Tag: Audiobooks Landing Page

Spotify Expands Its Audiobooks Offering To Listeners In Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein

April 15, 2025

As the world’s most popular audio-streaming subscription service, Spotify is committed to expanding the audiobook industry, enabling more listeners than ever to discover and engage, and paving the way for future innovation.

We saw early adoption of podcasts and audiobooks in Germany, with labels and fans embracing both formats. Recognizing this potential, we spoke to our users and began innovating and building podcasts globally. 

There’s already a strong appetite for audiobooks across German-speaking markets. With millions of people enjoying audiobooks on Spotify in Germany, we’re excited to enhance this experience by providing a Premium experience for our users of Spotify Individual and Duo or Family Plan Managers.

Today we’re launching an enhanced audiobooks offering in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Eligible Premium listeners in these markets will have access to 350,000 audiobooks, including titles in German, French, and Italian.

Eligible Premium subscribers will receive 12 hours of audiobook listening each month, and additional 10-hour allocations can be purchased as needed from €9.99. Listeners without an eligible Premium subscription will be able to pay to unlock access to individual audiobook titles a la carte. 

Delivering a better listening experience 

In Germany, there’s a rich tradition of storytelling and “Hörspiele” (audio plays), which has paved the way for the popularity of audiobooks. Today, audiobooks are a significant part of the cultural landscape, preserving and promoting literature in a modern format. 

With Audiobooks in Premium, users will find a host of new benefits that will make the listening experience even better. Along with an expanded catalog—which includes titles like Cornelia Funke’s Tintenherz, Caroline Wahl’s 22 Bahnen, and Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing—listeners can:

  • Search more easily via our dedicated Audiobooks tab.
  • Explore recommendations from our Home feed.
  • Access our hub to discover top titles curated by our editorial experts. 
  • Save their progress in an audiobook, ensuring they can easily pick up where they left off during their next listening session. 
  • Pre-save upcoming releases from their favorite authors with Countdown Pages.
  • Use our Spotify Sleep Timer so they don’t lose their place.

“We are turning up the volume on where people are already listening, and getting even more great stories to them with this new catalog and listening experience. In the markets where we have already launched, we’ve already accelerated growth for the audiobook business, and that’s what we’re committed to doing here in Germany and across Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein,” said David Kaefer, VP Audiobooks Business.

Find your next great read by browsing the Audiobooks hub on Spotify.

*Terms apply. 12 hours/month from our subscriber catalog available to Individual and Duo or Family Plan Managers only.

Spotify Invests €1 Million To Help Authors and Publishers Produce More Audiobooks

April 11, 2025

Since entering the audiobooks space in 2022, Spotify has positively impacted the industry, paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to rights holders on an annualized basis. In our more mature markets, audiobooks have also become one of the biggest sources of revenue growth for publishers. 

Our data shows a significant increase in unique listeners who are discovering the magic of audiobooks for the first time via Spotify. By driving discovery and bringing in new audiences, we’re increasing overall audiobook consumption, which provides another avenue of growing revenue for authors and publishers. 

Since launching Audiobooks in France and Benelux last October, we’ve seen an average month-over-month growth of 12% in listeners and listening hours. In France, we are continuing to bring a younger, more diverse audience to audiobooks, with nearly 60% of listeners aged 18 to 34 accounting for over half of all listening hours. 

In order to continue to build opportunities for authors and publishers, especially in countries where the audiobook market isn’t yet mature, we want to support audiobook production. Today  we are announcing that we’re investing €1 million to increase the production of audiobooks in non-English languages, starting with French and Dutch.

This investment reinforces our desire to grow the market for authors and publishers, particularly in markets where audiobooks are still growing as a format, while improving the catalog and consumer experience.

“Our aim is to help create long-term value for the publishing industry and build new revenue streams for partners. To do that we must attract new audiences whilst also retaining existing book lovers, and audiobooks can play a key role in that. But at the heart of that must be great books. With less than 3% of French-language books available in audio format today, this is a great opportunity to help publishers and authors find new readers,” said Jérémy Amsellem, Audiobooks Partnerships and Licensing Manager for Europe.

Helping authors thrive

High production costs and slow market adoption have limited the number of non-English audiobooks available to listeners. In France, for example, there are approximately 750,000 titles in French, but approximately 20,000 audiobooks. In the Netherlands, there are approximately 15,000 audiobooks in Dutch from a total physical catalogue of 209,000.

Spotify believes in the power of human narration, and we will continue to work with partners and the narrator community to bring these titles to fans in French and Dutch languages. But we will also offer Digital Voice Narration as part of this investment to help make audiobook production more cost-effective for those partners who require a lower barrier to entry. For listeners, AI-narrated titles will be clearly identified in the description with “this audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.”

Finally, we know authors and publishers want to reach the widest possible audience. That’s why all cofunded audiobooks will be nonexclusive and made available on Spotify, with the option to host on any other major platform.

We want to create the best possible experience for authors, publishers, and listeners, and this investment marks another important steptoward introducing audiobooks to new audiences, diversifying our catalog, and providing more choices in more languages than ever before.

Discover more about our audiobooks offering at Spotify for Authors.

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.

Turn Up the Heat With These Spicy Romance Audiobooks

February 13, 2025

Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day escape? Uncover a world of passion with Spotify’s selection of romance audiobooks. Our Spicy Audiobooks hub has something for every listener, with curated playlists and recommendations ranging from flirty and full of feels (🌶️) to downright explosive (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️). Here are five editor-approved picks to get you started.

Blood of Hercules

By Jasmine Mas

Narrated by Meg Sylvan, Teddy Hamilton, Aiden Snow, and Tristan Morris

The first installment in the Villains of Lore series, Blood of Hercules is a dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas. The overnight viral sensation follows Alexis, a shy young woman who discovers she’s part of the immortal Spartan elite.

Collide

By Bal Khabra

Narrated by Julia Knippen and Max Meyers

Summer Preston, an honors student with ambitious grad school plans, collides with Aiden Crawford, the captain of the hockey team, when they’re forced to work together on a research project. But their bickering soon turns to bantering, and once they let their guards down, there’s nothing to check their feelings.

The Pairing

By Casey McQuiston

Narrated by Emma Galvin and Max Meyers

In bestselling author Casey McQuiston’s latest queer romance novel, exes Theo and Kit wind up on the same food and drink tour of Europe. They start a hookup competition to prove they’re over each other—but sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can’t have.

Leather & Lark

By Brynne Weaver

Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan

A dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat, Leather & Lark is the second installment in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love Trilogy. The book follows Lachlan Kane, a contract killer, and Lark Montague, an indie musician with a dark secret, as they find themselves in a marriage of convenience.

This Could Be Us

By Kennedy Ryan

Narrated by Ines del Castillo, Jakobi Diem, and Kennedy Ryan

Soledad Barnes has her life meticulously planned until betrayal shatters her world. Forced to rebuild from the ground up, she focuses on providing for her daughters and rediscovering herself. But when an unlikely man enters the picture, she’s torn between caution and desire. Can she trust him—and herself—to embrace what’s next?

Looking for more sizzling listens? Head to our Spicy Audiobooks hub.

Spotify, The Black List, and The Jed Foundation Team Up To Champion Mental Health in Fiction

February 12, 2025

Stories have the power to change the way we see the world, and when it comes to mental health, the right story can make all the difference. That’s why Spotify is partnering with The Black List, a platform for writers to showcase their projects for industry professionals, and The Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide among our nation’s teens and young adults, to launch the Spotify x JED Impact Award—an initiative supporting exceptional depictions of mental health in unpublished fiction.

The Spotify x JED Impact Award will provide five $10,000 grants to recipients with unpublished manuscripts, with the goal of reshaping the conversation around mental health, diversifying mental health narratives in fiction, and promoting positive storytelling around mental health. As part of the initiative, Spotify will cover fee waivers, which will allow up to 140 writers to receive a free month of hosting and a free evaluation on the Black List platform.

“Stories about mental health have immense power to erase stigma and help people get the help that they need,” said Casey Acierno, Social Impact Lead at Spotify. “We’re so excited to partner with The Black List and The Jed Foundation to uplift unpublished manuscripts with meaningful depictions of mental health. Having entered the audiobooks space, Spotify knows the power of storytelling, and we’re thrilled to support writers in looking after themselves and the way they write about mental health.”

Supporting mental health through storytelling

This initiative underscores Spotify’s commitment to both creators and consumers, recognizing the power of storytelling to humanize mental health and foster understanding. In addition to supporting the creation of powerful new literature, we’re also working to amplify existing mental health audiobooks on our platform.

“Narratives in fiction can have a very real impact on our mental health—helping shape how we see ourselves, perceive our place in the world, navigate challenges, and discover possibilities for healing and growth,” said Courtney Knowles, Senior Media Advisor for The Jed Foundation. “JED and I are proud to partner on this initiative, celebrating and inspiring unpublished novels that entertain while creating connection and fostering emotional well-being.”

Beyond the grants, Spotify is offering additional resources for authors, including:

    • A mental health resource hub: Developed in collaboration with JED, the hub provides support both for writing about mental health and for writers’ own mental well-being. Resources include:
    • 1:1 consulting with JED for awardees: Providing personalized support and guidance.
    • Programming and content focused on authors’ mental well-being: Addressing the unique challenges faced by writers and offering support for their mental health journeys.

“The Spotify Social Impact team and The Jed Foundation are important stewards of intentional programming with meaningful impact. I’m thrilled to be partnering with them on this initiative to amplify exceptional depictions of mental health in unpublished fiction,” said Randy Winston, Creative Director of Fiction at The Black List. “Storytelling and mental health go hand in hand. Through powerful conversations, this partnership will raise awareness and empower writers at all levels to prioritize their well-being.”

Submit your story

Submissions are now open on The Black List’s website and will close on July 8, 2025. Authors can submit their English-language manuscripts globally. A judging panel featuring experts from Spotify, The Black List, and JED, along with soon-to-be-announced notable authors, will select the five winning manuscripts.

Award recipients will be announced on October 10, 2025 (World Mental Health Day). For more details on eligibility and the application process, visit the submission page.

Spotify Partners With Crooked Lane and Alcove Press To Bring More Mystery and Crime Audiobooks

February 6, 2025

Our aim is to bring great audiobooks to as many people as possible, and we’re glad to give book fans more options as they discover their next great listens. Spotify Audiobooks—our in-house audiobook publishing imprint—has entered into an exclusive audiobook publishing partnership with Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press, a leading publisher spanning commercial fiction genres and select nonfiction. 

Under the partnership, Spotify Audiobooks will publish titles from Crooked Lane and Alcove’s frontlist catalogs beginning March 2025. Titles will be distributed widely on Spotify via Spotify’s Audiobooks in Premium offering and available to purchase a la carte, as well as across more than 30 other digital retail and library channels. 

“Crooked Lane is thrilled. Spotify’s position as both a distributor and audiobook publisher plus their innovative approach make them the ideal partner,” said Matthew Martz, publisher at Crooked Lane and Alcove. “With over hundreds of millions of paid subscribers, we’re confident that Spotify will bring our books to new listeners. Spotify has done great work with our titles, and we know our authors are in the best possible hands.”

Spotify Audiobooks and Crooked Lane have partnered previously on multiple audio titles, including The Darkest Night edited by Lindy Ryan, I’ve Got My Mind Set on Brew by Stephanie Jayne, and A Dream in the Dark by Robert Justice. 

“We are so excited to kick off 2025 with such an important partnership,” Henna Silvennoinen, Associate Manager of Audiobooks at Spotify, said. “We’ve admired Crooked Lane’s catalog for years. Their strong commercial stories will appeal to listeners on Spotify and beyond, and this is just the beginning. We believe that partnering will elevate Crooked Lane and Spotify’s publishing to a whole new level.”

Spotify Listeners Gain Even More Great Stories With Audiobooks From Podium

February 6, 2025

Spotify listeners around the world have embraced our Audiobooks in Premium offering, and we continue to grow our catalog of titles to give them more options to discover and enjoy. Thanks to a new partnership with publisher Podium Entertainment, there are even more reasons for audiobook lovers to cheer: Podium is one of the largest audiobook publishers in the world and an industry leader in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and romance, and beginning today many of its popular and award-winning titles will be available to Spotify listeners. 

“Spotify is building a worldwide audience for audiobooks and reimagining what the format can be for authors and their fans,” said Duncan Bruce, Director, Audiobook Partnerships & Licensing, at Spotify. “We’re proud to partner with the great folks at Podium to further enrich our catalog of titles and bring more stories that readers love to Audiobooks in Premium.”

Audiobooks in Premium gives eligible paid subscribers 12-15 hours of audiobook listening per month. Through this offering, eligible listeners can easily explore, discover, and try audiobooks on Spotify with just one click. 

“We are incredibly excited to launch some of the industry’s hottest audiobooks with Spotify this week,” said Scott Dickey, CEO of Podium Entertainment. “As a rapidly expanding publisher with a catalog filled with extraordinary stories, this partnership with Spotify represents a tremendous opportunity to expand our fan base and reach new listeners on behalf of the amazing authors we represent at Podium.”

Spotify listeners can’t get enough of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance audiobooks  

On Spotify, the sci-fi & fantasy genres continue to gain popularity with listeners. At the end of 2024, the genre ranked in the top three for completion rates for audiobooks on our platform and in the top five for both return rates and hours per use. Now, with titles like Callie Hart’s #1 best-selling audiobook Quicksilver, the BookTok favorite The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, and so much more, fans on Spotify have even more options to dive into.

Spotify is continually testing ways to bring fans closer to the stories they love, so selected Podium titles will leverage video clips to help listeners explore and discover audiobooks in new ways. Much like a digital book jacket, these videos help contextualize an audiobook for users so they can assess it before they commit to pressing play.

The Year in Audiobooks and How We’re Celebrating Spotify for Authors With a Special Wrapped Experience

December 4, 2024

From building a richer, more dynamic experience for listeners to expanding the data and promotional tools for authors and publishers, we’ve continued to keep “reading” top of mind on Spotify this year. And now, as we reflect back on 2024, it’s time to see what resonated with our listeners and how Wrapped for Authors has provided authors and publishers valuable insights into their work.

What listeners loved

It’s been a year since we launched Audiobooks in Premium, and both new releases and back-catalog titles from buzzworthy authors gained audiences across every genre on Spotify. If you’re looking for new audiobooks to add to your queue, discover the top global and U.S. audiobooks of 2024 here.

This year, we’ve also seen the boom of page-to-screen novels reflected in audiobook listening on Spotify. Colleen Hoover’s romance novel It Ends with Us and Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West are examples of acclaimed books that found their way to the big screen, and listens skyrocketed. James Clavell’s historical novel Shōgun saw a resurgence in popularity this year as its television adaptation kicked off in February. Other popular television shows based on books are George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mister Bridgerton. 

Check out the Wrapped Audiobooks hub on platform for more listening inspiration with playlists for Breakout Authors, Best Narration, and more. 

Wrapped for Authors

This year marks our first-ever Spotify Wrapped for Authors experience, giving eligible publishers and authors the opportunity to reflect on their achievements from 2024 through personalized data stories. Authors will receive insights about who their listeners are and how their audiobooks resonated with fans around the world, from the most popular time of day for consumption of their titles to the percentage of their audiences who started listening to an audiobook because of one of the author’s other titles. 

For the Record talked with Rebecca McGuire, Manager for Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify, to learn more about this year’s inaugural Wrapped for Authors.

What can authors expect to find in their Wrapped for Authors experience? 

When we take a step back, there’s a lot to celebrate with audiobooks in 2024! We carried that spirit into the Wrapped for Authors experience; it’s a fun way to recognize authors, their work, and their fans. For the first time, publishers and authors can get access to their own personalized, one-of-a-kind data stories that give them a sense of how their audiobooks resonated with listeners around the world this year.   

How does Wrapped help authors connect more deeply with their fans? 

Spotify is very committed to helping authors build deeper connections—that commitment comes through in all of the tools and experiences we offer to our partners. For example, we launched Countdown Pages for audiobooks this year, which allows fans to presave upcoming audiobooks and count down to their release, which we know helps build hype and leads to more week-one streams. Wrapped for Authors is an extension of that work, providing the perfect opportunity for authors to learn more about and thank the fans who have listened and come along on their journeys! 

What are some of the biggest Spotify audiobook highlights from the past year?

There is so much to celebrate. First, we’ve expanded audiobooks to more markets so more listeners around the world can benefit from our Audiobooks in Premium offer. We’ve launched powerful new tools for authors and publishers, including the recent addition of Spotify for Authors, our platform for them to gain marketing tools and insights on Spotify. And, as I mentioned earlier, we’ve doubled down on bringing authors and publishers closer to their fans. I had the privilege of attending our recent fan event in New York City with Coco Mellors of Blue Sisters, and it was very rewarding to see the magic between an author and her most devoted readers and listeners. Now I look forward to seeing how our partners across the industry enjoy their Wrapped for Authors experience. 

What was the most memorable audiobook you listened to in 2024? 

It was undoubtedly Dolly Alderton’s Good Material. I listened to it when it was first released in January, and I am still thinking about Jen and Andy and their hilariously tragic relationship woes that were masterfully brought to life by narrators Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby. To me, the sign of a great audiobook is when you can’t imagine reading it in any other format. I literally laughed out loud while listening to this audiobook, and I am now a firm believer that Dolly’s snappy and hilarious dialogue simply must always be listened to! 

And while there were certainly too many great audiobooks published in 2024 to count, I also love that back-catalog titles are finding great success on Spotify, creating pathways for authors to gain new audiences and giving listeners the ability to enjoy books of all kinds, right where they already are. 

If you’re on the hunt for your next great audiobook listen, check out our first-ever Global Top Audiobooks in Premium of the Year list, led by 2024’s buzziest author, Sarah J. Mass, and her A Court of Thorns and Roses series (a series that I have personally listened to about 12 times). There are some great picks on there! 

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub. Eligible authors can work directly with their publishers or Spotify reps to get access to their Wrapped for Authors experience.

Bingeworthy Audiobooks and Podcasts to Nourish Your Soul

November 25, 2024

‘Tis the season for gathering with family and friends! As we come together around our communal tables to celebrate, whet your appetite with some of Spotify editors’ favorite audiobooks and podcasts focused on food.

Appetizing Audiobooks

Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals

By Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George
Narrated by Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George, Maurice Miner

“Hey, good lookin’—what ya got cookin’?” That’s what Dolly Parton sings to her sister Rachel Parton George whenever she walks into her kitchen. Now you’re invited to pull up a chair to a year of meals, friends, and fun with the Partons, as Dolly and her sister (and favorite cook) share beloved, crowd-pleasing recipes and family stories.

Sobremesa: A Memoir of Food and Love in Thirteen Courses

By Josephine Caminos Oría
Narrated by Julie Gonzalo

We often overlook the soulful nourishment and magic that happens at sobremesa—the time spent talking after a meal—due to busy lives. In this coming-of-age adventure, Josephine Caminos Oría travels to her family’s homeland of Argentina in search of that magic. Steeped in the lure of Latin culture, she pieces together her mom and abuela’s pasts, along with the nourishing dishes that formed their kitchen arsenal. 

Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends

By benny blanco and Jess Damuck
Narrated by benny blanco

The debut cookbook from benny blanco—pop music super-producer, artist, actor on FXX’s Dave, and consummate food freak—teaches you everything you need to know about cooking, enjoying life, and throwing the greatest dinner party of all time. 

Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations

By Tabitha Brown
Narrated by Tabitha Brown

Tabitha Brown, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Feeding the Soul, presents her first cookbook—full of easy, family-friendly vegan recipes and stories from the spirit, inspired by her health journey and love of delicious food. After living with a terrible undiagnosed illness for more than a year and a half, Brown tried a 30-day vegan challenge—and never looked back. 

 Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

By Michael Ruhlman
Narrated by Michael Ruhlman

Michael Ruhlman’s New York Times bestseller takes us to the very “truth” of cooking: it is not about recipes but rather about basic ratios and fundamental techniques that make all food come together. Why spend time sorting through the millions of cookie recipes? Isn’t it easier just to remember 1-2-3? That’s the ratio of ingredients that always make a basic, delicious cookie dough: 1 part sugar, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour. 

Palate-Pleasing Podcasts

Ringer Food

Juliet Litman and David Jacoby sample various snacks, share personal tales about food, and round up the latest in food news from around the world. And then come hang with Joe House and his culinary comrades on their House of Carbs segments to devour the latest additions to the food universe’s menu with a slate of tasty episodes throughout the year.

The Dave Chang Show

Momofuku restaurant-founder, and creator and host of Netflix’s Ugly Delicious, Dave Chang is also an avid student and fan of sports, music, art, and film. In wide-ranging conversations that cover everything from the creative process to his guest’s guiltiest pleasures, Dave and a rotating cast of smart, thought-provoking guests talk about their inspirations, failures, successes, fame, and identities.

 Gastropod

Co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley explore the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. They interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food.

Food People by Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit’s Editor-in-Chief Jamila Robinson engages in discussions about how we eat and why food matters. The show includes interviews with renowned voices from the food world, behind-the-scenes details into how the magazine is made, and insight from the latest stories.

The Sporkful

We obsess about food to learn more about people, and The Sporkful isn’t for foodies, it’s for eaters. Hosted by Dan Pashman, who’s also the inventor of the new pasta shape cascatelli, the show is a James Beard and Webby Award winner for Best Food Podcast.

A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich 

Mythical Chefs Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati discuss, debate, and dissect the web’s most hilariously controversial culinary quandaries.

Food Network Obsessed 

Host Jaymee Sire sits down with chefs, food influencers, and Food Network personalities to dish on all things delicious in the food world. From exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, first (and worst) jobs in food, to cooking fails and culinary triumphs, no topic is off the menu. 

Spotify Inks a New Partnership With Bloomsbury To Offer A Greater Assortment of Audiobooks

November 22, 2024

Our library continues to grow. In 2022, we announced the addition of audiobooks to Spotify, and since then we’ve worked with publishers around the world to deliver more titles to our digital shelves. Today marks another exciting chapter for audiobook lovers thanks to a new partnership with Bloomsbury, one of the largest publishers in the U.K.

“As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Audiobooks in Premium, there’s no better way to build on our momentum than with the addition of Bloomsbury’s beloved library,” said Duncan Bruce, Director of Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify. “This partnership allows us to expand our author lineup and give listeners an even wider array of titles to enjoy, taking us another step forward in our goal of reimagining the audiobook experience.”

Spotify users will have access to more than 1,000 new titles from Bloomsbury’s award-winning catalog. It includes an array of stellar titles from acclaimed authors including Sarah J. Maas, William Dalrymple, Alan Moore, Madeline Miller, Dan Jones, Samantha Shannon, and Ann Patchett, all paired with narrations from top-tier talent such as Meryl Streep, Emilia Clarke, Adjoa Andoh, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Listeners can lose themselves in epic, sweeping fantasies for adults, like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, award winners such as Cuddy by Benjamin Myers (which won the Goldsmith’s prize in 2023), and the IPG Audiobook of the Year, Ghosts, read by the cast of the show. Listeners will also find thrilling adventures for kids, such as Katherine Rundell‘s Children’s Book of the Year, Impossible Creatures, read by Sam West. For lovers of nonfiction, Bloomsbury has works written and read by many distinguished historians, including Peter Frankopan, William Dalrymple, Dan Jones, and the recent number-one bestselling title, Want, Submitted by Anonymous, Collected by Gillian Anderson.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Spotify to bring our catalog of audiobooks to even more listeners. We are passionate about bringing the creative talents of our authors and narrators to as many listeners as possible, through our mission to inform, educate, entertain, and inspire readers of all ages and backgrounds. We feel confident that this partnership will help to introduce a whole new generation of listeners to audiobooks for years to come,” said Sam Halstead, Director of Audio at Bloomsbury.

The addition of this catalog continues our commitment to introducing the audiobook format to new listeners while also expanding opportunities and creating an additional revenue stream for the industry. Since launching audiobooks, Spotify has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to publishers on an annualized basis. Spotify’s aim is to be the best place for authors and publishers to get their books heard, and to bring great audio stories to as many people as possible. With a global audience of more than 615 million listeners, Spotify provides a new platform for authors and rights holders to share their content. 

There’s no experience quite like getting lost in an audiobook, and we’re thrilled to continue bringing more options and varieties to Spotify. Head to Spotify to discover your next great “read.”

6 Spotify Audiobook Features That Level Up Your Listening Experience

November 21, 2024

Since launching our audiobooks offering, we’ve continuously upped our game on designing a user experience that provides seamless and engaging listening. You may be so quick to get into your next “read” on Spotify that you don’t even notice some of the features in the app. ICYMI: Check out the innovations we’ve launched—and are testing—to enhance your audiobooks experience.

1. Author Pages

Currently in pilot mode with a select number of authors, these dedicated profiles for audiobook authors include biographical information about their backgrounds and works. Author Pages will aggregate their entire catalogs available on Spotify, making it easier for you to explore an author’s previous works, as well as new releases on our platform.

2. Sleep Timer for audiobooks

Our built-in Sleep Timer lets you enjoy an audiobook and drift off without having to worry about it continuing on until the end. You can decide how long you want it to play before it automatically stops. For eligible Spotify Premium users who get access to a certain amount of audiobook listening hours a month as part of their subscription, this feature is a great way to ensure you’re catching every minute. Visit this article to learn more about how to make our Sleep Timer part of any bedtime routine. 

3. Video clips for exploring audiobooks 

Fear of commitment? We’re testing a new video feature that allows select authors and publishers to submit a short video about a specific title. This can be an interview snippet, a backstage video from the audio recording session, a video message from the author, or something else. Much like a book’s jacket, these videos give you a taste of an audiobook before pressing play, offering an engaging way to explore and evaluate audiobook offerings.

4. Audiobook Countdown Pages

Countdown Pages allow you to save an audiobook prior to its release date so you can easily find it in your Spotify library once it’s live. Every time you visit the page, you can see how long you have until the title is available. Authors, publishers, and narrators can also use these pages to help promote their upcoming titles ahead of launch. Learn more about how to use this feature here.

5. Follow-Along

We’re also testing a “follow-along” feature on select titles. Follow-Along is an immersive visual experience that allows you to see time-synchronized illustrations, photos, and graphics (think: the supporting material usually included in paper books) as you listen to an audiobook. These listening enhancements that help contextualize a story are available in the “extras” section of the audiobook.

6. Audiobook playlists

Track all the books you want to read—old favorites, new discoveries—with our audiobook playlists. These curations can help you keep your library organized, and be a place for you to aggregate the audiobooks on your reading list. You’ll also find editorial playlists created by our audiobook team that highlight and categorize recommendations.

Now pull up your app and find your next audiobook obsession here.

Heroes’ Journeys: Audiobooks Exploring American History

November 11, 2024

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson marked the first commemoration of Armistice Day with these words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.” More than a century later, one way to continue honoring those who have served in the armed forces is to listen to their stories. Here are some of Spotify’s editors’ top picks for audiobooks focused on pivotal moments in American military history. 

American Heroes

By James Patterson, Matt Eversmann, Tim Malloy
Narrated by Joe Mantegna

U.S. soldiers who served in overseas conflicts—World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan—recount the actions that earned them some of America’s most distinguished military medals, like the Medal of Honor. Described as the stories of those who acted in the spirit of camaraderie, patriotism, and for the good of our beloved country, American Heroes invites readers to think about duty, sacrifice, and what it means to be an American.

The Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat

By Eileen A. Bjorkman
Narrated by Lisa S. Ware 

In 1993, U.S. women earned the right to fly in combat, but the full story of how it happened is largely unknown. The Fly Girls Revolt chronicles the actions of a band of women who overcame decades of discrimination and prevailed against bureaucrats, chauvinists, anti-feminists, and even other military women. Drawing on extensive research, interviews with women who served in the 1970s and 1980s, and her experiences in the Air Force, Eileen Bjorkman weaves a riveting tale of the women who fought for the right to enter combat and be treated as equal partners in the U.S. military. 

Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

By Donald L. Miller
Narrated by Joe Barrett

Masters of the Air is the gripping history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II and the story of the young men who flew the bombers that helped bring Nazi Germany to its knees. Told by historian and World War II expert Donald L. Miller, the book is also a chronicle of life in wartime England and in the German prison camps, where tens of thousands of airmen spent part of the war. And it ends with a vivid description of the grisly hunger marches captured airmen were forced to make near the end of the war through the country their bombs destroyed.

When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

By Garrett M. Graff
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Garrett M. Graff

The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France on June 6, 1944, is one of the most consequential days of the twentieth century. Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings it all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history of D-Day that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail.  

Miracle at Midway

By Gordon W. Prange, Donald M. Goldstein, Katherine V. Dillon
Narrated by Qarie Marshall

Thanks to cutting-edge code-breaking technology, tactical daring, and a huge stroke of luck, the Americans under Admiral Chester W. Nimitz dealt the Japanese navy its first major defeat of the war. Three years of hard fighting remained, but it was at Midway that the tide turned. This graphic, in-depth bestseller is the first book to tell the story of the epic battle from both the American and Japanese sides, showing how America won its first and greatest victory in the Pacific.

Keep digging into the past with more historical audiobooks here on Spotify.