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Don’t Want to Read The Whole Article? Knowable is an awesome online course platform that offers audio-only courses. This is ideal if you’re one who doesn’t have the time (or patience) to sit and watch video courses. It’s also great if you’re one to want to learn on the go – in the car, or while you’re active. The course quality is better than I thought, and it’s a platform with a great future.
Learning through an online course is always a great thing. You can learn so much through video courses, sites like MasterClass are great for visual learners and give a lot of value to the students.
But, some people don’t want to site and watch a class.
In a world where we’re busier than ever, we often don’t have the time to sit and watch a lesson from an online course.
And even if we do, we all learn differently… some may learn just as well, if not better, with audio only.
I know I would much rather listen to a podcast than watch a YouTube video.
Well, that’s where the site Knowable comes in. Knowable is an online course platform that’s audio-only. Which is great for those on the go.
In this article, we’ll look at Knowable and see if it’s a good tool – and if it’s worth the hype as the best audio course site.
I can usually get a really good feel for these tools as I’m a trained teacher and educator, so I look for the techniques that actually help students learn…. and not just sound great on a sales page.
I used the tool for around a month now… Here’s what I found.
Easy Navigation
What is Knowable?
Knowable is an audio-only course platform that offers original courses that are taught be exerts in their field.
Different to most online course platforms that are made to be visual, Knowable aims to create an immersive and engaging screen-free learning environment.
Who Is Knowable For?
Knowable is a typical “it’s either for you or it’s not” type of program.
If you’re the type that smashed through podcasts when you’re on the go, and listen to them when you’re working out, you’ll love Knowable. Their audio-platform is great for those who are busy and want to squeeze some time to learn.
If you’re the type who can’t do podcasts or audiobooks, it’s likely that Knowable won’t be the best option for you. You should try something like MasterClass instead.
Granted, Knowable is pretty cheap compared to it’s competition (we’ll get to that later on), but if you don’t use it…. well then it’s just wasted money – cheap or not.
There is a free plan though, so you test it with the free courses first before choosing to buy.
Knowable Pros
Here are some of the things I like about Knowable.
Knowable Courses
Knowable offers a range of courses in a bunch of cool topics including the following:
- Bookshots
- Audioreads
- Creativity
- Entrepreneurship
- Health & Wellness
- Leadership
- Personal Finance
- Relationships
- Sales & Marketing
- Self-improvement
- Take action
- Work
“Bookshots” are almost like book summaries. Personally, these are a nice touch, but if that’s what you want there are many better options for book summaries including Blinkist.
There’s also a bunch of free courses too which is pretty awesome. You can sign up for free and only access the free courses, then decide to pay the subscription to get the full catalogue.
So far, I haven’t ran out of courses that interest me. Which is super impressive.
Course Quality
As well as having a wide range of courses… the courses are good.
Way better than I was expecting.
The courses are taught by experts in their field, so you know the quality is good. And often they’ll be experts with teaching experience.
Each course is multiple hours long (some I saw were over eight hours long!), but they’re broken down into smaller lessons.
I like having the smaller lessons. They’re easily digestible, and I found them perfect for my drive to work or around town.
Knowable Cost
For me, another big pro for Knowable is the price.
A lot of online course platforms can be pretty expensive (well, “expensive” is different for everyone). Some can be well over $100 a year.
Knowable comes in at only $4 a month, which is pretty awesome.
There’s also the free plan that I mentioned before that gives you access to limited courses.
The $4 a month plan is cheap enough to buy alongside a MasterClass subscription too.
Why is Knowable so Cheap?
Without calling the CEO and asking him, I’m assuming it comes down to production costs.
Making a video course is a lot more expensive than making audio courses.
Some video online courses have crazy-high production value. And while it’s pretty to look at, and it feels like a high-end product, it won’t make you learn any better or worse.
Creating a good audio product is a lot cheaper, and the cost saving are shown in the prices.
There’d be no way a leading video course provider would offer $4 a month without making a huge loss – and granted, some do at the start to build their customer base.
The $4 a month also comes in cheaper than audiobook platforms like Audible.
Knowable Apps
It wouldn’t be a tool to use on the go without an app. There are both IOS and Android apps that you can use to listen to the courses.
Made for Audio
In the past I’ve tried to use video online courses in an audio-only format. For example, I’ll be driving with my phone on the passenger seat with the audio running through my car stereo.
And it sometimes works.
However, the course is made to be looked at. That means that the way the instructor is teaching is completely different than it would be with a made-for-audio platform.
As a teacher, I know that my lesson will change entirely if my students couldn’t see me teach.
For me, this was a huge win.
Accompanying Resources
For each course there are a range of different supporting material. For example, there are some “text books” you can view online, and some optional coursework.
I like this. It’s a nice addition to have work to complete. Some might not use it, and that’s okay… but if you want to get the most out of a course, it’s best to do the coursework that goes along with it.
What Could be Improved
As far as improvements go, there was actually nothing that stood out to me.
The platform is easy to use, simple to navigate, and the course quality is pretty bloody good!
There’s also new courses being added all the time. While I was testing it out, a bunch of new courses dropped.
But I’ll reiterate what I said before.
I’m an audio-learner. I’ve listened to enough hours of podcast or audiobooks over my lifetime that I can easily drive, or go for a run, and listen to a course at the same time while still takin the information in.
However, as a teacher, I know that not everyone learns like that.
If you’re the type who needs to see the instructor to learn, then this platform probably isn’t for you.
Like I mentioned at the start though, there’s a free option – so I’d still give it a try regardless.
Who know, maybe you’ll surprise yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Knowable vs Podcasts
A common question that I get asked when I talk to friends and family about the Knowable is something along the lines of…. “Wait… isn’t that just a podcast”?
And the answer is both yes and no. Yes, a podcast is an audio-only platform like Knowable… but you could say the same thing with a video course, “isn’t that just like watching YouTube”?
Where Knowable differs from a podcast is the quality. These courses are designed to be educational. Podcasters need to pay the bills, so their shows are usually do one of two things:
- They need to create episodes that’ll get the most downloads (more downloads = more ad revenue)
- They’ll need to up-sell you to a product/course/whatever
There’s nothing wrong with that model at all (I LOVE podcasts), but paying for a course means the instructors have a different goal in mind.
Can You Give Knowable as a Gift?
Yes! Knowable has an option to give a subscription as a gift.
At only $4 a month, the $48 yearly cost is easily within gift budgets for most people.
I always find it funny when a tool that costs like $250 a year is like “we have a gift option”.
Yeah…. okay, I’m going to spend $250 on a gift for someone… Sure thing!
The gift option is super-simple to use, and it’s a great option for anyone interested in self-development or an avid podcast listener.
Give a Knowable Gift Subscription
Final Thoughts
Knowable is great audio-only course platform. If you’re the type who prefers podcasts to YouTube videos and want to learn on the go (or on the commute) then I strongly recommend you give it a try.
If you’re the type to prefer a video-platform, this may not be the best choice for you – but there’s a free plan that you can use to try it out yourself.
