Spotify has revealed that it’s expanding its offerings to include a vast library of audiobooks for Premium users.
This will enable individuals with Premium subscriptions as well as those managing Family and Duo accounts, will have access to 15 hours of audiobook listening every month, allowing them to enjoy a wide range of titles within that monthly allocation.
This enhancement adds significant value to Premium subscriptions, which already grant users access to an extensive catalogue of over 100 million songs, 5 million podcasts, and now, over 150,000 audiobooks.
This feature is already available to Premium users in the U.K. and Australia, with plans to roll it out in the U.S. later in the year. The rest of the world will follow, as announced by Spotify Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Daniel Ek on his Twitter account.
“To discover audiobooks within the Spotify Premium catalogue, look for titles marked as “Included in Premium.” The collection currently includes more than 70% of bestselling books, including works from major publishers like Hachette and HarperCollins Publishers, among others.”
To start listening to your chosen audiobook, simply search for the title and press play on the first chapter or listen to a preview to ensure it meets your preferences.
You can also easily explore audiobook recommendations on your Spotify Home feed or visit the Spotify audiobooks hub for curated selections of top titles.
With 15 hours of monthly listening, you have the freedom to explore multiple audiobooks or stick with one and listen from start to finish. If you happen to use up your 15-hour allocation before your billing cycle refreshes, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up. You can keep track of your remaining hours at any time in your in-app settings.
Please note that to access this feature, you must have a Premium individual account or be the plan manager for a Family or Duo account.
While Spotify is actively working on more ways to offer access to Premium audiobooks in the future, primary account holders on Family and Duo plans will currently receive the monthly audiobook allocation.
These audiobooks are available on the go, with Spotify compatible on over 2,000 devices from more than 200 brands.
Premium audiobook users can also download audiobooks for offline listening. Additionally, Spotify’s automatic bookmarking feature ensures that your progress is saved, allowing you to seamlessly continue from where you left off.
You can also take advantage of the “end of chapter” function within the Spotify Sleep Timer to fall asleep peacefully while enjoying your favourite stories without worrying about rewinding in the morning and potentially missing parts of the narrative.
It’s worth noting that audiobooks were introduced to Spotify in September 2022 following the acquisition of the audiobook platform Findaway in 2021.