OPEN CALL

Spotify Audiobooks Launches a New Publishing Program for Independent Authors

March 13, 2025

At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing imprint, we’ve partnered with various publishers and authors to license and produce hundreds of titles. 

Starting today, Spotify Audiobooks is launching a new website encouraging independent authors to submit short-form stories for audiobook creation and publishing consideration by Spotify. 

“Spotify Audiobooks is thrilled to be opening submissions for short-form content written by independent authors who are as passionate about audiobooks as we are,” said Leah Kleynhans, Spotify Audiobooks Producer. “We know Spotify users will love exploring these intense, bite-sized listens, and expanding our audiobooks catalog in this way gives fans even more choice in the content they love to consume on our platform.”

This is a global program, and any author with an English-language short-form story who controls their own audio rights for that story can submit.

If Spotify chooses to move forward with an author’s submission, Spotify will publish the audiobook, which includes paying an advance and royalties, managing all aspects of production, and distribution to major audiobook retailers.

Looking to submit your own short-form story? Just follow these simple guidelines.

How to submit your story to Spotify Audiobooks

    • Visit our short-form audiobooks site, which contains frequently asked questions and a link to the submission page. 
    • Make sure your story is a novelette of approximately 10,000-20,000 words.
    • Focus on three genres: romance, mystery/thriller, or sci-fi/fantasy. 
      • Cross-genre works like romantasy, dark romance thriller, mystery sci-fi, or psychological thriller are encouraged. 
      • Note: Please do not submit erotica or children’s content.
    • Submissions will be chosen on a rolling basis.

Spotify is committed to lowering the barrier to entry so more authors than ever can have their books heard. As part of this initiative, Spotify is also encouraging independent authors who prefer self-publication to upload existing short-form audiobooks via Findaway Voices. So with Spotify Audiobooks there’s an opportunity to have your book produced by and distributed through Spotify and with Findaway Voices, a way for existing content to reach new fans.

Learn more about the program at our Short-Form Audiobooks website.