Tag: audiobooks

Bringing More Audiobooks From Independent Authors to Spotify With Ingram Content Group

July 25, 2024

At Spotify, we aim to bring great audiobooks to as many listeners as possible, including those from independent authors. Today we’re announcing a partnership with Ingram Content Group, one of the largest distributors for independent publishers and authors across the globe.

This deal will bring audiobooks from over 100 Ingram-distributed publishers to Spotify, encompassing releases from Europa Editions, Milkweed Editions, G&D Media, Bard Press, New Society Publishers, and more. Titles include the likes of Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s self-narrated collection The Hurting Kind, Mo Bunnell’s forthcoming Give to Grow, and bestselling author Bob Proctor’s Born Rich. In the U.S., listeners can also dive into Damon Galgut’s Booker Prize-winning novel The Promise and Anne Berest’s international bestseller The Postcard, to name a few.

“Our partnership with Ingram Content Group is part of our goal to bring more independent authors to Spotify to get their books heard through our Audiobooks in Premium offering,” said Duncan Bruce, Director, Audiobook Partnerships & Licensing at Spotify. “As one of the biggest distributors for independent publishers around the world, we are excited to have Ingram to help grow the industry and create additional ways for their authors and publishers to reach new audiences.”

“Ingram Content Group is dedicated to bringing more books, in all formats, to more readers,” said Agustina Casal, Ingram Content Group’s Director of Digital Sales and Marketing. “We’re proud to continue to work with Spotify to bring audiobooks of so many independent publishers to the world.”

Since launching our Audiobooks in Premium offering last year, we’re seeing more listeners try new and different books, with hundreds of thousands of unique titles streamed. We’re not only seeing success with bestsellers, but back catalog titles are also gaining popularity. Of the top 10 audiobooks on Spotify, nine are backlist titles, and six of those were released over five years ago.

Head to Spotify to find your next great listen.

Bestselling Author Kevin Kwan Discusses Musical Inspiration and How Places Can Become Characters Too

June 19, 2024

Kevin Kwan is one of the most distinguished authors of our time, and has captivated fans with his international bestsellers, Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, and Rich People Problems. The trilogy commanded the top three positions of the New York Times bestseller list for several weeks in 2018. The film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians became one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing rom-coms, leading to Kevin being named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. 

For the Record sat down with Kevin to learn more about his creative process and the musical inspiration for his newest novel, Lies & Weddings. 

What’s your earliest memory of stories being read aloud to you?

It would have been in kindergarten in Singapore, and I remember that the teacher would read to us from books while we sat on the floor around her. My grandfather also read to me from “The Monkey God” series of books that he had in his library. I remember sitting on his lap and marveling at all the amazing illustrations in the book as he read.

What’s your writing process like? Where do you get inspiration?

The inspiration for my new novel Lies & Weddings first came to me on the Big Island of Hawaii.  I stayed in a little bungalow on the beach and suddenly words filled my head and I began writing a chapter a day. I write chronologically, without any outlines, and I let the story take me where it wants. As the plot revolved around destination weddings, I continued to move—to Los Angeles, London, Morocco, and Venice for more inspiration. The places really begin to become characters in my books.

Does a narrator reading your words aloud change the experience for the listener?

Absolutely! Audiobooks need to be performed, there’s an art to it. The Lies & Weddings audiobook is read by Jing Lusi, a wonderful actress who was in the Crazy Rich Asians movie.  Jing did an incredible job—she made the story riveting and brought all the characters to life in the most gripping and hilarious way.

Can you tell us about the playlist you made for your new novel, Lies & Weddings?

I designed this playlist to set the mood for different scenes and echo the emotional journey I take my readers on throughout the book. “Songbird” by Fleetwood Mac is the pivotal song that helped me get to the heart of the emotions that my heroine Eden experienced when she was feeling most lost. “I Can See For Miles” by Kathleen Smith is a gorgeous love ballad that I picture during the wedding scene that takes place in a hot air balloon ride over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Then there’s Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” It’s the song I imagined Rufus and Eden would listen to as they drove down a beautiful desolate highway on a moonlit night.

What are you listening to or reading right now?

I’m listening to lots of classic Björk, the jazz piano stylings of Joey Alexander, and I recently discovered the music of the Ethiopian Jazz legend Mulatu Astatke. And I’m reading Lea Carpenter’s latest novel, “Ilium.”

Stream Kevin’s Lies & Weddings playlist and experience the musical journey for yourself 

A Warm Spotify Welcome to Bonnier Books UK and Blackstone Publishing

May 21, 2024

As Spotify continues to grow its worldwide audience for audiobooks, we’re thrilled to welcome two new publishing partners—Bonnier Books UK and Blackstone Publishing—and their libraries of vibrant, award-winning audio titles to our Audiobooks in Premium offer. Beginning today, Spotify users can discover thousands of new titles that further enrich our diverse collection of audiobooks. 

Based in London, Bonnier Books UK is one of Britain’s leading publishers, with bestselling books for readers and listeners everywhere. Some of the titles coming to our platform include The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christie Lefteri, Parenting Hell by Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett, and Audacity by Katherine Ryan. Blackstone Publishing, meanwhile, is one of the fastest-growing and most-respected publishing houses in the U.S., with multiple New York Times bestsellers, Grammy Award–winning audio productions, and titles included on the New York Times Best Books of the Year list. Among the Blackstone titles soon to be available on Spotify are Whoopi Goldberg’s new memoir, Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me; Hell Divers XI: Renegades by Nicholas Sansbury Smith; and Cool Food: Erasing Your Carbon Footprint One Bite at a Time by Robert Downey Jr. and Thomas Kostigen.  

“We want Spotify to be the best place for authors and publishers to get their books heard, and to bring great audio stories to as many people as possible,” said Duncan Bruce, Director, Audiobook Partnerships & Licensing, Spotify. “Our partnerships with Blackstone Publishing and Bonnier Books UK make this a possibility with access to our global audience of more than 615 million users. Since launching Audiobooks in Premium, we’re seeing success with bestsellers, but back catalog titles are also gaining popularity, with 14 of the top 50 Audiobooks in Premium titles having been released before 2020.” 

“One of our core values is that every reader matters, and we are always looking for new ways to broaden the reach of our books to introduce new audiences to our authors’ voices and perspectives,” said Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books UK. “Spotify’s Audiobooks in Premium program is another positive step forward for authors and publishers, and we look forward to Bonnier Books UK audiobooks being enjoyed by a new generation of audio listeners.”    

Anthony Goff, President at Blackstone Publishing adds, “This relationship has been years in the making as I’ve been speaking with the great team at Spotify from their earliest days of entertaining a foray into audiobooks. Blackstone Publishing could not be happier to have them as a new partner as we continually look widen the scope of the market and get listening to books the mass appeal that it has always deserved.”

Spotify’s Audiobooks in Premium offer gives eligible Spotify Premium subscribers access to 15 hours of audiobook content per month from a catalog of more than 250,000 titles. Since launching last fall, more than a quarter of Spotify Premium users have listened to audiobooks through their subscription, and we’re seeing more listeners try new and different books with more than 150,000 unique titles streamed.

Mental Health Matters: Embrace Self-Care With These Audiobook and Podcast Listens

May 16, 2024

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with mental health concerns and reduce the stigma many experience. Mental health struggles impact everyone to some degree, and methods of self-care can vary. To that end, here are some recommendations from Spotify’s editors of audiobooks and podcasts focused on mental health, well-being, and self-care:

Audiobooks:

The Mountain is You

Brianna Wiest

Narrated by Stacey Glemboski

For centuries, the mountain has been used as a metaphor for the big challenges humans face, especially those that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our own personal mountains, we must do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.

In The Mountain is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery, Brianna Wiest explores the reasons people often resist efforts to evolve and explains why extracting crucial insights from our most damaging habits can help us build emotional intelligence, better understand our brains and bodies, and release past experiences at a cellular level. Wiest’s book walks through the ways in which learning to act as our highest-potential future selves can help us step out of our own way. 

Permission to Come Home

Jenny Wang

Narrated by Jenny Wang

As Asian Americans investigate the personal and societal effects of longstanding cultural narratives suggesting they take up as little space as possible, Permission to Come Home takes readers on an empowering journey of Asian Americans’ reclaiming liberty over their mental health. More than 18 million people of Asian descent live in the United States today; however, they are the racial group least likely to seek out mental health services.

Calling on her personal narrative as a Taiwanese American, her insights as a clinician, and evidence-based tools, Dr. Jenny T. Wang explores a range of life areas that call for attention, offering readers permission to question, feel, rage, say no, take up space, play, fail, and grieve. She suggests a return closer to home, a place of acceptance, belonging, healing, and freedom. For Asian Americans and the diaspora, this book is a necessary roadmap for the journey to wholeness. 

Check out the full Listens for the Mind playlist here:

The Art of Living

Thich Nhat Hanh

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Gabra Zackman

 Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh—one of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders—explores an “art of living” in mindfulness that seeks to help readers answer some of life’s deepest questions and move toward experiencing greater happiness and freedom.

Combining the essence of the Buddha’s teachings and the author’s own poignant, timeless, and clarifying prose, The Art of Living explains seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships, and our interconnectedness with the world around us. Drawing on intimate examples from his own life, Thich Nhat Hanh demonstrates how these seven meditations can free us to live a happier, more peaceful, and more active life.

Decolonizing Wellness

Dalia Kinsey

Narrated by LaNecia Edmonds

A lack of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in the fields of health and nutrition has a demonstrably negative impact on people with those identities. In Decolonizing Wellness, registered dietitian and nutritionist Dalia Kinsey explores how the body-positivity movement emphasizes cisgender, heteronormative, and Eurocentric standards of beauty and ignores the intersectional challenges of anti-Blackness, colorism, homophobia, transphobia, and generational trauma when it comes to wellness and self-care.

A roadmap to body acceptance and self-care for queer people of color in particular, the book encourages readers to embrace “food freedom”: viewing food as a source of pleasure instead of shame. It’s filled with practical eating practices, journal prompts, affirmations, and mindfulness tools and is a guide to throwing out food rules in exchange for internal cues. Readers learn how to adopt a self-love-based approach to eating and make mealtime into a time for celebration and healing.

Check out the full Wellness Essentials playlist here:

Mindful Mr. Sloth

Katy Hudson

Narrated by Erin Ruth Walker

Sasha has one speed: fast. She loves to do lots of things all at once, as fast as possible. Mr. Sloth has one speed: slow. He loves to do things one at a time at a nice, easy pace. Can Mr. Sloth’s mindful ways teach Sasha to slow down and enjoy life? Bestselling author Katy Hudson gently weaves a mindfulness theme into this unlikely friendship tale between an energetic girl and a sloth, encouraging children to stop, breathe, and be present in every moment.

Hattie Harmony: Opening Night

Robbie Arnett, Elizabeth Olsen

Narrated by Robbie Arnett, Elizabeth Olsen

In this sequel to the number-one New York Times bestselling Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, Hattie shares new tools for managing anxiety, just in time for opening night of the school play. That night, there are plenty of nerves to go around! It’s a good thing Hattie Harmony is ready to help her friends soothe their worries with everything in her trusted tool belt. Will Hattie be able to settle the preshow jitters before curtain call? The authors—acclaimed actress Elizabeth Olsen and esteemed musician and writer Robbie Arnett—narrate this relatable tale that introduces the youngest reader to the importance of self-care.

Check out the full Kids’ Mental Health playlist here:

Podcasts:

The Liz Moody Podcast

Hosted by bestselling author and longtime journalist Liz Moody, this research-backed wellness podcast is all about helping you live your healthiest, happiest life. Each week, Liz sits down with some of the world’s best functional doctors, researchers, authors, journalists, and various other leaders in their fields to tackle the hacks, tips, and tricks that make a healthier life easier. Topics include what to eat to fight disease, how to take control of your finances, tips for fighting anxiety and depression, productivity and career advice, advice for making friends as an adult, the best skincare routines, healthy cooking secrets, and so much more. 

Oversharing

Relationship enthusiast Jordana Abraham teams up with her sister, licensed clinical therapist Dr. Naomi Bernstein, to answer your questions and try to get to the bottom of the things that bother us most. Think of Jordana and Dr. Naomi as your BFF and your therapist sitting side by side at the brunch table trying to help you get through your problems. Each week they respond to listener emails and tackle difficult ethical questions.

 Balanced Black Girl

Les Alfred founded the Balanced Black Girl podcast and blog in 2018, dedicated to helping you feel your best. Tune in for approachable health, self-care, personal development, and well-being advice from the perspective of Black women in wellness. Balanced Black Girl extends a bridge for folks to easily connect with experts, gurus, and a mindful community. 

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

When journalist Dan Harris had a panic attack on live national television, it led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. Harris went on to write the bestselling book 10% Happier, and on the same-titled podcast, he interviews eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the occasional celebrity. He covers subjects that range from enlightenment and psychedelics to productivity and relationships to science-based techniques for addressing anxiety.

Raising Good Humans

Most parents have probably wished, at one time or another, that someone would whisper some realistic and trustworthy support into their ears. That’s just what Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, parent educator, assistant clinical professor, and cofounder of both Mount Sinai Parenting Center and SeedlingsGroup, is here for. She’s a mom who’s trying to raise two good humans. In each episode, Dr. Pressman speaks with experts and parents to share the most effective approaches and tools and talk about the important bigger picture of raising good humans. 

 Real Pod

Victoria Garrick Browne, Forbes 30 Under 30 and TEDxTalk speaker, is known for her refreshing vulnerability and relatable candor. She hosts Real Pod, the podcast that dives into the heart-to-heart conversations we’re all craving. She has inspired millions to embrace their authentic selves and feel confident doing it. Are you ready to look at yourself, your relationships, and your life in a new way?

Check out the full Self-care podcasts section on Spotify here. 

In Their Own Words: Audiobooks To Explore During Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May 13, 2024

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), a time to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders play in our shared history. It’s also the perfect time to explore a biography or memoir from a member of these communities. Here are some recommendations from Spotify’s audiobooks editors:

Making a Scene

Written and narrated by Constance Wu

As a child growing up in suburban Virginia, actress Constance Wu was often scolded for having big feelings or strong reactions. “Good girls don’t make scenes,” people warned her. Community theater became her refuge, and acting later became her vocation. At 18, she moved to New York, where she spent the next 10 years of her life auditioning, waiting tables and struggling to make rent before her two big breaks: the TV sitcom Fresh Off the Boat and the hit film Crazy Rich Asians.

This raw, relatable memoir goes beyond tracing Wu’s rise to Hollywood fame to offer an intimate portrait of a living life out loud, on one’s own terms.

 We Were Dreamers

Written and narrated by Simu Liu

In this honest, inspiring memoir, the star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, shares his own origin story. Simu Liu chronicles his family’s journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor—from growing up as an immigrant in Canada, to his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, to becoming a TV star and landing the role of a lifetime.

We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir, it’s a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstances.

Sigh, Gone

Written and narrated by Phuc Tran

 Sigh, Gone is an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation, perfect for anyone who can relate to feeling as if they don’t belong.

During the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran and his family immigrated to America, landing in Carlisle, Pennsylvania—a small town where the Trans struggled to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Phuc navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion. In his journey for self-discovery Phuc ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.

What My Bones Know

Written and narrated by Stephanie Foo

This New York Times-bestselling memoir by journalist Stephanie Foo investigates the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it shaped the author’s life.

By age 30, Stephanie had her dream job as a radio producer at This American Life, but she was having panic attacks at her desk every morning. Eventually, she was diagnosed with complex PTSD, a condition that occurs when trauma happens continuously over the course of years. In this deeply personal and thoroughly researched account, Stephanie interviews scientists and psychologists, tries a variety of innovative therapies, and returns to her hometown to investigate the effects of immigrant trauma on the community. Powerful, enlightening, and hopeful, What My Bones Know reckons with the hold of the past over the present and the mind over the body. It also examines one woman’s ability to reclaim agency from her trauma.

Why We Swim

Bonnie Tsui

Narrated By Angie Kane

Swimming is an introspective and silent sport in a chaotic and noisy age. It’s therapeutic for both the mind and body. It’s an adventurous way to get from point A to point B. And it’s also one route to that elusive, ecstatic state of flow.

Why We Swim is propelled by stories of Olympic champions, a Baghdad swim club that meets in Saddam Hussein’s palace pool, modern-day Japanese samurai swimmers, and even an Icelandic fisherman who improbably survives a wintry six-hour swim after a shipwreck. New York Times contributor Bonnie Tsui, a swimmer herself, dives into the deep, from the San Francisco Bay to the South China Sea, investigating what it is about water—despite its dangers—that seduces us, tempting us to come back to it again and again.

Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant

Written and narrated by Curtis Chin

In the 1980s, Detroit was a volatile place to live. But above the fray stood a safe haven: Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, where anyone—from the city’s first Black mayor to the local drag queens, from a big-time Hollywood star to elderly Jewish couples—could sit down for a warm, home-cooked meal.

Beneath the restaurant’s bright-red awning and surrounded by his multigenerational family, filmmaker and activist Curtis Chin learned to embrace his identity as a gay ABC, or American-born Chinese. He realized just how much he had to offer the world, to his beloved family, and to himself. Structured around the very menu that graced the tables of Chung’s, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant is both a memoir and an invitation to step inside one boy’s childhood oasis, scoot into a vinyl booth, and grow up with him—and perhaps even share something off the secret menu. 

A Daughter of the Samurai

Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto

Narrated By Siho Ellsmore

In the late 19th century, after Japan was restored to imperial rule, the samurais were no longer the seat of power and the families who were impacted by this shift lost wealth and power. 

Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto was the daughter of one such samurai, and had begun her life on a track to become a Buddhist priestess. But as the family lost their position in society, her path changed, and she was eventually sent to the United States to be in an arranged marriage to an American man. A Daughter of the Samurai is her personal memoir of her life and perspective on the differences between Japanese and American lifestyles, the value of women in each society, and the influence that evolving cultures had on different classes of society.

Check out the ‘Amplifying API Stories’ audiobooks shelf on platform, and view the full list of biographies and memoirs here:

Never Miss a New Release With Countdown Pages for Audiobooks

May 6, 2024

Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audiobooks, listeners can pre-save audiobooks prior to a book’s release date—and authors, publishers, and narrators can promote their upcoming titles ahead of launch. This new feature will help ensure that users never miss their next great audiobook listens and help authors and publishers drive streams. 

We’ve seen the success and momentum Countdown Pages can have for musical artists and fans, with artists like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Justin Timberlake, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish, and others trying it out for album launches with great results: On average, nearly 70% of users who pre-save an album listen to it in the first week. We’re now excited to introduce this feature to another content vertical on Spotify as part of our ongoing effort to improve the overall experience for our users.

How to use Countdown Pages for audiobooks

Beginning today, you can try out Countdown Pages for audiobooks by following these simple steps: 

  1. Search for the title of an upcoming audiobook on Spotify, or browse our editorial “Coming Soon” shelf in the audiobooks section.
  2. Click the “pre-save” button on the audiobook’s Spotify page and see the timer count down to its release. 
  3. We’ll then add the audiobook to your Spotify library and notify you as soon as it’s released.
  4. You can also view the “More like this” tab to browse similar books that you can start listening to right away. 

Countdown Pages for audiobooks is available to both free and Premium users in all markets where Spotify audiobooks are available.

5 Spotify Premium Hacks You Need To Know

April 11, 2024

Finding the perfect song, pod, or audiobook can be transformative, which is why we here at Spotify continuously innovate our products and features to provide the best experience possible. For our more than 200 million Premium subscribers, that includes plenty of perks beyond access to ad-free music listening. If you’re a Spotify Premium user, here are five hacks you need to know to make the most out of your subscription.

How to download your favorites for offline listening

No Wi-Fi, no problem. Before you go off the grid, download your favorite music and audiobooks so you can listen anytime, anywhere.

Navigate to the playlist, song, album, podcast, or audiobook you want to download and tap the ( ↓ ) icon at the top of the page.

How to multitask like a pro with the Desktop Miniplayer

This top-requested feature from users is now live and available for Premium subscribers using Spotify on Desktop. Premium listeners can open up a miniature window for Spotify, giving them playback control while using other apps and windows.

So whether you’re listening to your daylist while answering emails or watching your favorite music video (available in select markets) while online shopping, the new Desktop Miniplayer is the ultimate companion. It’s fully flexible, meaning it can be stretched as big or as small as you’d like, and is easy to move around your screen.

How to find your next beach read with audiobooks in Premium

Booklovers, rejoice! In the U.S., U.K, and Australia—and coming soon in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand—Premium subscribers can stream up to 15 hours each month of over 250,000 audiobooks on Spotify, all included in their existing plan. This includes a sweeping range of both contemporary and classic novels, from RuPaul’s The House of Hidden Meanings to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

Any book marked “Included in Premium” is available to each Premium Individual subscriber, as well as plan managers for Family and Duo accounts. Just hit play and dive right in.

How to soundtrack your day using our AI DJ

Ever wish you could just sit back and let someone else pick your favorite music for you? Well, if you have Premium, you’re in luck. Did you know that Spotify has a personalized AI DJ named X? Simply tap the “Music” tab in the Spotify app or search “DJ” to launch your personal DJ experience complete with tailored song selections, cultural commentary, and more.

How to start a group-listening session with Spotify Jam

There’s nothing quite like connecting over a shared love of music. That’s the beauty of Jam, a personalized, real-time listening session for your group to tune in to together. While anyone can join a Jam in person, only Premium users can “host” a Jam session with full control over the queue. Premium users are also the only ones who can join or create a long-distance Jam wherever they are.

Select a playlist or song to get started. You’ll see the “Start a Jam” button by clicking the speaker icon at the bottom of your screen or by hitting the three-dot menu within the playlist or song. You can also select a device to play on, whether that’s your phone or a speaker.

You can then invite your squad by turning on Bluetooth and tapping your phones together, or by having your friends scan the QR code on your host screen. You can also hit “share” to send the link through social, text, SMS, and more.

Oh, and Jam also works on desktop. Simply tap the three-dot menu or right click on a playlist or song, click “Start a Jam,” and then invite your friends through a share link or QR code.

Ready for the perks of going Premium? Peruse our plans at spotify.com/premium.

*Update as of April 17, 2024: Now through May 21, Spotify Premium is offering three months free to eligible Free and first time-users for the Individual Premium plan. For those who are missing their Individual Premium plan and canceled for one reason or another, Spotify Premium is also offering three months for just $10.99 (or market equivalent). Explore offers at spotify.com/premium.

*Update as of August 14, 2024: Now through September 17, Spotify Premium is offering three months free to eligible Free and first time-users for the Individual Premium plan. For those who are missing their Individual Premium plan and canceled for one reason or another, Spotify Premium is also offering three months for just $11.99 (or market equivalent). Explore offers at spotify.com/premium.

*Update as of November 25, 2024: Now through December 31, Spotify Premium is offering three months free to eligible Free and first time-users for the Individual Premium plan. For those who are missing their Individual Premium plan and canceled for one reason or another, Spotify Premium is also offering three months for just $11.99 (or market equivalent). 

Spotify Premium Listeners in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand Can Soon Access More Than 250,000 Audiobooks

April 2, 2024

Attention booklovers in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand! Listening to your favorite audiobooks is about to get even easier. Beginning April 9, Spotify Premium users in these markets will have access to up to 15 hours of audiobooks per month, seamlessly integrated alongside music and podcasts, on a single platform through a unified subscription. 

Our Premium audiobook catalog, already available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, is one of the largest subscription-based audiobook-streaming platforms at 250,000 titles and growing—we’re already up from 200,000 titles since late last year. We’re excited for more listeners than ever to discover and engage with books, and to mark the occasion we asked authors from these markets—Canada’s Carley Fortune, New Zealand’s Chloe Gong, and Ireland’s Rosemary Mac Cabe—to share some of their favorites.

Carley Fortune

Canadian Carley Fortune is the best-selling author of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. Her new book, This Summer Will Be Different, will be published May 7.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks? 

What do you love most about audiobooks?

I’m not sure if this is a positive trait, but I’m a multitasker, and I love to figure out ways to use my time efficiently. I’m a full-time writer and a parent to two young, energetic boys—I will never be able to read all the books I’d like to, but audiobooks help! I can squeeze in reading while I’m driving or washing the dishes. But it’s not just that audiobooks help me read more. A truly excellent audiobook elevates the reading experience, absorbing you in the story and bringing the emotion to life. And they’re so accessible. Listening to an audiobook is reading: Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Chloe Gong

Raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe Gong is the best-selling author of the Secret Shanghai novels and the Flesh and False Gods trilogy.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks?

What’s your earliest memory of stories’ being read aloud to you, audiobooks or otherwise?

In primary school, we would read a class-selected book quietly, and then we would come together for the teacher to read it aloud while we sat cross-legged on the mat. It was one of the most joyous parts of my day as a five-year-old. I developed such an appreciation for how class read-aloud time held my attention, and I grew more and more intrigued by the act of storytelling until I became an avid reader myself and eventually an avid writer.

Rosemary Mac Cabe 

Irish author and journalist Rosemary Mac Cabe was raised in Dublin and published her book, This Is Not About You: A Menmoir, in summer 2023.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks?

What’s your earliest memory of books’ being read to you? 

One of the few books from my very early childhood that I remember is Smoke and Fluff, a Ladybird book written and illustrated by AJ McGregor, a fact I didn’t even have to look up because it’s now on nightly rotation in my house. I ordered a secondhand copy online for my two-year-old pretty much the month he was conceived.

Opening it up again after so long was weird, though. I hadn’t seen or read it in probably three decades. I remembered it almost word for word. The illustrations were almost as familiar to me as my childhood bedroom, or a scarf my mum has worn every winter for my whole life.

There’s something about reading this same book—which is quite long, for a children’s book—every single night that reminds me just how much time goes into parenting. It makes me feel close to my own mum, too, who put in this same time, this same love, when she read it to me over and over so many years ago. I live in the U.S. now, while she’s still at home in Ireland, but when I’m reading this it’s like she’s there with us.

Spotify’s New Audiobooks Access Tier Gives Booklovers More Listening Options

March 1, 2024

Spotify is continuously innovating to provide the best possible offering for every kind of audio fan. Since launching Audiobooks in Premium, we’ve seen a 45% increase in free users searching for and interacting with Audiobook content each day. Now we are introducing a new plan option to give our listeners a variety of choices.

Starting today, the Audiobooks Access Tier provides booklovers in the U.S. with 15 hours of listening from our audiobooks catalog of over 200,000 titles for $9.99 a month. With this plan and in one app experience, listeners can continue to tune into music and podcasts on our free, ad-supported service, offering a great option for literary enthusiasts who are looking for more audiobook-specific content. 

Spotify offers several subscription plans tailored to fit a variety of users’ preferences and will continue to invest in giving our listeners more options to cater to their unique needs.

For more information on our available plans, visit our audiobooks page. To stay up-to-date on the latest news from Spotify, follow @SpotifyNews.    

Creators Kevin Norman and Hina Talk Romance Fiction, Audiobooks, and Finding Community Online

February 27, 2024

Be it a steamy contemporary novel, a charming historical romp, or fantasy with a passionate twist, romance holds a special place in many readers’ hearts. On Spotify, you can find audiobooks that cover everything from classic romance (hello, Pride and Prejudice) to viral modern picks (Red, White & Royal Blue, anyone?) and everything in between. With recommendations, curated playlists, and more, our on-platform Spicy Audiobooks hub is an easy way to start exploring.

This February, we’re celebrating romance audiobooks on Spotify with the help of authors like Ana Huang, as well as some of our favorite audiobook experts: Kevin Norman and Hina. For the Record caught up with Kevin and Hina to learn more about their love of reading, the power of social media, and their ideal spice level when it comes to romance novels.

Romance fiction is having a moment. Why is this genre so popular?

Kevin: People have always loved romance novels, but social media has given us a place to talk about them and introduce them to a whole bunch of new readers. As these videos go viral, they have a reach that book marketing never had before.

Hina: Part of why I think this genre is so popular right now is because we are still in the post-pandemic adjustment era. One of the consequences of the pandemic was a global shared feeling of loneliness. A lot of people turned to online spaces to feel the company of others, to feel less alone while we were locked away in our homes and the world was on pause. It makes sense to me that online communities boosted genres such as romance fiction given that collectively, we were all seeking something that made us feel like we could be in a world untouched by disaster.

Kevin, you helped curate editorial content for Spotify’s Spicy Audiobooks hub. Tell us about that experience—how did you determine your selections?

Kevin Norman

Kevin: It has been one of the most surreal opportunities I’ve had as a bookish content creator. I always saw those celebrity playlists, so it’s wild that I now have my own and get to share some of my favorite books. When making my selections, I wanted to be diverse in my choices and ensure I included a little of everything for everyone. I felt like this was an opportunity not just for me, but for all of us in the book community, so I didn’t want to only include books I’ve read and loved. This playlist is for all of us.

What do you hope listeners get out of the hub?

Kevin: I hope that new listeners will fall in love with reading and that they’ll discover their next favorite book. It’s a fantastic opportunity for people to explore a new genre and fall in love with my personal favorite way to read: audiobooks! I hope it spices up their lives, too.

From sweet (🌶️) to scorching hot (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️), where’s your sweet spot for romance fiction?

Hina: For me, between 1 and 2 is ample, and the book’s spice level is second to the plot. To feel invested in any book, I think the spice needs to feel like it has a purpose and isn’t the propeller of the plot itself.

Kevin: My sweet spot for a romance book is a 3! Not too hot, not too mild. It’s a perfect blend of spice, romance, and plot.

What romance novel would you recommend to someone totally new to the genre?

Kevin: I would pick something by Emily Henry. Her books are a great balance of romance and spice without being too overwhelming for someone new to the genre.

Hina: I really enjoyed Gideon the Ninth from the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. It’s a romantasy novel with a gothic atmosphere, a creative plot, queer love, and an interesting world. I’d call it “gays in space” if I had to rename it in three words. This was the first romance novel I had ever read, so it stands out to me. The strange relationship dynamics in this book were filled with tension and excitement. I remember how fast I turned the pages just to get to these moments of juiciness.

Hina

What do you love most about audiobooks?

Hina: One night I wanted to draw but also wanted to read, so I gave audiobooks a shot. My life changed forever. Now there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t listen to a book. I still love a physical book, but there’s something about having it read to me that has really charmed me. Hearing how the readers emote and read dialogue sections is particularly fascinating. Sometimes there’s a part of a book I’d read one way in my head, and then hearing it read in a different way can change the tone entirely.

Kevin: I love audiobooks because of how convenient they are for anyone who is busy and on the go. You can listen to them while you drive, cook, clean, etc. Plus, it makes books feel so immersive. My first audiobook experience was Harry Potter when I was in elementary school, and I have been obsessed with audiobooks ever since. Also, they help me focus. I love to read a physical book while listening to the audiobook for full immersion, and to cut out everyday distractions.

Any advice for people who want to get into—or get back into—reading?

Kevin: Honestly, audiobooks! I think they’re perfect for those who might think reading a physical book can be a little daunting. Whenever I feel like I’m in a reading slump, audiobooks always pull me out.

Hina: The most important thing about reading is that you read things that are interesting to you. No matter how much you like to read, you’re not going to enjoy reading something you’re not into. For me, I love sci-fi. Out of the hundreds of books I’ve read in my lifetime, I’d bet at least 70% are sci-fi. Ask yourself what kind of media or stories you like from other mediums, like film or TV. If you like historical movies, try historical fiction or period pieces. If you like documentaries, try nonfiction or memoirs. If you like video games, read books like Ready Player One or Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. There’s a book for everyone.

Looking for a sizzling, swoony listen? Peruse Spotify’s Spicy Audiobooks hub.

7 Great Audiobooks That Inspired 2024’s Most Nominated Films

February 23, 2024

Sometimes a story is too good to only exist as a book, which has inspired countless directors to turn must-read novels into feature-length films. And quite often, those movies end up nominated for awards.

To celebrate this year’s award-nominated (and award-winning) movies, Spotify’s audiobooks team has highlighted their favorite picks that inspired a number of 2024’s nominees. From gritty true crime accounts to uplifting memoirs to biting satires or fantastical literature, the entire range of literary genres is represented on this list. 

So take a deeper dive into seven of this year’s top films by listening to the audiobooks that inspired them.

Killers of the Flower Moon 

Written by David Grann

Narrated by Will Patton, Ann Marie Lee, and Danny Campbell

(Inspired Best Picture nominee Killers of the Flower Moon)

From New Yorker staff writer and New York Times bestselling author David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward indigenous Americans that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. 

American Prometheus 

Written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Narrated by Jeff Cummings

(Inspired Best Picture nominee Oppenheimer)

Robert Oppenheimer is one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress.

In American Prometheus, a Pulitzer Prize–winning biography 25 years in the making, authors Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin capture Oppenheimer’s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War.

Society of the Snow

Written by by Pablo Vierci

Narrated by Elliot Fitzpatrick

(Inspired Best Foreign Language Film nominee Society of the Snow)

In this alarmingly gritty, moving, and powerfully told story, journalist Pablo Vierci recounts the unsettling tales of the 16 who survived the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in 1972. Drawing on exclusive interviews, Society of the Snow delves into the tragedy of the crash and how it radically redefined the rest of the survivors’ lives. Ultimately, however, the book is a touching testament to the strength of faith and friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

Poor Things 

Written by by Alasdair Gray

Narrated by Russ Bain and Kathryn Drysdale

(Inspired Best Picture nominee Poor Things)

In Alasdair Gray’s Poor Things, one scientist’s ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of the beautiful Bella, whom he brings back to life in a Frankenstein-esque feat. His dream is then disrupted when his protégé develops a jealous love for Bella—but Bella has her own thoughts on the matter.

This story of true love and scientific daring whirls the reader from the private operating theaters of late-Victorian Glasgow through to aristocratic casinos, the dark corners of Alexandria, and a Parisian bordello before reaching an interrupted climax in a Scottish church.

The Zone of Interest 

Written by Martin Amis 

Narrated by Sean Barrett

(Inspired Best Picture nominee The Zone of Interest)

In this love story that transpires in a violently unromantic setting, The Zone of Interest provides a searing portrait of life—and, shockingly, love—in a concentration camp. Powered by both wit and pathos, Martin Amis’ novel excavates the depths and contradictions of the human soul. Can love survive after we’ve seen who we really are?

Find a Way

Written and narrated by Diana Nyad 

(Inspired Best Lead Actress nominee Nyad)

In Find a Way, author Diana Nyad engages us with her unique, passionate, personal story of heroic adventure and extraordinary life experiences as she swam 111 miles from Cuba to Florida. Previously failing to accomplish the feat in her twenties and giving up on swimming altogether, Diana’s accomplishment 30 years later provides the backdrop for a galvanizing meditation on facing fears and living our lives with no regrets.

Erasure 

Written by Percival Everett

Narrated by Sean Crisden

(Inspired Best Picture nominee American Fiction)

A blistering satire about race and publishing, Percival Wright’s Erasure looks into the life of a writer whose career has bottomed out and left him seething on the sidelines of the literary establishment. 

In a fit of rage and despair, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison writes a novel under a pseudonym that he never intended to be published, but soon it becomes the next big thing. How Monk deals with the personal and professional fallout galvanizes this audacious, hysterical, and quietly devastating work.

Looking for more audiobooks that were caught on camera? Check out our list of book-to-screen adaptations.

Actor Noah LaLonde Talks Top Books and Bringing ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’ from Page to Screen

January 31, 2024

Noah LaLonde photo on top of a designed book cover

You may recognize Noah LaLonde from his role as Cole Walter in Netflix’s new teen drama My Life with the Walter Boys. On screen, his character is busy navigating high school life and love. Off camera, the Michigan native is just as busy. But despite his schedule, Noah still finds time to relax with a good book. And when he’s traveling or out for a long run, audiobooks have become a perfect hands-free companion.

For the Record caught up with Noah to learn more about his favorite reads and what it was like adapting My Life with the Walter Boys from page to screen.

With so much content out there to enjoy, when do you turn to books?

The answer to this question has really evolved for me over the years. Today, though, I try to turn to books every day. In the social media world we live in, I feel like I can always use a book to turn my brain on to start the day or off to get myself relaxed before bed. Everything around us moves so fast in our digital age so it’s nice to mute everything around me and get into the routine of focusing on a good book.

What book has had the biggest influence on you?

I’ve enjoyed so many different books in my life—so many that have had a tremendous impact on me. Two that have held specific importance to me during specific times in my life are The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey.

The Power of Now came at a time when I really needed to remember that life is only what we ever have at this moment, and that any accomplishment isn’t worth it unless we enjoy every step of the journey. Greenlights highlighted that, as an artist, each part of our own story is worth fully embracing, as it can contribute to letting us access our full selves and can enable us to be able to share that with the world. 

What do you enjoy most about audiobooks?

I mostly enjoy the accessibility. There have been periods in my life when I’m too pressed for time to read a physical book. But I’m always running or walking or working out or driving somewhere, and an audiobook has proved to be the perfect companion for me during all of those things. Plus, sometimes, hearing the author read their own work adds an element to the experience and in helping me to connect with the material. Matthew McConaughey reading Greenlights is a perfect example of that.

What audiobook are you currently listening to?

Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk. I’m actually about to finish it. I’ve followed Jay for a while now, but listening to this audiobook has been the most immersed I’ve ever been in his work, and I’ve loved it. It’s been great to knock out a couple chapters during some of my long runs. 

Any advice you have for someone wanting to spend more time reading or with books?

Start slow. I’m talking 10 pages of a book or 10 minutes of an audiobook at a time. If you try to bite off more than you can chew to start, I feel like the odds of continuing the activity go way down. Find something you really like and give yourself the freedom to have the time to enjoy the process. I find the more we curate our positive habits to our liking, the better odds we have for developing and ultimately enjoying and sticking to them in the long run.

Name your top 5 must-reads.

A very hard question. I could spend hours on this…I already mentioned Greenlights and The Power of Now, but what else comes to mind and in no particular order…

Your series, My Life with the Walter Boys, is an adaptation of a novel. Did you read the book before starting the project? 

I did! One of the first things I did after receiving the news that I booked the project was to read the book. Knowing the number of people that have read the book, it felt like a bit of pressure bringing Cole Walter to life. But ultimately, you prepare as much as you can and let all the pressure go. It’s an honor at the end of the day.  

If you could be the narrator or voice actor for the audiobook version of any novel, what book would it be? 

So many come to mind that I really can’t pick. I’ll say this: I’ve been journaling a lot of my life. I would love to one day put all of those together and write a story of my own about what I’ve seen and what I’ve been through. Some of the times I’ve felt most connected to a text is when reading a memoir of an actor I’ve looked up to, or someone else who feels very connected to their own story, one that I can garner inspiration from. All that to say, I’d love to narrate my own story, or any book I’d be lucky enough to be a part of. Stay tuned.

 

Next time you’re ready to pick up a book, try pressing play on one of the many audiobooks available on Spotify. 

Credit for photo used in the design: Exavier Castro