Spotify Expands Audiobooks to More Than 180 Markets
Spotify rolls out audiobooks to over 180 markets, reaching 750 million users with 350,000 titles and taking on Audible.
Until now, audiobooks on the platform were available primarily in English-speaking markets including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Germany, according to TechCrunch.
Spotify said it has more than 350,000 titles ready for the new markets and has expanded its collection to cover more than 120 languages. In Spain, where the service is launching, users will have access to more than 45,000 titles in Spanish. The company said it is working with more than 300 publishers worldwide, among them Planeta and Mondadori, to increase the number of titles available in different markets.
On pricing, Premium subscribers can listen to 12 hours of audiobooks in eligible countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway and Peru. Listeners elsewhere can buy an Audiobook+ standalone subscription, which carries a 15-hour allowance, or purchase individual titles directly.
In November, Spotify will add an Audiobook+ add-on for student plans in selected regions. The company said Audiobook+ has gained more than 1 million subscribers since launching last year and has brought in over 100 million in annual recurring revenue.
Spotify has been building out the audiobook business through other features as well. In February it launched Page Match, which lets users scan a page of a physical book and find the corresponding point in the audiobook. The company said 1 million people have used the feature each month since it went live. This year it also introduced Audiobook Charts for discovering popular titles, launched an AI-powered tool that uses models from ElevenLabs to help authors turn their books into audiobooks, and began experimenting with physical book sales through its audiobook platform in markets including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Spotify said monthly listeners of audiobooks grew 40% over the past year, while listening hours rose 30%. The company did not disclose how many of the 750 million users are expected to convert to paid audiobook listening.