From Page to Stage: Spotify Celebrates Storytelling at the LA Times Festival of Books
This past weekend, Spotify was at the heart of the largest literary event in the U.S.: the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. As the presenting sponsor of the Audiobook and Podcast Stage on the USC campus, we spent April 18 and 19 celebrating the authors, stories, and fans that make up book culture. From mainstage panels to an invite-only party with Rick Ross, the event highlighted our belief that great stories deserve to be heard, shared, and experienced across multiple formats. It was also a chance to bring the Spotify experience into the real world and connect storytellers with fans.
Center stage with leading authors
The Spotify Audiobook and Podcast Stage hosted discussions with two of today’s most exciting authors.
First, we explored how a single story can build a universe of fans across different mediums
with Remarkably Bright Creatures author Shelby Van Pelt and film director Olivia Newman. Moderated by Spotify Senior Audiobooks Editor Zack Knoll, the panel examined how a story evolves as it moves from page to audiobook to a highly anticipated Netflix film.
Then, on Sunday, we welcomed S.A. Cosby, the New York Times bestselling author known for “Southern noir” crime fiction, for a discussion on storytelling in the digital age. Moderated by David Dastmalchian, host of the video podcast Grave Conversations, the panel explored the creative process and what it means to connect with readers in an era of audiobooks, podcasts, and social media. Cosby’s work shows that great storytelling transcends any single format, finding new audiences and new life through audio.
A night with Rick Ross
On Saturday night, we kept the festival energy going with a party in West Hollywood celebrating the upcoming launch of Rick Ross’s latest memoir, Renaissance of a Boss. In front of a crowd of cultural tastemakers, key book and entertainment press, and industry peers, the artist and entrepreneur gave an exclusive first look at his new book. The evening featured a live reading, an intimate Q&A, and a performance, merging music and literary fandoms.
Investing in the next generation of storytellers
And the conversation continued even after the festival wrapped. On Tuesday, we hosted an intimate writing workshop for selected USC students in partnership with Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund. Led by debut author Tom Vellner and Associate Manager, Lead Producer at Spotify Leah Kleynhans, the workshop was dedicated to crafting stories that resonate with audiences across formats and offered practical insights into the publishing industry.
Altogether, these stories and conversations showed that the literary world is as vibrant and varied as ever. And at Spotify, we’re building a home for that culture. New features like Recaps and Page Match are enhancing the listening experience, and we’re expanding beyond audio by enabling users to purchase physical books via the Spotify app through a partnership with Bookshop.org. With these innovations and a catalog of more than 700,000 audiobooks included in Premium in select markets, it’s never been easier for fans to dive into a great story.
Browse the audiobooks hub on Spotify.
