Spotify Takes Audiobooks Global
Spotify announced on Wednesday that it is expanding audiobook access to more than 180 markets worldwide, spanning regions across Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The rollout begins today and will continue over the coming months.
With this move, more than 750 million users will be able to access audiobooks, positioning Spotify to compete more directly with both music streaming rivals and dedicated audiobook platforms such as Audible.
From English-Speaking Markets to a Global Catalog
Previously, audiobooks on Spotify were available primarily in English-speaking markets โ the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand โ as well as in Germany.
The audio platform says it now offers more than 350,000 titles for its new markets and has expanded its collection to include over 120 languages. In Spain, for example, users will have access to more than 45,000 titles in Spanish.
To scale its catalog across different regions, Spotify is working with more than 300 publishers worldwide, including Planeta and Mondadori.
Subscription Tiers and Pricing
With a Premium subscription, users in eligible countries โ including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway, and Peru โ can listen to 12 hours of audiobooks. Users worldwide can also purchase an Audiobook+ standalone subscription, which offers a 15-hour allowance. Alternatively, individual titles can be bought directly.
Starting in November, Spotify will add an Audiobook+ add-on for student plans in select regions.
Audiobook+ Momentum and Engagement Metrics
Since its launch last year, Audiobook+ has gained over 1 million subscribers and generated more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue for the platform, according to the company.
Spotify also reported that over the past year, monthly listeners of audiobooks grew by 40%, while listening hours increased by 30%.
New Features Driving Discovery and Creation
In February, Spotify launched a "Page Match" feature that lets users scan a page of a physical book and jump to the corresponding point in the audiobook. Since launch, 1 million people have used the feature monthly.
This year, the company also introduced Audiobook Charts to help people discover popular titles, and launched an AI-powered tool that lets authors turn their books into audiobooks using models from ElevenLabs.
In addition, Spotify has begun experimenting with physical book sales through its audiobook platform in select markets such as the U.S. and the U.K.
What's Next
With a catalog spanning 120+ languages, a growing publisher network, and a suite of features aimed at both listeners and creators, Spotify's audiobook expansion marks one of its most aggressive moves yet to diversify beyond music โ and to challenge Audible's long-standing dominance in the category.
via TechCrunch