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9 Audiobooks To Start You on Your Literary Journey

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Start Your Literary Journey. Personal walking into the distance with a dog

With elaborate storytelling, immersive worlds, and an enthusiastic fandom hyping it up, getting into a new book can be an exciting and fun moment. And with the rich, vivid narration of audiobooks (some even with a full cast), you can sink ever deeper into that experience. But with so many audiobooks and so little time, knowing where to start can be tricky.

From high-fantasy adventures and gripping thrillers to works from masters of horror and science, here are nine audiobooks to start you on your literary listening.

The Fifth Season

Written by N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by Robin Miles

The first book in the highly acclaimed Broken Earth Trilogy, N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season takes readers to the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the Earth is wielded as a weapon. 

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, the mighty empire Sanze collapses, and most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing enough ash to darken the sky for years or even centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Essun doesn’t care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization

Written and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Starry Messenger shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.

In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment: a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.

With crystalline prose, Starry Messenger walks us through a scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by Andy Serkis

J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to life in this unabridged recording, with its first installment, The Fellowship of The Ring, narrated by acclaimed actor, director, and author Andy Serkis, who played the creature Gollum in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.

In a quiet village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins is about to receive a gift that will change his life forever.

Thought to be lost centuries ago, the One Ring, an object of terrifying power once used by the Dark Lord Sauron to enslave Middle-earth, has been found. Now darkness is rising, and Frodo must travel deep into the Dark Lord’s realm of Mordor to the one place the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.

And so starts an incredible journey through Middle-earth that will test Frodo’s courage, his friendships, and his heart. But the Ring corrupts all who bear it. Can Frodo destroy it, or will it destroy him?

The Hate U Give

Written by Angie Thomas

Narrated by Bahni Turpin

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas‘ searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. 

The Hate U Give introduces us to 16-year-old Starr Carter as she moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death becomes a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. But what everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or doesn’t say could upend her community and even endanger her life.

Demon in the Wood

Written by Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by Ben Barnes, Benjamin Valic, Cassandra Morris, Eason Rytter, James Fouhey, Mary McCartney, Matt Leisy, Salli Saffioti, Sean Gormley, and Tom Bromhead

In Leigh Bardugo’s Demon in the Wood, discover the origin story of one of the most memorable characters in the Shadow and Bone trilogy in this fully cast, first-ever Grishaverse graphic audiobook.

Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power.

Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves.

The Alchemist

Written by Paulo Coehlo

Narrated by Jeremy Irons

With more than 2 million copies sold worldwide, Paulo Coelho‘s The Alchemist tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found.

The narrative of the treasures Santiago does find along the way teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and above all, following our dreams.

Pet Sematary

Written by Stephen King

Narrated by Michael C. Hall

Pet Sematary is the bone-chilling classic from master of horror Stephen King that brings with it the lesson that sometimes dead is better.

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, the new beginning seems just a little too good to be true. But despite Ludlow’s tranquility, there’s an undercurrent of danger that lingers from the graveyard in the woods near Creed’s home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets.

Behind the “pet sematary,” there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises…and ungodly temptations. 

Then She Was Gone: A Novel

Written by Lisa Jewell

Narrated by Helen Duff

From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell, Then She Was Gone is a chilling novel that delves into the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from summer vacation with her whole life ahead of her. 

And then she was gone. 

Now, 10 years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a cafe, she is surprised at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes her breath away. Looking at her is like looking at Ellie. 

And now, the unanswered questions she has tried so hard to put to rest haunt her anew . . . as well as some new ones about Floyd and Poppy.

The Lion’s Game

Written by Nelson DeMille

Narrated by Scott Brick

Filled with unrelenting suspense and surprising plot twists at every turn, The Lion’s Game is a heartstopping race against time and one of Nelson DeMille‘s most riveting thrillers.

Detective John Corey now faces his toughest assignment yet: the pursuit and capture of the world’s most dangerous terrorist—a man known as “The Lion” who has baffled a federal task force and shows no signs of stopping in his quest for revenge against the American pilots who bombed Libya and killed his family. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

Start Your Day Off Right With 9 Audiobooks for Your Morning Commute

September 29, 2023

Whether you like to begin your day the moment you get out of bed or ease gently into it with a cup of coffee, you can count on audiobooks to boost your mornings and kickstart those cognitive functions. Immersing yourself in a well-narrated book might just help wake you up, make your commute more entertaining, and set a positive tone for the day ahead. And a book is definitely better than the sleep-shattering buzz of an alarm clock. 

From words of wisdom and truth courtesy of Oprah Winfrey, to laughs and enlightening insights from Rainn Wilson, to a number of titles that are fresh for 2023, here are a few of our favorite audiobooks for your morning commute.

What I Know For Sure

Written and narrated by Oprah Winfrey

After film critic Gene Siskel asked her, “What do you know for sure?” Oprah Winfrey began writing the What I Know For Sure column in O, The Oprah Magazine. Citing that the question offered her a way to “take stock of her life,” Oprah has penned one column a month over the last 14 years, during which time she retired The Oprah Winfrey Show (the highest-rated program of its kind in history), launched her own television network, became America’s only Black billionaire, was awarded both an honorary degree from Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, watched friends and colleagues come and go, lost beloved pets and adopted new ones, and celebrated milestone birthdays. 

Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful audiobook packed with insights and revelations from Oprah. Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare and powerful glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most extraordinary women. 

All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive

Written by Rainesford Stauffer

Narrated by Jess Nahikian

All the Gold Stars looks at how cultural, personal, and societal expectations around ambition are driving the burnout epidemic by funneling our worth into productivity, limiting our imaginations, and pushing us further apart. Through her own devastating personal narrative, Rainesford Stauffer reveals the common factors driving us all, peeling back layers of family expectations, capitalism, and self-esteem that she believes dangerously tie up our worth in our output. 

Interviews with students, workers, psychologists, and more provide a new definition of ambition and the tools Stauffer believes we can use to reframe our lives. All the Gold Stars offers possible ways to reject current reality and reconceive ambition as more collective, imaginative, and rooted in caring for ourselves and one another.

The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

Written by Robin Sharma

Narrated by Adam Verner

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5AM Club concept over 20 years ago. It’s based on a morning routine that has helped his clients with their productivity, health, and serenity in what he calls “this age of overwhelming complexity.” 

Now, in this captivating audiobook to boost your morning, you can discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many people accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness, and feelings of being alive. Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully.

Creative Quest

Written by Questlove 

Narrated by Questlove, Fred Armisen, Dion Flynn, Norm MacDonald, Robin Thede, and Tariq Trotter

In Creative Quest, Questlove—musician, bandleader, designer, producer, culinary entrepreneur, professor, and all-around cultural omnivore—synthesizes all the creative philosophies, lessons, and stories he’s heard from the many creators and collaborators in his life. He then reflects on his own experience to advise listeners and fans on how to consider creativity and where to find it. He addresses many topics—like what it means to be creative, how to find a mentor and serve as an apprentice, the wisdom of maintaining a creative network, coping with critics and the foibles of success, and the specific pitfalls of contemporary culture—all in the service of guiding admirers who have followed his career and newcomers not yet acquainted with his story.

Whether discussing his own life or channeling the lessons he’s learned from forefathers such as George Clinton, collaborators like D’Angelo, or like-minded artists including Ava DuVernay, David Byrne, and Björk, Questlove speaks with his resident candor and enthusiasm. Creative Quest is many things, but above all, it’s a wide-ranging conversation around the eternal mystery of creativity.

(Un)Stuck

Written and narrated by Dr Sophie Mort

Do you feel stuck in a rut and that you keep getting in your own way? Or maybe you have an idea of the version of yourself you want to be—self-assured, happy, and thriving—but getting there seems impossible?

Drawing on her expertise as a clinical psychologist with a master’s in neuroscience, in (Un)Stuck, Dr Sophie Mort shares the science of habit formation to help you understand your patterns of behavior and start living the life you want.

Packed with practical tips, exercises, real-life examples, and “unsticking points,” Dr Sophie breaks down five reasons you’re stuck and offers you tools to do something about it.

The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone)

Written by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman 

Narrated by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman, and Sandy Rustin

Power is not working—for women, for men, or for the world. We don’t need to remake women. We need to remake power.

In The Power Code, journalists and New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are on a mission to reclaim power for women. In the wake of sweeping changes in the way we work, these veteran journalists challenge preconceived notions of what power is and what it’s good for, along with the insidious, mostly hidden structures of the status quo that hold women back.

What started as a straightforward examination of best practices becomes a manifesto offering a new form of power, a distinctly female version that they believe is already emerging in workplaces, in politics, and on the home front. It’s a version that is more appealing to women (and most men as well). It offers women a blueprint for shaping their own professional futures, maximizing their impact for the benefit of others, and experiencing the real joy that comes from taking the reins and influencing outcomes.

Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution

Written and narrated by Rainn Wilson

Rainn Wilson, comedic actor and author of Soul Boom, explores the problem-solving benefits of spirituality in an increasingly challenging world. 

The trauma that our world has experienced in recent years—as a result of both the pandemic and societal tensions that threaten to overwhelm us—has been unprecedented. To Wilson, it is clear that existing political and economic systems are not enough to bring the change that the world needs. He explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” in order to address today’s greatest issues: mental health, racism, sexism, climate change, and economic injustice. ​ 

The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success

Written and narrated by Andy Andrews

In this revised and repackaged version of Mastering the Seven Decisions, master storyteller and life coach Andy Andrews has fast-forwarded the concept of success and what it takes to make it stick. Seeking out what separates the ordinary life from the extraordinary, Andrews has spent much of his life dissecting countless biographies and spending time with some of the most successful people on the planet in an effort to understand the principles that propel them toward greatness.

The result? Seven simple principles that, when applied consistently, render extraordinary lives. Through his entertaining, down-to-earth style, Andrews introduces these principles and offers all the tools he believes are necessary to make lasting changes in your life.

You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance

Written and narrated by Chani Nicholas

From beloved astrologer and Spotify Cosmic Playlist curator Chani Nicholas comes an essential guide for radical self-acceptance.

Your weekly horoscope is merely one crumb from astrology’s cake. In her first book, You Were Born for This, Nicholas shows how your birth chart—a snapshot of the sky at the moment you took your first breath—can reveal your unique talents, challenges, and opportunities. Marrying the historic traditions of astrology with a modern approach, You Were Born for This explains the key components of your birth chart in an easy-to-use, choose-your-own-adventure style with journal prompts, reflective questions, and affirmations personal to your astrological makeup.

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

7 Compelling Book-To-Screen Adaptations That Are Now Available as Audiobooks

September 29, 2023

A person looking at a flying saucer in the night sky

“Which was better, the book or the movie?”

It’s a common argument that has withstood the test of time and has only gotten stronger as more and more hit television shows and movies inspired by novels have been released. And now with audiobooks, you can listen to the original book before watching its screen version to compare, contrast, and settle the argument of which was better once and for all. 

So, whether it’s a coming-of-age tale set over several beautiful summers or a hilarious full-cast romp to stop the apocalypse, here are some of our favorite book-to-screen adaptations available now on Spotify. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Written by Jenny Han

Narrated by Lola Tung

Some summers are just destined to be pretty. 

In Jenny Han’s coming-of-age romance novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Isabel “Belly” Conklin measures her life in summers. To her, everything good and magical happens between the months of June and August, when her family reunites with friend Susannah and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. The boys have been Belly’s brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Good Omens

Written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Narrated by Rebecca Front, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, Arthur Darvill, Chris Nelson, Ferdinand Frisby Williams, Gabrielle Glaister, John Hopkins, Katherine Kingsley, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lemn Sissay, Lorelei King, Louis Davison, Matt Reeves, Peter Forbes, and Pixie Davies

Dive into this brand-new, full-cast audiobook production of Good Omens from internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, and tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. Except the somewhat fussy angel Aziraphale (played by Michael Sheen) and the fast-living demon Crowley (played by David Tennant)—both of whom have lived among Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. 

All that and someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

Lovecraft Country

Written by Matt Ruff

Narrated by Kevin Kenerly

Also adapted into an HBO® series by J.J. Abrams, Misha Green, and Jordan Peele, Matt Ruff’s novel Lovecraft Country makes visceral the terrors of Jim Crow America, melding historical fiction, pulp noir, and Lovecraftian horror. 

When his father goes missing in 1950s Chicago, 22-year-old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite (heir to the estate that owned one of Atticus’s ancestors) they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours. 

A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of two Black families, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that continues to haunt us today.

The Good Nurse

Written by Charles Graeber

Narrated by Will Collyer

After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed “The Angel of Death” by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. 

Cullen’s murderous career in the world’s most trusted profession spanned 16 years and nine hospitals from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. In The Good Nurse, journalist Charles Graeber presents the whole story, nearly 10 years in the making. 

Based on hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wire-tap recordings, and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down, this true crime audiobook weaves an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship, and betrayal.

Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda

Written by Jesse J. Holland, Linda D. Addison, Maurice Broaddus, Christopher Chambers, Milton J. Davis, Tananarive Due, Nikki Giovanni, Harlan James, Danian Jerry, Kyoko M., L.L. McKinney, Temi Oh, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Glenn Parris, Alex Simmons, Sheree Renée Thomas, Cadwell Turnbull, and Troy L. Wiggins

Narrated by J. D. Jackson and Joy Sunday

T’Challa faces the gods of his parents. Vampires stalk Shuri and a Dora Milaje in voodoo-laced New Orleans. Erik Killmonger grapples with racism, Russian spies, and his own origins. All these stories and more are here in the anthology Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda.

The first mainstream superhero of African descent, the Black Panther has attracted fans of all races and colors who see in the King of Wakanda reflections of themselves. Storytellers from across the African diaspora—some already literary legends, others rising stars—have created for this collection of original works inspired by the world of the Panther. With guest characters including Storm, Monica Rambeau, Namor, and Jericho Drumm, these are stories of yesterday and today, of science and magic, of faith and love.

The School for Good and Evil

Written by Soman Chainani

Narrated by Polly Lee

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil. 

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed: Sophie’s dumped into the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are? Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Written by Jenny Han

Narrated by Ali Ahn

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them . . . all at once? 

In Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. That is, until one day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

Kick Back With 9 Audiobooks To Help You Unwind

September 29, 2023

illustration of a person surrounded by leaves relaxing

Whether it’s chilling on the couch or crashing into bed, nothing beats settling into a nice long rest at the end of the day. And few things are more frustrating than when your body wants to rest but your brain wants to keep the party going. Thankfully, there are plenty of audiobooks to help relax the mind. Thanks to tips and advice from a number of bestselling authors, these titles can help you calm your mind and allow you a well-deserved moment to recharge. 

So, if you’re trying to get over a bout of insomnia, or just want to incorporate more mindfulness into your end-of-day routine, here are 9 audiobooks to help you unwind.

Dimming the Day: Evening Meditations for Quiet Wonder

Written by Jennifer Grant

Narrated by Christine Kiphart

Research suggests that we should refrain from screens at bedtime, but it can be hard to give up social media and news without something to take its place. In this audiobook, author Jennifer Grant offers gentle meditations that help you direct your gaze away from screens and uncertainties and toward the natural world to help you unwind. 

Dimming the Day guides you to focus on the wonders of earth, from the ordinary head of a dandelion to the exquisite beauty of a fractal. You are invited to replace anxiety with awe, distraction with focus, and worry with true rest. Calm your mind and settle into stillness.

This Book Will Make You Sleep

Written by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar

Narrated by Tania Rodrigues

Many people go through patches when they find it hard to sleep, whether it’s problems dropping off at night or waking in the early hours with thoughts buzzing. Sometimes it seems impossible to get that elusive night’s sleep we so badly crave, but This Book Will Make You Sleep aims to help you break negative patterns, get more rest, and improve your well-being. 

Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar draw on the very latest developments in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to guide you through techniques centered around healthy sleep habits so you can feel more rested and happier, and immediately reap the benefits in your everyday life.

Mindfulness Meditation for Releasing Anxiety

Written by Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey

Narrated by Glenn Harrold

According to authors Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey, people who practice mindfulness are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past. They say being mindful makes it easier to notice and enjoy the pleasures in life, and that properly reacting to stressful or difficult situations allows you to feel calmer and more balanced in everyday life.

Mindfulness Meditation combines acclaimed meditation techniques with dreamy pianos, calming soundscapes, heavenly choirs, and Tibetan chanting, creating a powerful session designed to help you make lasting and meaningful changes to your life. 

Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups

Written by Ben Holden

Narrated by Ben Holden, Sandra Duncan, Esther Wane, Gareth Armstrong, and Luke Thompson

There are few routines more precious than the bedtime story. This led author Ben Holden to question why we discard this invaluable ritual as grown-ups. Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups deftly explores not only the science of sleep, but it also challenges how we think about life—a third of which we spend asleep. 

Illuminating storytelling and a treasure trove of timeless classics and contemporary gems from William Shakespeare, Haruki Murakami, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, Vladimir Nabokov, and Neil Gaiman are woven together to replicate the journey of a single night’s sleep.

Midnight Meditations: Calm Your Thoughts, Still Your Body, and Return to Sleep

Written by Courtney E. Ackerman

Narrated by Robin Eller

It’s hard to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. Midnight Meditations wants to help gently guide you back to sleep as quickly as possible. These 150 peaceful, soothing meditations help you welcome and embrace the rest, relaxation, and restorative sleep every night has to offer. 

This book aims to help you discover how to calm your racing thoughts, stop chasing sleep, and start receiving an undisturbed night’s rest so you can make the most of your days.

Sleep Reimagined: The Fast Track to a Revitalized Life

Written by Pedram Navab

Narrated by Pete Cross

According to Dr. Pedram Navab, insomnia looks different for everyone. Whether it’s caused by stress, a traumatic life event, or even a snoring partner, he says poor sleep can affect the quality of your waking life. With his book Sleep Reimagined, Navab wants listeners to know that falling asleep can be just as easy as waking up. 

Equipped with his six-step cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) program and relatable case studies of different sleep disorders, Navab says listeners can be guided to new and improved sleep in as little as four weeks. Through therapeutic relaxation, practicing sleep restriction and stimulus control, restructuring attitudes toward sleep, and using mindfulness intervention, this audiobook aims to help listeners better understand sleep and take steps toward rewiring their arousal systems. 

The Insomnia Diaries: How I Learned To Sleep Again

Written and narrated by Miranda Levy

After a single catastrophic event, journalist Miranda Levy had one sleepless night, then another, and then another. She sought help from anyone she could: doctors, acupuncturists, reiki practitioners, hypnotists, therapists, personal trainers—but nothing seemed to work. 

In The Insomnia Diaries, Miranda recounts her experience with the severe, crippling sleep disorder that affected every aspect of her life for years and reveals how she ultimately recovered. Part memoir, part reportage, this book helps anyone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep better understand their options for relief as they seek rest.

Deep Restful Sleep: Meditation for Deep Restful Sleep and for Inner Strength

Written and narrated by Virginia Harton

Containing two full meditations, Deep Restful Sleep aims to help you to develop inner strength while you fully recharge. 

According to author Virginia Harton, the intention of the first meditation is to help you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally stronger. She says that inner strength sometimes gets covered up by the strains and stresses of life. The second meditation is designed to help relax the body and the mind while focusing on your breathing as Harton’s gentle voice creates a secure environment conducive to sleep. 

Fast Asleep, Wide Awake: Discover the Secrets of Restorative Sleep and Vibrant Energy

Written and narrated by Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

In the eyes of Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep problems don’t start when you put your head on the pillow. The physiologist and renowned sleep expert says that everything from thought behavior to the choices you make during the day can impact how you sleep at night. 

Using tools and techniques based on Western science and Eastern practices, Fast Asleep, Wide Awake combines the Ramlakhan’s professional experience with academic and personal insights as she shares her view that sleep problems are not just about sleep, but rather about how we deal with life and its inevitable challenges. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

9 Trending-On-Social Audiobooks To Appeal to Your Inner Influencer

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Audiobooks to Appeal to Your Inner Influencer. Illustration of Woman in red bathing suit laying on a striped towel at the beach

Sometimes you might notice a thoughtful review from a friend on your feed, or stumble upon a flash summary straight out of your favorite social influencer’s mouth. Either way, it’s great to end up with a good book recommendation. From modern reimaginings of Greek mythology to fantastical worlds, twisted mysteries, or steamy romances, there’s no shortage of audiobooks out there to live rent-free in our heads.

So get that like button ready: Here are nine audiobooks trending on social media.

A Touch of Darkness

Written by Scarlett St. Clair

Narrated by Meg Sylvan

In Scarlett St. Clair’s new take on Greek mythology, A Touch of Darkness tells the story of a Persephone who is the Goddess of Spring by title only. Truth be told, flowers have shriveled at her touch since she was little. So, after moving to New Athens, she disguises herself as a mortal journalist in the hopes of leading a normal, unassuming life.

Meanwhile, Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire on the mortal world. His favorite bets, it’s rumored, are of the impossible kind. After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and the terms are impossible: She must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.

The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.

Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel

Written by Casey McQuiston

Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? In Red, White & Royal Blue, author Casey McQuiston imagines what that might look like. 

When his mother became president, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with an actual prince, Henry, who lives across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an altercation between the two, U.S. and British relations take a turn for the worse.

In response, heads of family and state, and other handlers, devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What starts out as a fake, Instragramable friendship, however, grows deeper and more dangerous than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations, which begs the question: Can love save the world after all? 

The Cruel Prince: The Folk of the Air, Book 1

Written by Holly Black

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

The Folk of the Air, Book 1 is the first entry in Holly Black’s Cruel Prince series, centered around a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

Just seven years old when her parents were murdered, Jude and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. As civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters . . . and the land of Faerie itself.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Written by V. E. Schwab

Narrated by Julia Whelan

France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore who remembers her name.

Thus begins The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a dazzling adventure by V. E. Schwab that plays out across centuries and continents as a young woman learns just how far she’ll go to leave her mark on the world.

They Both Die at the End

Written by Adam Silvera

Narrated by Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin

With his novel They Both Die at the End, author Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day. 

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. 

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Neon Gods

Written by Katee Robert

Narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock

In this reimagining of Greek mythology, author Katee Robert’s Neon Gods brings a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over, far away from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all of that is ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade. With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth… a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed. 

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. 

Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close.

The Paris Apartment: A Novel

Written by Lucy Foley

Narrated by Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Charlie Anson, Julia Winwood, Sofia Zervudachi, and Sope Dirisu

In The Paris Apartment, Lucy Foley’s new locked-room mystery, everyone’s a neighbor, everyone’s a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke, alone, and just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only, when she shows up to find an almost too nice apartment (could Ben really have afforded this?), he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The Kiss Quotient

Written by Helen Hoang

Narrated by Carly Robins

A heartwarming and refreshing debut for Helen Hoang, The Kiss Quotient sets out to prove one thing: There’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with . . . but she has way less experience in the dating department than the average 30-year-old.

It doesn’t help that French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. She decides that she needs lots of practice—with a professional—which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese-Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and he agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan.

Before long, Stella learns not only to appreciate his kisses but also to crave the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges convinces Stella that love is the best kind of logic.

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel

Written by Sarah Penner

Narrated by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin

The Lost Apothecary is Sarah Penner’s subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance, and the remarkable ways women can save one another despite the barrier of time.

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when Nella’s newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old, makes a fatal mistake that sparks a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile, in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, worlds collide in a stunning twist of fate, one where not everyone will survive.

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

Level Up With These 12 Motivational Audiobooks for a Productive Workday

September 29, 2023

There are times when the daily grind might not leave you feeling the most inspired. But it doesn’t always have to be like that. Words of wisdom may be just the thing you need to boost your confidence, shift your 9-to-5 mindset, and motivate you. Does your workload also have you feeling like you don’t have any time to read? Have you blown through your Daily Wellness playlist and all the motivational podcasts? Tune into an audiobook. 

Featuring titles from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Jenn Lim, Ben McKenzie, and Gary Vaynerchuk, these 12 motivational audiobooks range from blueprints for success to tales about the inner workings of the business world. So find a selection that inspires you and start listening on Spotify.  

Beyond Happiness: How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose and People for Growth and Impact

Written and narrated by Jenn Lim

The cofounder and CEO of Delivering Happiness updates its namesake model with the aim of showing organizations of every kind how to cultivate a culture that can adapt to change, be highly profitable, and support all its people.

Over the course of Beyond Happiness, author Jenn Lim sets out to show how bringing your whole self to work allows you to do your best work every day, no matter what role you play at your company, or what crisis might come at you next. Making the argument that true happiness comes from living your true purpose, Lim points to case studies that show how companies can help individuals align their purpose with the company mission.

Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud

Written by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman

Narrated By Ben McKenzie

At the height of the pandemic, TV star Ben McKenzie says he was the perfect mark for cryptocurrency: a dad stuck at home with some cash in his pocket, worried about his family, armed with only the vague notion that people were making heaps of money on something he—despite having a degree in economics—didn’t entirely understand. Lured in by the promise of taking power from banks, possibly improving democracy, and a touch of FOMO, McKenzie dove deep into blockchain, Bitcoin, and the rest of the cryptocurrency world.

But after scratching the surface, he started to question if it was all a scam. In Easy Money, McKenzie enlists the help of journalist Jacob Silverman for a caper and exposé that points to what he says are the climactic final days of cryptocurrency now upon us. Weaving together stories of average traders and victims, colorful crypto “visionaries,” Hollywood’s biggest true believers, anti-crypto whistleblowers, and government agents searching for solutions at the precipice of a major crash, Easy Money delivers an on-the-ground look into cryptocurrencies’ inner workings. 

The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

Written and narrated by Grant Cardone

In the eyes of author Grant Cardone, extreme success lies beyond the realm of normal action. He believes it requires breaking from the status quo and removing luck and chance from the business equation. And with The 10X Rule, he wants to show you how. 

With step-by-step guidance on how to achieve phenomenal success, this audiobook explains the amount of effort needed to achieve and sustain success. Cardone says that four degrees of action exist, and in order to achieve your dreams, you must learn to operate at the fourth degree of action: massive action. The 10X Rule aims to help you dissolve fear, increase your belief in yourself, eliminate procrastination, and provide you with an overwhelming sense of purpose. 

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

Written by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Narrated by Alex Sims

Overwork is the new normal. Rest is something to do when the important things are done, but it seems like they are never done. Looking at different forms of rest, from sleep to vacation, Silicon Valley futurist and business consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome. 

Combining rigorous scientific research with a rich array of examples of writers, painters, and thinkers—from Darwin to Stephen King—Rest challenges our tendency to see work and relaxation as antithetical. “Deliberate rest,” as Pang calls it, is the true key to productivity and will give us more energy, sharper ideas, and a better life. This audiobook offers a roadmap to rediscovering the importance of rest in our lives, and a convincing argument that we need to relax more if we actually want to get more done.

Reset: Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life

Written by Debra Fileta and Christine Caine

Narrated by Debra Fileta

Want to break free from unhealthy habits and replace them with positive patterns? Finding yourself returning to old behaviors? With Reset, author and professional counselor Debra Fileta wants this time to be different for you. 

Guiding listeners through 31 powerful and sustainable practices, this audiobook aims to help you transform your thought patterns. Instead of focusing on external actions, you’ll work on reshaping the default settings of your heart and mind so that you’re able to accomplish the growth you want to see in yourself. You’ll get to the bottom of why you do what you do, and then you’ll learn how to do it better. Discover invaluable lessons you can return to again and again, and begin your journey of changing from the inside out. Get ready to reset.

100 Things Productive People Do: Little lessons in getting things done

Written by Nigel Cumberland

Narrated by Qarie Marshall

100 Things Productive People Do will help you boost your productivity and get things done. Packed with great ideas for achieving more and creating success, author Nigel Cumberland explores the habits, tools, techniques, and mentalities of highly productive people and reveals how to effortlessly take on your to-do list. Every chapter in this audiobook features a new idea that will help you work smarter rather than harder. Mixing simple explanations with activities and exercises, you’ll learn the optimal mindset and habits you need to succeed.

Can’t Stop Thinking: How to Let Go of Anxiety and Free Yourself from Obsessive Rumination

Written by Nancy Colier and Stephan Bodian

Narrated by Kitty Hendrix

Are you stuck in your head? In today’s world, it’s easy to get stuck in an endless loop of negative thoughts. And if you’re like many people, you’ve maybe tried to think your way out of one of these thought cycles, leading to anxiety, self-criticism, resentment, catastrophizing, and hopelessness. Now it’s time to learn how to stop obsessing and start living with the help of Can’t Stop Thinking.

Using a powerful blend of mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), psychotherapist and spiritual counselor Nancy Colier offers a solution for breaking free from repetitive and obsessive thinking. In this audiobook, you’ll learn how to surrender your thinking mind, freeing you up to discover a life of self-compassion, presence, peace, and joy.

We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power

Written and narrated by Rachel Rodgers

We Should All Be Millionaires offers a step-by-step path to help you create the support, confidence, and vision you need to own your success.

In this book, Rachel Rodgers—a Black woman, mother of four, attorney, business owner, and self-made millionaire—shares the lessons she’s learned both in her own journey to wealth and in coaching hundreds of women through their own journeys to seven figures. Whatever is stopping you from financial success, this book will help you clear every obstacle in your way, show up, and glow up.

Rodgers says it’s time to construct an entirely new attitude about money so you can stop just surviving, and start thriving.

Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life

Written and narrated by Humble the Poet

Rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, blogger, and influencer Humble the Poet has traditionally shared his message of self-discovery, creativity, and empowerment with his fans through music and written word. That message has now been extended to Unlearn, offering insights and wisdom that challenge conventional thinking and help you tap into your best, most authentic self.

In Unlearn, Humble wants to open listeners’ eyes to their own lives, helping them recognize the possibilities that await and the challenges that stand in the way of dreams. By shedding the problematic lessons we’ve learned throughout our lives that limit us—from sabotaging habits to fixed mindsets to past regrets—Humble believes we can relearn new, unconventional ways of moving through life.

Best Self: Be You, Only Better

Written by Mike Bayer

Narrated By Mike Bayer and Phil McGraw

If you dream of a better life, author Mike Bayer believes now is the time to turn your dream into reality. The tools you need are within your grasp to design a life that is fulfilling on the deepest levels. Best Self will show you how.

By working through each of the seven SPHERES of life—social, personal, health, education, relationships, employment, and spiritual development—Best Self offers listeners an accessible and interactive audiobook that distills all of Bayer’s wisdom into a compact, focused guide designed to ignite anyone’s desire for change. With a foreword from Dr. Phil McGraw, Best Self asks listeners to embrace their authenticity, acknowledge what is holding them back, and break through to live a passionate life to the fullest.

Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too

Written by Gary Vaynerchuk

Narrated By Gary Vaynerchuk, Rich Roll, and Amy Schmittauer

Four-time New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk offers new lessons and inspiration drawn from the experiences of dozens of influencers and entrepreneurs who rejected the predictable corporate path in favor of pursuing their dreams by building thriving businesses and extraordinary personal brands.

In Crushing It!, Vaynerchuk explains why that’s even more true today, offering his perspective on what has changed and what principles remain timeless. He also shares stories from other entrepreneurs who have grown wealthier—and not just financially—than they ever imagined possible by following Crush It principles. According to Vaynerchuk, the secret to their success has everything to do with their understanding of social media platforms, and their willingness to do whatever it took to make these tools work to their utmost potential. That’s what Crushing It! teaches listeners to do as it dissects every current major social media platform so that anyone can learn how to amplify their personal brand. 

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Written by Cal Newport

Narrated by Jeff Bottoms

According to Deep Work author Cal Newport, deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Newport says deep work can make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. 

Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four “rules,” for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill.

A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work takes listeners on a journey through memorable stories, ranging from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business-class ticket to Tokyo to work on a book from the air. For anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world, this is a must-listen audiobook for a motivated workday. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

10 Great Musical Biographies That Tell the Stories Behind Your Favorite Artists

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Music Biography

You might know all the songs and albums of your favorite musicians, but do you know the experiences and inspirations behind their work? Luckily, you can find out by listening to some great musical biographies on Spotify. 

With picks that include memoirs from legendary stars including Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane, and Dolly Parton, you can discover all the wisdom these greats have to share. 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music

Written and narrated by Dave Grohl

Dave Grohl’s autobiography, The Storyteller, sheds light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, who goes on to live out his craziest dreams as a musician. The rock icon reflects on everything from hitting the road with Scream at 18, to his time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. He remembers jamming with Iggy Pop and dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He tells stories about drumming for Tom Petty and meeting Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall. Grohl even recounts unexpected moments like bedtime stories with Joan Jett to a chance meeting with Little Richard. 

The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl

Written and narrated by Melanie Chisholm

After five women answered a newspaper ad, the Spice Girls were born. They recorded their first single, “Wannabe,” and nearly overnight, Melanie “Melanie C” Chisholm went from small-town girl to Sporty Spice.

The Sporty One follows the meteoric rise of Melanie C and The Spice Girls, from the incredible highs of playing at Wembley, conquering the BRITs, and closing the 2012 Olympics, to the difficult lows. For the first time ever, Melanie C talks about the pressures of fame, the shaming and bullying she experienced, the struggles she has had with her body image and mental health, and the difficulty of finding herself when the whole world knew her name.

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics

Written by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann

Narrated by Dolly Parton 

Dolly Parton, Songteller goes beyond the glitz, glamor, and rhinestones to the warmth, heart, and soul of a treasured pop culture icon. In this autobiography, 10-time Grammy Award–winning artist Dolly Parton weaves her words with music and memories to give listeners the stories behind her most cherished songs.

How close did Parton come to singing “I Will Always Love You” as a duet with Elvis Presley? How did she become an actress? And exactly who was “Jolene”? This one-of-a-kind audio experience answers the most burning questions that Parton’s fans have.

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

Written by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin

Narrated by Guy Lockard

For the first time, hip-hop legend Gucci Mane tells the story of his rise, fall, and redemption in The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. With a string of influential mixtapes and street anthems that pioneered the sound of trap music in the 2000s, the rap icon inspired and mentored a new generation of artists and producers including Migos, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Zaytoven, Mike WiLL Made-It, and Metro Boomin.

Taking listeners back to his roots in Alabama, the streets of East Atlanta, and the studio where he found his voice, Gucci Mane reflects on his successes while also confronting his dark past, which included drug addiction, murder charges, and a prison sentence. 

But Gucci Mane has changed, and in this music bio, he provides an intimate glimpse into his radical transformation following his 2016 prison release—one that saw the rapper emerge sober, smiling, focused, and positive. This is one of music’s great comeback stories.

Born to Run

Written and narrated by Bruce Springsteen

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that he decided to write about it, which then inspired him to tell the story of his entire life.

Vividly recounting his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in New Jersey, and the rise of The E Street Band, Springsteen fills the pages of Born to Run with humor, originality, and disarming candor. For the first time, the superstar rocker shares the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized. This isn’t just a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words

Written by Billie Eilish

Narrated By Billie Eilish, Maggie Baird, Patrick O’Connell

In this special audiobook companion piece, global pop phenomenon Billie Eilish walks fans through the personal highlights and special moments of her life and career, both on and off the stage. 

Billie Eilish: In Her Own Words is full of exclusive and unique content, including memories shared by her parents. Capturing the essence of Billie inside and out, listeners get personal glimpses into her childhood, her life on tour, and more, making this audio edition essential for any fan.

It’s a Long Story: My Life

Written by Willie Nelson and David Ritz

Narrated by Christopher Ryan Grant

It’s a Long Story is the complete, unvarnished story of Willie Nelson‘s life. Told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, the country legend takes listeners on a ride from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary tour bus.

Nelson shines a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his biggest collaborations, his lowest lows, and his highest highs—from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid.

Talking to My Angels

Written and narrated by Melissa Etheridge

Following the success of her first memoir, award-winning rocker and trailblazing LGBTQIA+ icon Melissa Etheridge returns to take stock of her life in the years that have followed. 

Talking to My Angels is a profoundly honest look into Etheridge’s inner life as a woman, an artist, a mother, and a survivor. With characteristic wit and courage, Melissa delves into how numerous tragedies served as a catalyst for growth, and what the past two decades have taught her about the value of music, love, family, and life in the face of death. This audiobook also features live, stripped-down performances of many of Melissa’s songs, including “Talking to My Angel” and “Here Comes the Pain.”

Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir

Written by Juicy J and Soren Baker

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

The hustle still continues for hip-hop OG Juicy J in Chronicles of the Juice Man, where he shares his invaluable story as an unwavering force in the music industry. Jordan Houston’s rise to stardom was never easy. Beginning with his journey on the streets of Memphis in the ’80s, Juicy J was always inspired by music and had big dreams of becoming a superstar rapper. The Three 6 Mafia member stuck to his plan with determination, rising from a young, poor, ambitious kid to an Academy Award–winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entrepreneur. A never-before-seen look into one of the most influential tastemakers in the game, Chronicles of the Juice Man offers Juicy J’s wisdom as a respected industry veteran.

Tell It Like It Is: My Story

Written and narrated by Aaron Neville

Tell It Like It Is shares the trials and tribulations of legendary singer and songwriter Aaron Neville through the lens of his faith, family, and music.

Scoring his first number-one hit in 1966 with “Tell It Like It Is,” the artist went on to form the Neville Brothers with his siblings Art, Charles, and Cyril. Aaron was the breakout star, and over the next six decades, he’s enjoyed four platinum albums, three number-one songs, and entry into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

But few people know the challenging and circuitous road Aaron took to fame. Born in a housing project in New Orleans, he struggled as a teenage father working to raise a family while building his career as a musician, surviving a stint in jail for car theft and battling heroin addiction for many years. Now for the first time, fans can discover the inside story. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

NPR Host Ari Shapiro Goes Beyond the Airwaves With His Memoir, ‘The Best Strangers in the World: Stories From a Life Spent Listening’

March 20, 2023

photo credit: Victor Jeffreys

As one of the hosts of NPR’s flagship program, All Things Considered, Ari Shapiro has a voice that’s instantly recognizable to many radio listeners in the United States. Since 2015, Ari has shared heartwarming and heart-wrenching stories on the show, which is one of the most listened-to news programs in the country. In 2020, the format expanded with Consider This, a 15-minute, six-times-weekly podcast—also hosted by Ari.

But journalism is just his day job.

Ari is also a singer, performer, and speaker. He moonlights as a vocalist with the band Pink Martini, and joined forces with actor Alan Cumming for a stage show called Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret. Now, the award-winning reporter and former White House correspondent is adding author to his resume.

The North Dakota native’s memoir, The Best Strangers in the World: Stories From a Life Spent Listening, hits shelves this week. In the book, Ari not only details his experiences reporting stories around the world, but also reflects on his upbringing in Portland, Oregon.

Ari created a playlist exclusively for Spotify that’s the perfect accompaniment to his memoir. From The B-52’s to the New York Philharmonic, the curation is as varied as the tales that come to life on his pages. We caught up with the host-performer-author to learn more about the inspiration for his book, and the ideas behind the playlist.

What made you decide to write a memoir? 

Covering the news every day sometimes feels like sprinting on a treadmill, where if you pause to look at the hot guy walking by, you will fall on the floor. And so, I’ve never been a person who nostalgically looks back at my favorite conversations and stories I’ve told. But I realized that after more than 20 years as a journalist, some of those stories, and some of those people, have sort of snagged on me as they flew by in the current, and changed the person I am—not just as a journalist, not just a storyteller, but as a human. 

In a way, this book is a memoir told through the stories of others. It covers a really wide range, from going on Air Force One with the president to being in warzones to singing with a band at the Hollywood Bowl. But, ultimately, I think of the book as kind of an answer to a question that I get from friends a lot, which is “How do you stay optimistic in the face of everything?” And the answer is the stories that are in these chapters.

How did your experience as a journalist impact your story?

Being a journalist has certainly attuned me to the finer details, so I feel like I can take someone along and tell a story that hopefully transports them and sticks with them. But the thing that made it really challenging is—as a journalist—stories are not supposed to be about me. I’m never supposed to be the focus.

So switching gears and telling stories that are fundamentally about me was unfamiliar and scary and foreign and definitely a learning curve. And as I look back at the drafts of these chapters and the way they evolved, that’s the biggest change that I see: learning how to write about myself in a way that doesn’t feel like a betrayal to who I am as a journalist.

Can you share a story from your book?

I have to tell you about the first time I ever sang with a band. For my debut performance, I was a singer with a band called Pink Martini, a little orchestra from Portland, Oregon, with more than a dozen members. In 2009, they asked if I would record a song for an album they were working on. After, the band leader, Thomas Lauderdale, said, “Well we need to find a time for you to perform this live with us. So why don’t you come to the Hollywood Bowl?” 

Now, the Hollywood Bowl seats 18,000 people. But what made it the most terrifying was not the size of the audience. It’s that backstage, before you walk out in front of those thousands of cheering people, you see all these huge, framed, black-and-white photos of the legends who have performed there over the decades. There’s Aretha Franklin; there’s The Beatles; there’s Judy Garland—all pictured on the stage you are about to stand on. And then the time comes, and you walk out in the footsteps of those giants and the spotlight follows your path. 

It is so exhilarating because as a radio reporter, it doesn’t matter how many millions of people might be listening to any given story I do. It’s a very intimate conversation between me and the one person who happens to be hearing it. But with a live performance, everybody is sharing that experience collectively, at the same time. There is something so electric about live music because it only ever happens once in that particular way. And so, to be a part of that is a thrill unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in journalism.

What was the experience like reading your story aloud for your audiobook?

First of all, I loved recording my audiobook because my comfort zone is telling stories. That’s what I do every day, and so, in some ways, recording the audiobook felt much more easy, comfortable, and familiar than writing the book. But it’s exhausting to speak aloud for hours on end. Even though I host a two-hour daily news program, I’m not talking for most of it. I read an introduction to a reporter’s piece and then I sit quietly for four minutes. Or if I’m doing an interview, I ask someone a question and then sit quietly while they answer. By the end of the day of audiobook recording, I could barely talk to my husband. I have so much admiration for people who do this professionally.

You created a musical playlist for your memoir. How did you pick the songs?

Above all, I wanted the playlist to feel optimistic and joyful because that’s what I want people to walk away from the book feeling. Even though the book takes you to warzones and refugee crises, the book is full of people who give me hope. It’s also global because the book is global. So there’s a track from the South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela, and a track from the Japanese singer Saori Yuki.

The playlist begins with a song that I hope sets the tone for everything else, which is “Roam” by The B-52’s. I think that’s the best road trip song ever written. And I want to give people the feeling that we’re going somewhere exciting. It’s gonna be fun, and it’s gonna be an adventure.

There is also a healthy dose of Queer camp because that is part of who I am, and there are songs that take me back to specific moments. It includes an obscure ’90s cover of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” by Nicki French. The summer I came out of the closet, that was the track that was playing in the gay club every single weekend. I also included the overture to Candide, which was the song that my husband and I walked down the aisle to at our wedding.

What do you think continues to attract listeners to talk formats like a radio show or podcast?

One of NPR’s founding mothers, Susan Stamberg, has a quote I love, which is “The pictures are better on the radio.” There is something about the human voice that is so personal and intimate. It engages the brain and bypasses the preconceived notions we might have about the person who’s talking, and allows us to have an experience that feels more personal than printed words on the page or talking heads on a TV broadcast. 

How have the people you’ve met over the years and the experiences you’ve had influenced you?

Musically, I have been so lucky to collaborate with people who are curious and omnivorous. Pink Martini records in dozens of languages, with collaborators ranging from the great Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas to the great grandchildren of Maria and Captain von Trapp. So being able to travel with Pink Martini to Morocco and Hungary and Lebanon and France and sing in all these different languages helps me appreciate something that my parents taught me from a very young age: The more you know about the world, the more interesting life becomes. And there’s something very subtle and powerful about music. 

With everything that I do—whether it’s journalism, singing with Pink Martini, writing this book, or performing with Alan Cumming—my goal is to help people see the world through the eyes of someone else. My goal is to help people break out of their bubbles and build empathy and increase understanding. Music is one of the most powerful tools I know that can do that.

The chapters in this book that are not about music still contain a piece of that. I hope they increase curiosity and empathy, and allow readers to experience all these different people and places, and see the similarities and connections we all share.

 

If you’re interested in hearing Ari tell his stories in person, check out the details of his book tour here. In the meantime, listen to the playlist Ari made to complement his memoir, below.

 

Preview Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks on Spotify Home

March 8, 2023

Preview on Home

There’s so much to listen to on Spotify, and so little time. We know you don’t want to spend precious hours on titles and tracks you might not enjoy. Beginning today, when you open up Home on the Spotify app, you’ll find personalized, curated previews of the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks you might enjoy. Quickly dive into what speaks (or sings) to you, or save it for later when you need that perfect soundtrack. 

As shared during Stream On, previews make for a whole new way to sample and discover whatever you might be in the mood for, all on your Home screen. And they build on the dedicated feeds for Music, Podcasts & Shows, and Audiobooks that we introduced last year. 

Our data shows that more listeners become committed fans after previewing what they’re about to listen to, making this feature simply the latest update in our larger mission to create even deeper connections between artists and fans. 


The music feed

The music feed contains personalized recommendations for singles, albums, and playlists. At the top of the feed, you’ll see some selected mixes you might like. (If you’re a Premium user in the U.S. and Canada, you’ll also see DJ.) When available, animated song canvases will accompany audio previews, providing you with a peak into an artist’s creative world. 

The Podcasts & Shows feed

Just like music, the podcast feed contains personalized recommendations for new and familiar episodes and shows. At the top of the feed, you’ll have quick access to your shows. Automatically generated previews will showcase what’s in store. For podcasts, real-time transcriptions allow you to easily preview an episode or chapter even with the sound off. Video podcast previews let you watch and listen to the conversation.

The audiobooks feed

The audiobooks feed contains personalized audiobook recommendations. At the top, you’ll have quick access to your purchased or saved audiobooks. And to give you a taste big enough to help you make the perfect call on a purchase, the audio preview may be up to five minutes long.

After previewing, you can: 

  • Save, download, or share with just one tap: Simply tap the Plus (+) icon to save your recommendations to Your Episodes or Your Library. Then, download or queue by tapping the three dots at the bottom of the preview. 
  • Play from the start: Press Play to listen to a track, album, playlist, or episode from the start. For podcasts, tap “continue listening” to play the rest of the preview from where it began.
  • Dive even deeper: Tapping a recommendation will take you to the playlist, album, or single to explore even more related audio. 

Spotify is the first platform to enable truly seamless previews across music, podcasts, and audiobooks—and they’re now beginning to roll out to Premium and Free users globally across iOS and Android. Music and podcast previews are available in all markets where podcasts are available globally. Audiobooks previews are currently available in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Listen to U2 Frontman Bono Reflect On His Life as an Artist and Activist in His New Memoir ‘Surrender’

November 4, 2022

Earlier this year we launched audiobooks on Spotify so that alongside music and podcasts, we can give fans another way to enjoy audio in one convenient place. Now, we’re thrilled that Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, the new memoir from U2 frontman Bono, is available on Spotify as an audiobook. 

As the lead singer of one of the most iconic rock bands ever, Bono has led a whirlwind life touring the world to perform for millions of fans. But with the release of his new memoir, the artist, activist, and musician is taking a moment to pause and reflect on his experiences.

Narrated by Bono himself, each of the 40 chapters in Surrender is named after a U2 song. The  book takes readers on a journey that looks back at how Bono’s friends, family, and faith have shaped his upbringing in Dublin, the global success of U2, and his decades of work fighting AIDS and poverty. 

That’s why, for fans who want to go deeper into the life of Bono, we’ve created a special U2 destination that showcases the audiobook and U2’s catalog of albums all in one place. On top of that, listeners will also find the playlist This Is U2, with select songs that showcase the 40 featured songs in Surrender. 

Bono said that his creative process for the memoir allowed him to express himself in a different way.

“When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places, and possibilities in my life. Surrender is a word freighted with meaning for me,” Bono said. “Growing up in Ireland in the seventies with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress . . . with a fair amount of fun along the way.”

Fans in search of even more background on the creation of Surrender can also check out our most recent episode of Discover This, which features an interview with Dan Zitt, who is the Senior Vice President of Content Production at Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group. In the episode, Dan not only talks about his experiences working in the audiobook industry, but also shares a few stories about working with Bono on the recording sessions for Surrender.

To help listeners discover the audiobook and the new U2 destination, the mobile version of Spotify will feature a banner on Home that will take listeners directly to the hub until November 10. Listeners will also be directed to the audiobook from the U2, Bono, and This Is U2 pages between November 7 and November 27. 

Catch up with all of Bono’s greatest hits with our playlist This Is U2:

 

Author Colleen Hoover Takes Us on a Journey With a Playlist Inspired by Her New Book, ‘It Starts With Us’

October 18, 2022

graphic art depiction of the cover of "it starts with us" by colleen hoover

You can’t pin author Colleen Hoover to a specific genre. The Texas native is responsible for both suspense thrillers like Verity and heart-wrenching romances like Reminders of Him. Readers never quite know what story will unfold through the pages. In 2016, Colleen published It Ends With Us, a romance novel that introduced readers to the lives of Lily, Ryle, and Atlas. Fans followed Lily’s journey of love and loss, from Maine to Massachusetts. Now, six years later, her story continues.

Photo credit: Chad Griffiths

Colleen wasn’t planning to write a sequel to the best-selling book, but requests from readers made her realize she wasn’t quite done. And today, fans can get their hands on the next installment of the story: It Starts With Us. As a bonus, Colleen created a Spotify playlist that incorporates songs that stuck with her as she worked on the novel and built onto the lives of Lily and Atlas. For the Record had a chance to chat with Colleen about her work, her playlist, and audiobooks.

Do you listen to music while writing? Does it help you get into a certain mindset?

I actually can’t listen to anything at all while I’m writing. In fact, if there’s any noise, even the sound of a clock, I have to remove the batteries. Yet music is what inspires books and characters for me, and gets me into the mood to write. And yes, I definitely have to listen to songs that I feel fit with the story. For example, “Bride & Groom” by The Airborne Toxic Event was a big one for me when I would pump myself up to write All Your Perfects. 

Is the music you listened to for It Starts With Us the same as It Ends With Us?

I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to music. If I want to get into a certain mood, I use music for that. And for me, I’m almost always searching for sad music. 

How did you approach picking the songs on this playlist?

After writing It Ends With Us, I had a lot of readers who would send me songs that remind them of the book. I almost always go listen to the song to see how they interpret the book and the characters. A lot of those songs have stuck with me, so I chose them. Some songs I chose because they are common recommendations, like several of Taylor Swift’s songs. 

Can you tell us about a few of the songs and what they mean to you or your characters?

“She Dreams of Boston” by Erick Baker was actually written specifically for Lily. Erick and I met because I had reached out to him years ago regarding his music and hopefully collaborating on something. He was on board immediately and wrote such a perfect song for Lily’s character. 

As for Atlas, I feel like “All For A Woman” by The Airborne Toxic Event is a good fit for him. He just has so much love for Lily, and that song bleeds heartache. 

I’d go back to X Ambassadors for Ryle’s character. The song “HISTORY” is my anthem for Lily to Ryle. I imagine him hearing it and being full of guilt and regret, but knowing there’s nothing he can do to get her back. 

Can you share how The Avett Brothers inspired you to write?

I found their music at a time when I felt lost inspirationally. I had young kids; I worked full time; I was in college. I was going through the motions of being a wife and a mom and an employee, and had absolutely no time for myself. I think I was losing myself, not because I wasn’t happy—because I was—but because I wasn’t spending time nourishing my artistic side. That’s when I found their music. 

Their lyrics spoke to me, and the passion they had when they played made me jealous. I used to have passion like that, and until I saw them play live, I didn’t realize how much I missed being passionate about life and using my imagination. Their music reignited my love for my hobby, and I think that’s a beautiful thing when one artist’s art can remind another artist how important it is to make time for what feeds your soul. After attending my first concert of theirs, I immediately went home and started writing. I’ll always be grateful to their music for that, and to every artist in any area who continues to create. 

Your new book, It Starts With Us, begins right where It Ends With Us left off. Why did you decide to continue with the story of Lily and Atlas?

I honestly never thought I’d continue with their story. I always received pleas for more It Ends With Us, but I thought that was because people wanted Ryle to be redeemed, and I’ll never go that route. But when more people began to read the book and make videos on social media, I’d watch these videos and see them begging firsthand for more Atlas. I love Atlas, so the requests from readers, combined with a storyline that was slowly beginning to build for him, ultimately sparked an idea that I finally felt would be good enough to create a book out of. I may not have intended to write this sequel, but I couldn’t be more excited that I did. 

If Lily and Atlas had a song, what would it be?

Definitely “If It’s The Beaches” by The Avett Brothers. I feel like Atlas would give Lily the world if he could, and that is such a beautiful love song. It always reminds me of the two of them when I hear it. 

For audiobook lovers, how do you think having someone read aloud your words changes the experience for the listener?

If it’s done right and the reader feels that the voice fits the character, I feel like it gives it an entirely extra dimension. Audiobooks breathe a little more life into the story for me. I’m a huge movie lover. Watching movies is my second-favorite pastime after reading, so for me, audiobooks are a way to bridge the gap and enjoy the best of both worlds.  

What aspect of audiobooks do you like, and when do you turn to them in favor of reading from the page?

I love audiobooks! I do a lot of driving and long road trips, so my favorite time to listen to them is when I’m alone in the car for long stretches of time. It makes the trip go by so quickly, especially when it’s an engrossing story.

 

Let music accompany you along the pages of the upcoming It Starts With Us by listening to Colleen’s playlist below.

With Audiobooks Launching in the U.S. Today, Spotify Is the Home for All the Audio You Love

September 20, 2022

*Update as of Tuesday, March 21, 2023: Audiobooks are also now available for purchase on Spotify in Canada.

*Update as of Tuesday, November 22, 2022: Audiobooks are also now available for purchase on Spotify in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Spotify you know and love is getting a lot bigger with the addition of a catalog of content that users have been requesting for years: audiobooks.

Starting today, Spotify listeners in the U.S. will be able to purchase and listen to more than 300,000 audiobook titles—making our platform a true all-in-one destination for everyone’s listening needs. And we’re excited to launch audiobooks with a brand-new user interface that’s geared specifically for listening to audiobooks and fits them seamlessly alongside the music and podcasts you already listen to and love.

This is just the beginning of Spotify’s audiobooks journey. We’ve been working to create a seamless audiobooks experience, and we’ll continue to build and innovate on this in the future. For the Record sat down with Nir Zicherman, Spotify’s Vice President and Global Head of Audiobooks and Gated Content, to discuss today’s announcement and our vision for audiobooks in the future.

Today, we’re announcing that 300,000 audiobooks are available on Spotify in the U.S. Why are audiobooks the next frontier for us as a company? 

We’ve always believed that the potential for audio is limitless, and we’ve been saying for a while now that our ambition is to be the complete package for everyone’s listening needs. Audiobooks are next to come into the picture because we see a substantial untapped market: While audiobooks represent just a 6%–7% share of the wider book market, the category is growing by 20% year over year. 

But what we’re really excited about is providing a great new experience for listeners—introducing audiobooks to an audience of people who may never have tried them otherwise. By bringing audiobooks to Spotify, we have the opportunity to both grow the space as a whole and enrich listeners’ lives. 

What can listeners expect today? 

Starting today, users in the U.S. can easily find audiobooks on Spotify alongside music and podcasts as a section in their library, in search, and in their curated recommendations on Home. 

Audiobooks will show up with a lock icon on the play button, signaling that they need to be purchased in order to listen. Users who discover audiobooks in the Spotify app will be able to purchase them on a web page. Upon returning to Spotify, the book will be automatically saved in their library and available to listen to whenever they want.

Once listening, there are a number of features that we know from user research are essential for a seamless experience. Listeners can download content for offline listening, and our automatic bookmarking feature saves their place so they can easily pick up where they left off. Speed control is also included, with a variety of options to speed up or slow down the pace. And for listeners who want to share their opinion after listening to a book, we’ve also included a rating feature, which will publicly display the aggregate rating of the book.

What makes Spotify ready and equipped to make a positive impact in the audiobooks space?

Adding an entirely new content format to our service is no small feat. But we’ve done it before with podcasts, and we’re excited to now do the same with audiobooks. We’ve been testing, researching, and listening to figure out how to create the most seamless experience on Spotify. Our hope is that users who find audiobooks in their apps starting today feel that the user experience is obvious—that audiobooks fit in perfectly with how they already use Spotify.

We also have the opportunity to apply our learnings around creators to uplift the authors and publishers whose content is now on Spotify. It’s important for us to deliver a great experience for the people behind the audiobooks we all love, and you can expect that we’ll start providing some exciting creator-facing features soon.

The offering available today in the U.S. is just the first iteration of audiobooks on Spotify. We’ll learn a lot through this launch and leverage those learnings as we enhance the experience with new features, plan for launches in additional markets, and innovate on the format to benefit listeners, authors, and publishers. 

What are some of the opportunities for us as a company around this offering?

We are running faster and are more focused than anyone else in audio. And we believe that audio and long-form content is a much bigger business than what many would have thought. Our expansion into audiobooks is a significant proof-point in that belief. And this is just the beginning.

Just as we did with podcasting, this will introduce a new format to an audience that has never before consumed it, unlocking a whole new segment of potential listeners. This also helps us support even more kinds of creators and connect them with fans that will love their art—which makes this even more exciting. 

What have been some of the challenges in creating and implementing this offering?

As I mentioned earlier, audiobooks are a completely new format for us. While we have substantial learnings around how people want to listen to music and podcasts, we wanted to offer an experience that feels unique to the book format. So it took a lot of research and fine-tuning to build that experience in a way that also feels intuitive to what users expect on Spotify.

We also recognize that there are a lot of features on Spotify, and we had our work cut out for us adding an entirely new content type without making the platform feel crowded. We believe that the solution we came to feels seamless, but we’ll always continue to iterate on the product to address users’ needs.

What is one audiobook you’re particularly excited to listen to? 

Liberation Day by George Saunders. George is one of my all-time-favorite writers, and his newest collection of short stories is due to come out only a few weeks after launch.

George typically narrates his own audiobooks, but this one is particularly exciting because, in addition to his own voice, it will feature a variety of really amazing narrators: Tina Fey, Stephen Root, Michael McKean, and others. I can’t wait to hear it!

Spotify is committed to being the world’s most popular audio streaming service, and the introduction of audiobooks marks yet another milestone in that commitment. Click here to visit our audiobooks hub and discover top titles and authors from our amazing catalog.

Plus, check out the Spotify: Discover This episode going deeper inside the world of audiobooks, featuring interviews with Spotify Global Head of Audiobooks Nir Zicherman, author of NYT bestseller The Atlas Six Olivie Blake, audiobook producer, Grammy winner, and SVP of Content Production at Penguin Random House Audio Dan Zitt, prolific audiobook narrator Julia Whelan, and award-winning audiobook narrator Bahni Turpin.