Spotify announces launch of audiobooks for U.S. listeners

Spotify users successful the U.S. volition present beryllium capable to acquisition and perceive to much than 300,000 antithetic audiobook titles, the institution announced Tuesday.

The streaming company's foray into audiobooks marks its latest effort to marque the level a one-stop-shop for each things audio. Spotify introduced podcasts successful 2015 and is present location to much than 4.4 cardinal of them, according to its second 4th net report.

The institution decided to present audiobooks due to the fact that they correspond a "substantial untapped market," Nir Zicherman, Spotify's vice president and planetary caput of audiobooks and gated content, said successful Tuesday's release. Zicherman said the conception is increasing by astir 20% twelvemonth implicit twelvemonth contempt making up conscionable a 6% to 7% stock of the existent publication market.

The determination besides vaults Spotify into much nonstop contention with Amazon-owned Audible, which was the marketplace person successful 2018 with 41% marketplace share, according to Codex Group, and Amazon besides sells e-books nether its ain brand. Other competitors see Apple, Google, and Rakuten, which has partnered with Walmart.

Spotify users funny successful listening to audiobooks tin find them successful their search, room and their curated recommendations connected their homepage. The audiobooks volition diagnostic a fastener icon implicit the play fastener to bespeak that they request to beryllium purchased.

Once a publication is purchased, users volition beryllium capable to bookmark their spot successful the audiobook, power their listening velocity and download the contented for offline listening.

Spotify plans to present audiobooks to caller markets and adhd caller features aft the archetypal U.S. launch.