Earlier this month, Spotify announced that they would be bringing audiobooks to the U.S. market through an app called Audible, which has been available in the U.S. since 2008. The announcement comes shortly after the announcement of Apple Music’s own audiobook service and will make it easier than ever to listen to audiobooks while you commute, run errands, or do housework. Here are five things you should know about Spotify’s new audiobook feature that you can use as you take advantage of the new service’s offerings over the next few months.
More than 300,000 distinct audiobook titles will now be available for purchase and listening by Spotify customers in the United States, the firm said on Tuesday.
The streaming service’s entry into the audiobook market is its most recent effort to position the website as a one-stop shop for all things audio. According to its second-quarter financial report, Spotify added podcasts in 2015 and is currently home to more than 4.4 million of them.
According to Nir Zicherman, Spotify’s vice president and worldwide head of audiobooks and gated content, the business opted to launch audiobooks because they offer a “considerable unexplored market.” Zicherman claimed that while though the area only accounts for a 6% to 7% part of the present book market, it is rising by roughly 20% annually.
In addition, the move puts Audible, which is owned by Amazon and which, according to Codex Group, had a 41% market share in 2018, in more direct rivalry with Spotify. Amazon also sells e-books under its own brand. Apple, Google, and Rakuten, which collaborates with Walmart, are other rivals.
Audiobooks may be found by Spotify users who are interested in listening to them in their search results, library, and curated recommendations on their homepage. The play button for the audiobooks will have a lock icon over them to signify that they must be bought.
After buying a book, consumers may choose their listening pace, save the information for offline listening, and bookmark their spot in the audiobook.
After the first U.S. launch, Spotify intends to expand into more territories and add new features.
