Spotify Expands Audiobooks to 180+ Markets: Who Gets Access and How Much You Can Listen

Spotify is expanding its audiobook service to more than 180 markets worldwide, giving more than 750 million users access to audiobooks as it competes with music streaming services and dedicated audiobook platforms such as Audible. Audiobooks were previously available mainly in English-speaking markets, including the US, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as Germany. Premium subscribers in eligible countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway and Peru, can listen to up to 12 hours of audiobooks. Users elsewhere can buy an Audiobook+ standalone subscription with a 15-hour allowance, or purchase individual titles.

The Catalogue

Spotify has more than 350,000 audiobook titles for the new markets, covering more than 120 languages. In Spain, users will have access to more than 45,000 Spanish-language titles. The company is working with more than 300 publishers worldwide, including Planeta and Mondadori.

Student Plans and Subscribers

Spotify will add an Audiobook+ option to student plans in selected regions in November. The company says Audiobook+ has gained more than 1 million subscribers since its launch last year and generates more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue.

Growth and New Features

• Monthly audiobook listeners increased by 40% over the past year, and listening hours rose by 30%.

• Page Match, launched in February, lets users scan a page of a physical book to find the matching point in the audiobook. About 1 million people use it each month.

• Spotify has introduced Audiobook Charts to help users find popular titles.

• An AI-powered tool lets authors turn books into audiobooks using models from ElevenLabs.

• The company has started testing physical book sales through its audiobook platform in selected markets, including the US and UK.