support. Unfortunately, their customer support works mostly through the phone so avoid emailing them about your issue.

Their customer service team isn’t available 24/7 either, as they work fixed hours, unlike Audible’s call center.

It Isn’t Always 1 Credit Per Book

Although the majority of their books cost 1 credit, some of the titles go for 2 credits. This is unfortunate as you’re only allocated 1 free credit a month.

Their Credits Expire

If you purchase credits from the Downpour store, they won’t disappear immediately. If you don’t utilize them, they will be removed from your account after a year, so you need to be mindful of this.

Conclusion

With the above points in mind, it is up to you decide if a Downpour account would be beneficial to you. It’s part of a reputable company, making it a reliable name when you want to listen to audiobooks.

What’s more, it’s relatively cheap so you can access audiobooks and e-books even if you’re on a tight budget.