Spotify is making a big move into the audiobook market, with a new business model that will give Premium subscribers access to a subset of its audiobooks catalog for free. The service will initially launch in the U.K. and Australia, with plans to expand to the U.S. and other markets later this year. As announced at the event hosted in the company’s offices in New York.
What’s included?
Premium subscribers will have access to a library of 150,000 audiobooks, which is about half of Spotify’s total audiobook catalog. Subscribers can listen to as many books as they want, but they will be limited to 15 hours of listening per month. Users can purchase additional listening time in 10-hour increments.
How does it work?
To listen to an audiobook, users will simply need to search for it in the Spotify app and hit play. Any audiobooks that are included with the Premium subscription will have a flag next to them. Users can also download audiobooks for offline listening.
What are the benefits?
For Premium subscribers, the new audiobook subscription offers a number of benefits. First, it gives them access to a large library of audiobooks without having to pay any additional fees. Second, it makes it easy to discover new audiobooks and start listening right away. Third, it allows users to download audiobooks for offline listening, which is great for commuting or traveling.
What are the drawbacks?
The main drawback of the new audiobook subscription is the 15-hour listening limit. This may not be enough for some users, especially those who listen to a lot of audiobooks. However, users can purchase additional listening time if needed.
Overall, the new audiobook subscription is a positive development for Spotify Premium subscribers. It gives them access to a large library of audiobooks without having to pay any additional fees, and it makes it easy to discover and listen to new audiobooks.
