Audiobooks are a departure from your usual Spotify experience. Instead of ad-supported or subscription-based streaming, you purchase individual audiobooks to stream through the app. Over 300,000 titles are available, including best sellers across genres.
Spotify curated the titles into categories like “Great first audiobook” or “From podcast to audiobook.”
How to Buy Audiobooks on Spotify
To purchase an audiobook on Spotify, simply follow these steps:
Go to the Spotify website on your browser. Choose the option Find Audiobooks. Search or browse any available title until you find what you want. Purchase the audiobook and enjoy.
After you purchase the audiobook, you will find it in your Spotify library to stream from anywhere, including your mobile device.
What You Need to Know Before Buying Spotify Audiobooks
While buying audiobooks on Spotify is pretty straightforward, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
First, you can only buy audiobooks through the Spotify website. If you try to purchase one through your phone, Spotify will prompt you to request an email message with a purchase link.
Since audiobooks are one-time purchase items, you don’t need a Premium subscription. And unfortunately, there isn’t a discount or benefit for subscribers at the time of writing. Purchases are only available in the buyer’s library, and you can’t share them, even if you have a Spotify Premium Family plan.
It’s also worth mentioning that you may purchase any audiobook using any credit or debit card, even one not associated with your Spotify subscription.
Spotify Audiobooks vs. the Competition
Since Spotify only offers books à la carte, Audible subscribers may find that a title costs at least twice as much as it would through Audible.
If you don’t subscribe to an audiobook platform, you may save money if you shop around. For example, we compared the audiobook version of “Talking to Strangers” pricing on Spotify, Audible, and Apple Books.
Keep in mind that book pricing changes and a title may be on sale on one platform but not on others. However, if the price is a concern, it pays to “shop around.”
If convenience is your primary interest, and you already listen to music and podcasts through Spotify, you may prefer to get your audiobooks through the same platform.
Why Spotify Is Adding Audiobooks
For years, Spotify has been angling to expand beyond music into audiobooks and podcasts. Nir Zicherman, Spotify’s VP and Global Head of Audiobooks and Gated Content, was a co-founder of a podcasting platform that Spotify acquired in 2019 called Anchor.
Spotify’s move into other types of audio streaming didn’t end with podcasts. In June 2022, Spotify announced it had acquired the audiobook platform Findaway.
In time, just like Spotify’s feed can help you find what to listen to next, you may also be able to discover new audiobooks in addition to music and podcasts. With the addition of audiobooks, Spotify may be one step closer to being your go-to app for audio streaming in the US.
When Will Spotify Audiobooks Be Available Worldwide?
At the time of writing, Spotify hasn’t announced exactly when it plans to offer audiobooks worldwide, but it has announced the intention to do so. This is what Zicherman had to say in a Medium blog post:
Will Spotify Change How You Listen to Audiobooks?
With so many choices, will Spotify do a better job of meeting your listening needs? Do you prefer one of its competitors, like Audible or Apple Books? Finally, your public library and other budget audiobook providers offer additional choices.
