This is how I first heard it in 1987. Near the end of its run, they advertised the first release of it on cassette if you sent off a cheque to the BBC for £19.99. Which I did immediately. Played it to death.
Those were the days !

Trotter wrote:

The late Stu wrote:

Worth saying, there isn't really anything missing in the 60 minute episode variant. I first listened to it on 30 minute episodes, then the second time on 60 minute episodes. I think I prefer the 60s, really, though either way is awesome. The marketing here is giving the impression that cliffhangers are missing. That's not really true - they just don't function as cliffhangers (and obviously don't flow into the rousing title music).

There are three distinct versions of the series.

1 - The original 30-minute episodes (broadcast twice each on BBC Radio 4) in 1981.
2 - A repeat the following year as 13 60-minute episodes, these were then released on Cassette and CD. The Music was additionally released on Vinyl.
3 - A remixed 60-minute version with new introductions and endings additionally added by Ian Holm.

I much prefer the 30-minute versions to either of the 60-minute episodes as each episode was written with care to end on a cliffhanger and then the excellent music.

The third one is what you get on audible. These are divided into the three book volumes (though The Two Towers still contains quite a bit of the early chapters of Book Five/ Return of the King) and go back to back without any breaks or credits (other than the beginning or ending of each volume). They even had newly produced material with Holm providing a new introduction and outro for each "volume" (save Return of the King). The 60 minute version is still available on the Internet Archive btw. Well, since I also wish to get a physical release (which seems to be dying off left and right at the moment), I will probably get this on CD. The LP one also looks amazing.