Additional Listening Hours and Shared Access Now Available in Multiple Markets

Spotify, the popular music streaming service, has announced an expansion of its premium audiobooks service, introducing two new plans that offer increased listening hours and shared access to subscribers in several markets. The options are currently available to Spotify Premium users in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, following initial tests in Ireland and Canada.

Spotify, founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, has revolutionized the music streaming industry with its vast library of songs, playlists, and features such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar. With over 400 million monthly active users and 188 million premium subscribers, Spotify has established itself as a leader in the digital music market. The company’s expansion into audiobooks is a strategic move to diversify its content offerings and tap into the growing demand for audio content.

The new plans aim to provide more flexibility to subscribers, allowing them to customize their access to audiobooks to suit their needs. The first new plan, Audiobooks+, offers Premium subscribers or those who manage a household’s Family or Duo plan to add 15 hours of listening every month on top of the base plan. This doubles the current 15 hours of audiobook listening included in Spotify’s Premium plans, enabling subscribers to listen to longer books or multiple shorter ones each month.

The second new plan, Audiobooks+ for Plan Members, allows those on Premium Family and Duo plans to access 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening, making it easier for family members to share access to audiobooks. To use this feature, plan members must request audiobook access from their plan manager, who purchases the new add-on. Members can also purchase a one-time top-up of 10 hours if they run out of listening time before the next billing cycle.

While Spotify has not disclosed the pricing for the new options, users in eligible markets can visit the Spotify.com/audiobooks page to learn more. The expansion of Spotify’s premium audiobooks service follows a major publisher’s prediction of further growth in the market. HarperCollins noted in December that Spotify was working to bring audiobooks to other family members on shared plans, and the streaming service has since made significant strides in this area.

Spotify’s catalog now spans 375,000 audiobooks, and the company sees AI as another opportunity for expansion, working with ElevenLabs to get more books narrated, including translating texts from English to other languages. By allowing users to purchase audiobook hours instead of individual titles, Spotify offers users the flexibility to experiment with different audiobooks without committing to a purchase. This approach can help users avoid wasting money on audiobooks they do not finish.

The expansion of Spotify’s audiobook service is a significant development in the growing audio content market, which is expected to reach $15 billion by 2025. With its vast user base and innovative features, Spotify is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend and become a leading player in the audiobook market.