At Spotify, we always seek ways to connect users with their next favorite podcast episode. We also work to give creators a deeper understanding of how content resonates with audiences. That’s why we’re introducing plays, a new podcast metric designed to help users see, directly within the app, which podcast episodes are most popular with fans.
For creators, plays are a helpful addition to their existing metrics and offer a more comprehensive view of the scale of all episodes on our platform. This will be another invaluable source of insight as they look to optimize their content for success, so they can continue to build a loyal fan base that comes back week after week.
Plays will capture engagement across audio and video content on Spotify, reflecting the number of times people have actively listened to or watched any episode.
Starting this week, plays will be reflected across the Spotify app and in the Spotify for Creators and Megaphone dashboards.
A closer look at plays for creators
For creators, plays will be a key metric on the home dashboard, show overview, and individual episode analytics pages, offering a near-immediate snapshot of how content is performing based on active engagement. And because we want to give creators more comprehensive insight into the scale and depth of their audience, we’re also making consumption hour metrics available to all creators in Spotify for Creators, no matter where they’re hosted.
Existing monetization eligibility criteria and payout calculations for creators and publishers will remain unchanged. They will continue to be determined by streams and the podcast advertising industry standard of at least 60 seconds of engagement. For more details about how plays will work for creators and publishers, check out the latest on the Spotify for Creators blog.
Ultimately, plays will offer creators and their fans a clear way to measure which podcast episodes capture the most attention on Spotify. We’re always working to bring better insights to creators, foster greater discovery for people, and help content reach even wider audiences. Stay tuned for more.
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing industry. During a presentation and panel discussion led by Duncan Bruce, Spotify’s Director of Partnerships & Licensing for audiobooks, we highlighted our ongoing efforts in expanding the audiobook ecosystem, attracting new audiences, and driving revenue growth for publishers and authors.
Since launching our audiobooks in Premium offering in 2023, we’ve significantly expanded our catalog: up from 150,000 to 400,000 titles in English-language markets. This growth has been fueled by some of Spotify’s more recent deals with leading publishers like Bloomsbury, Podium, and Crooked Lane Books.
Building on our success in English-language markets, we also expanded our audiobooks offering to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg last year with promising early results.
Attracting new audiences through discovery
Beyond catalog expansion, we’re focused on connecting listeners with audiobooks they’ll love. Unlike traditional credit-based models, Spotify encourages exploration and serendipitous encounters with new authors and genres. To facilitate this discovery, we leverage a blend of human curation and algorithmic recommendations. While algorithms personalize recommendations based on listening history and preferences, our expert editors curate playlists, craft thematic collections, and hand-pick hidden gems to guide listeners on a journey of discovery.
This discovery-driven model is attracting entirely new audiences to the format. In fact, we’ve seen a 30% year-over-year increase in listeners on Spotify in the U.K., the U.S., and Australia. This aligns with Nielsen’s Bookdata for the U.K., which shows that 24% of users who consumed an audiobook in 2024 did so for the first time that year.
In the U.K., the U.S., and Australia, audiobook listening hours on Spotify are up more than 35% year over year. All of this translates to growing revenue for authors and publishers, with Spotify now paying hundreds of millions of dollars to rights holders each year. In the U.S., the Association of American Publishers recently reported that audiobook revenues soared by 23% in 2024, contributing to an overall 6.5% revenue increase for the entire book ecosystem.
What’s old is new again
Our unique approach is also breathing new life into backlist and niche titles. These often-overlooked gems are finding new audiences and generating fresh revenue streams on Spotify, proving that great stories deserve to be heard regardless of their publication dates or genres. Seven of the top 10 audiobooks on Spotify in 2024 in the U.K. were backlist titles, with five of them being more than five years old.
We’re incredibly excited about the future of audiobooks and remain committed to innovation, expansion, and building features that enhance the listening experience for everyone. Audiobooks have the power to transform the way people consume stories, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this revolution.
Our aim is to bring great audiobooks to as many people as possible, and we’re glad to give book fans more options as they discover their next great listens. Spotify Audiobooks—our in-house audiobook publishing imprint—has entered into an exclusive audiobook publishing partnership with Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press, a leading publisher spanning commercial fiction genres and select nonfiction.
Under the partnership, Spotify Audiobooks will publish titles from Crooked Lane and Alcove’s frontlist catalogs beginning March 2025. Titles will be distributed widely on Spotify via Spotify’s Audiobooks in Premium offering and available to purchase a la carte, as well as across more than 30 other digital retail and library channels.
“Crooked Lane is thrilled. Spotify’s position as both a distributor and audiobook publisher plus their innovative approach make them the ideal partner,” said Matthew Martz, publisher at Crooked Lane and Alcove. “With over hundreds of millions of paid subscribers, we’re confident that Spotify will bring our books to new listeners. Spotify has done great work with our titles, and we know our authors are in the best possible hands.”
“We are so excited to kick off 2025 with such an important partnership,” Henna Silvennoinen, Associate Manager of Audiobooks at Spotify, said. “We’ve admired Crooked Lane’s catalog for years. Their strong commercial stories will appeal to listeners on Spotify and beyond, and this is just the beginning. We believe that partnering will elevate Crooked Lane and Spotify’s publishing to a whole new level.”
Spotify’s audiobook catalog brings more than 300,000 titles—and counting—to the ears of listeners around the world. Now we’re launching a new platform to offer more for the authors and publishers behind the audiobook content we all love. Introducing Spotify for Authors.
Much like Spotify for Artists and Spotify for Creators, the new Spotify for Authors platform empowers authors and publishers with better tools and data to maximize their success on Spotify.
For publishers
We have worked alongside publishers to develop impactful tools that deliver better insights and growth for publishers and authors alike. For publishers, Spotify for Authors expands on the catalog management and royalty reporting currently offered in Passport, with insights and analytics to help them better understand their audiences and catalog consumption on Spotify. The platform also provides promotional tools to help publishers enhance their presence on Spotify and expand their listener bases.
For authors
For authors invited by publishers, Spotify for Authors offers direct access to industry-leading insights, as well as growth and promotional tools to help them grow their listeners and catalogs, including:
Aggregated age and gender demographics that provide more insight than ever before, to let them know who is listening to their content on Spotify.
Redemption codes to share royalty-free copies of titles with reviewers, superfans, and collaborators (if enabled by their publishers).
Promo cards to generate professional and shareable social assets for their titles in just one click.
Early access to author profiles, a new feature rolling out to Spotify so fans can easily discover more about the authors behind their favorite books.
For the Record caught up with Owen Smith, VP of Audiobooks Product and Technology at Spotify, to learn more about Spotify for Authors and what this new platform means for the people and teams behind the audiobooks listeners love.
What makes Spotify for Authors unique in the publishing industry?
We believe that one of the best ways to support authors and publishers is by giving them access to the right tools and data. With Spotify for Authors, we’re giving our partners across the audiobooks industry more comprehensive insights and marketing features to make the most of their presence on Spotify.
This platform is unique for the industry because it is built to support any author or publisher — we’re not gating any features or limiting them based on exclusivity. Our aim is to push the entire industry forward for the benefit of all authors and publishers, and we believe they need the right tools and technology to reach their maximum potential. We’re just beginning to roll out access to Spotify for Authors but are eager to see the impact a platform like this can have for publishers and authors of any size.
How will Spotify for Authors help publishers and authors reach new audiences?
The more we give rich and granular insights to publishers and authors, the more they can understand their audience and make strategic decisions about how to market their audiobook. For example, they can now see the age and demographic info of who is listening to their titles on Spotify, and also what genres of podcasts they’re listening to. This is important because podcasts are a big part of any book’s release campaign and ongoing success—so now they will have a better sense of what kinds of shows to target. I’m also excited to see authors leverage redemption codes to promote their titles and draw in new and existing fans.
How will Spotify continue to innovate and update its audiobook offerings?
With audiobooks, we know Spotify can uniquely reimagine the format, and Spotify for Authors is the foundation on which we’ll expand the much-requested creative options for authors and publishers. We have a lot in store for audiobooks on Spotify in 2025: bringing our partners better tools and more insights through Spotify for Authors so they can connect more authentically with their readers and fans, building richer and more dynamic experiences for listeners (like our follow-along experience we’re currently testing), and enhancing our discovery and cross-promotion efforts across content verticals to introduce new audiences to the format.
Lastly, I’ll say: We’ve worked closely with authors and publishers to develop Spotify for Authors, prioritizing what to build based on their feedback and needs, and will continue to iterate and partner with them along the way. So, if you’re an author or publisher using our tools, please send us your notes!
Today’s launch is just the first step as we help authors and publishers reach new audiences, connect more deeply with their fans, and drive listening.
Spotify for Authors is available in all Spotify markets, enabling authors and publishers to utilize Spotify’s tools regardless of where they publish from. Publishers can access Spotify for Authors with their Spotify logins and can invite authors to join at authors.spotify.com. We will be expanding access to authors using Findaway Voices early next year.
If you’re an author or publisher, visit this link to learn more.
Since its launch just over a year ago, Spotify’s Audiobooks in Premium offering has helped introduce the format to an entirely new audience across the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. We’re seeing more listeners try audiobooks for the first time and embrace new and different books, with hundreds of thousands of unique titles streamed.
Today, we’re thrilled to announce that listeners in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg will now have access to audiobooks, which includes exciting work from local authors such as Gaël Faye, Maylis de Kerangal, Joël Dicker, Suzanne Vermeer, and Saskia Noort, to name a few.
Eligible Spotify Premium subscribers in those countries will be able to access more than 200,000 audiobook titles as part of their subscriptions. Any title not included in our Audiobooks in Premium offering can be purchased à la carte. Listeners in these regions without a Premium subscription can also purchase any title on Spotify.
In partnership with publishers from across these markets, Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, has the potential to grow the size of the audiobook industry overall. We are enabling more listeners than ever to discover and engage with a rich catalog of titles, including in their own language, and paving the way for future innovation of the audiobook format.
“Spotify’s reach presents a significant opportunity to expand the audiobooks market across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg,” said Antoine Monin, Managing Director, Spotify Western Europe. “Since our launch in Western Europe 16 years ago, Spotify has evolved into a leading platform for music, podcasts, and now audiobooks. We are proud to spotlight this region’s rich literary tradition, with 15,000 French and 15,000 Dutch and Flemish titles joining our catalog, advancing our mission to empower audio creators globally and connect them with audiences both locally and internationally.”
One year of Audiobooks in Premium
While it’s still early days, the reaction to Audiobooks in Premium from authors, publishers, and listeners in available markets has been remarkable. On Spotify, we’ve seen user engagement increase among listeners who started an audiobook for the first time. In the U.S., these users spend an average of five additional hours on Spotify over their first two months after starting a book.
This launch opens up new opportunities for local authors and rights holders and helps create an additional revenue stream for the industry. With 28% of Spotify’s users located in Europe, we’ll continue investing in and growing the available audience and revenue pies for publishers and authors.
Spotify announced this latest expansion today in Paris with a panel featuring voices from across the industry: Laure Saget, CEO of Hachette’s Audiolib and Audiobook Commission President at the French Publishers Association, Liza Faja, Head of Lizzie, the audiobook imprint of Editis, Éric Marbeau, Head of Digital Distribution at Madrigall, parent company of Éditions Gallimard and Editions Flammarion, and Timothée Borne, CEO of the immersive audio content production company Blynd Media.
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.
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;andCool 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.
We’re pleased to share that Spotify will remain available in Uruguay and will continue to give artists the opportunity to live off their art. Meanwhile millions of fans will still have the chance to enjoy and be inspired by their favorite artists.
The Uruguayan government has demonstrated that it recognizes the value Spotify provides to local artists, songwriters, and fans. The clarification to the recent changes in music copyright law means that the rightsholders—to whom Spotify already pays roughly 70% of every dollar it generates for music—should be responsible for these costs.
For our users and subscribers in Uruguay, this is what it means:
For Spotify Premium subscribers: Make sure your payment details are up-to-datehere so that you continue getting the best audio experience and listening to music on demand, without interruptions and with offline listening.
For Spotify Free users: Nothing will change. You’ll be able to continue to stream your favorite artists, podcasts, and playlists.
Spotify will continue its operations in Uruguay, connecting artists with fans and supporting local industry growth.
For more information on the global streaming economy, the players, and the process, visit our websiteLoud & Clear.
Nos complace compartir que Spotify seguirá disponible en Uruguay y podrá seguir brindando a los artistas la oportunidad de vivir de su arte y a miles de millones de fans la oportunidad de disfrutar e inspirarse con su música.
El gobierno uruguayo ha demostrado que reconoce el valor que Spotify brinda a los artistas locales, compositores y fans. La aclaración de los recientes cambios en la ley de derechos de autor de la música significa que los titulares de los derechos – a quienes Spotify ya paga aproximadamente el 70% de cada dólar que genera por la música – deben asumir la responsabilidad de estos costos.
Para nuestros usuarios y suscriptores en Uruguay, esto es lo que significa:
Para los suscriptores de Spotify Premium, asegúrate de que tus datos de pago estén actualizados aquí para continuar obteniendo la mejor experiencia de audio y escuchando música a demanda, sin interrupciones y sin conexión.
Para los usuarios gratuitos, no cambia nada y podrás continuar escuchando tus artistas, podcasts y playlists favoritos.
Spotify continuará sus operaciones en Uruguay, conectando artistas con fans y apoyando el crecimiento de la industria local.
Para obtener más información sobre la economía global del streaming, los participantes y el proceso, visita nuestro sitio web Loud & Clear.
UPDATE 12/12/2023: Spotify will remain available in Uruguay and will continue to give artists the opportunity to live off their art. Meanwhile millions of fans still have the chance to enjoy and be inspired by their favorite artists. To learn more, click here for the most up-to-date information.
Unfortunately, Spotify will begin to phase out its service in Uruguay effective January 1, 2024, and fully cease service by February.
The government of Uruguay recently passed a budget bill that includes dramatic changes to the way music works in the country (the Rendición de Cuentas). Spotify already pays nearly 70% of every dollar it generates from music to the record labels and publishers that represent and pay artists and songwriters and has contributed more than $40B to date. The changes in this bill could force Spotify to pay twice for the same songs and unless the government makes it clear that record labels and publishers to whom we pay that ~70% should bear the responsibility for these costs, this will make our business of connecting artists and fans unsustainable.
We want to continue giving artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by it. However, at this stage, Spotify has no choice but to stop being available in Uruguay. For our users and subscribers in Uruguay, this is what today’s news means for you: We will stop billing Spotify Premium subscribers in December, and you will be able to enjoy your last full month of Premium. After this, you will be moved to a Free account until the service is suspended on February 1st. You can check your billing date here. After December 28, it won’t be possible to start a new subscription and after February 1st, Spotify will not be available in Uruguay.
We are also contacting artists and creators directly about what this means for them.
For more information on the global streaming economy, the players, and the process, visit our website Loud & Clear.
Last year we announced that users would be able to purchase and listen to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks on Spotify, advancing our vision for making Spotify the seamless one-stop destination for all things audio. Listeners in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand jumped on the opportunity to sink into sonic worlds created by some of their favorite authors and narrators.
Today we’re starting an entirely new chapter for our audiobooks offering by making more than 150,000 audiobooks available as part of Spotify Premium subscriptions. To start, we’re offering each Premium individual, as well as plan managers for Family and Duo accounts, 15 hours of listening per month—giving them the ability to enjoy as many titles as they want within that monthly allocation.
What’s more, this means eligible users are now getting even more from their Premium subscriptions: an on-demand catalog of more than 100 million tracks, 5 million podcasts, and over 150,000 audiobooks.
This feature will be available for Premium users in the U.K. and Australia starting tomorrow, with the U.S. following later this year.
We believe that offering personalized music, podcasts, and audiobooks on a single platform gives you a superior way to connect with your favorite artists, podcasters, creators, and authors—all in one spot. Not only can you listen to some of your favorite authors’ works, but you can also tune into podcasts where fans dissect the most minor details of a story and find the hidden meaning in every sentence, without leaving the app.
How to find Audiobooks on Spotify Premium
Any book that’s marked “Included in Premium” is available within our Premium catalog, one of the largest of any subscription-based audiobook-streaming platforms currently on the market. Our catalog currently encompasses upwards of 70% of bestselling books, with titles from major publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and RB Media, as well as independent authors and publishers globally, including Bolinda, Dreamscape, and Pushkin.
To listen to the first book on your list, simply type in the title in Search and hit play on the first chapter (or listen to the preview to make sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for!). You can also explore audiobook recommendations easily from our Home feed. Or, head to our audiobooks hub to find an editorially curated selection of top titles.
How to listen to Audiobooks on Spotify
Ready to listen?
Fifteen monthly hours means that you can listen the way you want. Will you explore multiple titles from the evolving regularly refreshed selection or stick with one and listen from start to finish? For those super audiophiles who use up their 15 hours before their monthly billing cycles refresh, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up to finish that series. Not sure how many hours you have left? Check it at any time in your in-app settings.
One note: You must have a Premium individual account or be the plan manager for your Family or Duo account in order to take advantage of this feature. We’ll be working on more ways to unlock access to Premium audiobooks in the future, but for now, primary account holders on Family and Duo plans will receive the monthly audiobooks allocation.
You can also take audiobooks wherever you go, with Spotify available on over 2,000 devices from more than 200 brands. Users with Premium audiobook access can download audiobooks for offline listening as well.
As you listen, our automatic bookmarking feature will save your place so you can easily pick up where you left off. Make sure to utilize the “end of chapter” feature within Spotify Sleep Timer so you can fall asleep to your favorite stories without having to rewind (and lose listening hours) in the morning.
Our full catalog, including titles available on Spotify Premium, is still also available for a la carte purchases.
From beach-friendly bestsellers to riveting memoirs to the latest fantasy series, you’ll be able to find amazing reads on Spotify Premium. And whether you’re in the car running errands or doing chores around the house, audiobooks will transport you to new worlds of stories and sound.
Today, we’re excited to share that Spotify has closed the acquisition of Findaway, a global leader in digital audiobook distributions. As our CEO, DanielEk, said at our 2022 Investor Day last week, “We believe that audiobooks, in their many different forms, will be a massive opportunity.” Now, with Findaway officially part of the band, we are looking forward to innovating, growing, and rethinking what the audiobooks market can be—together.
Findaway works across the entire audiobook ecosystem with a platform and offerings that serve authors, publishers, and consumers. Their technology will help propel Spotify into the rapidly growing audiobooks industry with substantial market opportunity: the audiobooks market is expected to grow from $3.3 billion to $15 billion by 2027. Our global head of audiobooks, NirZicherman, said in his 2022 Investor Day presentation, “We believe this presents a unique opportunity to introduce music and podcast listeners around the world to audiobooks and drastically expand that market.”
In addition to offering the largest catalog of distributed titles, Findaway has actively worked to democratize audiobooks through leading technology tools that independent authors can use to publish and distribute their stories to new audiences. We plan on accelerating the growth of these tools, with the goal of scaling and expanding the audiobooks market overall.
Findaway’s technology infrastructure will enable Spotify to quickly scale its audiobook catalog and innovate on the experience for consumers, simultaneously providing new avenues for publishers and authors to reach audiences around the globe. Chapter one begins today . . .
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