The music streaming service spotify now also offers audio books – initially in the USA. There is no subscription, the audio books are sold individually.
The music streaming service Spotify is now also selling audio books in the USA. The Swedish company announced the new product category on Tuesday. Spotify has implemented a new interface for the audio books, which is intended to make playback more convenient than before.
Because even if Spotify has not yet sold any audio books, many audio books were already included in the subscription free of charge. These audio books were organized like pieces of music – so there was no way to pick up where you left off after a while. That is changing with the new audio book player, which will in future be listed alongside Spotify’s podcast and music players.
No audiobook subscription
Spotify sells audio books individually in the US, so unlike the streaming service’s music offering, there is no subscription. The prices should be based on comparable platforms such as Amazon’s Audible, reports the New York Times. Purchased audio books can be downloaded and read offline. At the market launch in the USA, Spotify speaks of around 300,000 available audio books. According to the New York Times report, market leader Audible has 760,000 audio books in its portfolio.
It is unclear when Spotify would like to make its audio book offer available in other countries. The company prepared for the step, among other things, with the acquisition of the audio book platform Findaway last autumn.
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Spotify has also significantly increased its podcast portfolio in recent months. In February, the music streaming service announced the acquisition of Podsights and Chartable, companies that provide tools for publishers and podcasters. The streaming service had already taken over the audio service provider Whooshkaa last year.
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