Spotify is rolling out an exciting new feature exclusively for its Premium subscribers who are book enthusiasts. Beginning October 4, users in the United Kingdom and Australia can access a vast collection of over 150,000 audiobooks at no extra charge. Subscribers in the United States will also receive this benefit later this year. While this offers an extensive library of audiobooks for consumption, there’s a catch: subscribers are allotted 15 hours of free audiobook listening each month. If they desire more, they can purchase an additional 10 hours for $11.
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This pricing structure places Spotify’s audiobook service at a higher cost compared to Audible, which charges $8 per month without any listening limits. Spotify initially introduced audiobooks to its platform in September the previous year, boasting a library of 300,000 titles available for purchase within the service. Incorporating audiobooks into Premium subscriptions appears to be a strategy to encourage users to consume diverse types of media in one consolidated platform. However, whether users will be willing to pay $11 for every extra 10 hours of listening beyond the initial 15 remains uncertain, especially for avid readers and audiobook enthusiasts who may find these limits restrictive.
Spotify defended its decision by stating, “We believe that offering personalized music, podcasts, and audiobooks on a single platform gives you a superior way to connect with your favourite artists, podcasters, creators, and authors — all in one spot.”
Nonetheless, users retain the option to purchase specific titles from Spotify’s audiobook library without needing to pay for additional hours. The feature also includes an auto-bookmarking feature, eliminating the need to backtrack and potentially lose precious minutes of listening. Additionally, users can utilize the Spotify Sleep Timer to drift off while listening to their audiobooks, without the hassle of rewinding when they wake up. Furthermore, subscribers can download audiobooks for offline listening.
As of now, this new perk is exclusively accessible to individual Premium subscribers and plan managers of Family or Duo accounts. However, Spotify intends to broaden its availability in the future.
