Spotify is expanding its audiobook service to over 180 markets by the end of 2026, bringing the offering to Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. This expansion will make audiobooks available to more than 750 million people worldwide. Listeners will gain access to over 350,000 titles across more than 120 languages. The move is part of Spotify's push into digital books, offering audiobooks alongside music and podcasts on its platform.
The expansion was announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest gathering for the publishing industry. Spotify's vice president of Audiobooks, Owen Smith, emphasized the impact of books on changing perspectives. He noted that making audiobooks available to millions more people will enable authors and publishers to reach new readers. The rollout covers a broad range of African markets, including Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Spotify is introducing different audiobook access models, varying by market. In some markets, eligible Premium subscribers will receive 12 hours of audiobook listening each month as part of their existing plan. In other markets, including those in Africa, Spotify will use Audiobooks+ as the primary access model. Audiobooks+ allows listeners to purchase additional audiobook listening time on top of their existing Premium subscription.
Premium Family and Duo subscribers can also receive 15 hours of audiobook listening each month through a recurring Audiobooks+ add-on. Users can purchase individual titles directly and keep them. Spotify's pricing and access models will vary by market. The company is also updating its Page Match feature, which allows users to move between printed books, e-books, and audiobooks.
Page Match has been used by over 1 million readers since its launch in February. The feature now includes page numbers, allowing users to scan a book's ISBN barcode and find their position in the audiobook. Page Match supports over 30 languages, helping Spotify extend the feature as audiobook access expands into new markets.
Spotify's Audiobooks+ has attracted over 1 million subscribers since launching just over a year ago and generates over $100 million in annual recurring revenue. The company plans to extend Audiobooks+ to Student plans in additional markets next year. Demand for audiobooks continues to grow on Spotify, with monthly audiobook listeners increasing by nearly 40% over the past year.
Audiobook listening hours on Spotify have risen by more than 30% over the past year. The company first introduced audiobooks to Premium three years ago as it sought to broaden its platform beyond music and podcasts. Spotify's audiobook partnerships are non-exclusive, allowing authors and publishers to distribute their books through other platforms while using Spotify to reach additional audiences.
Key points
- Spotify expands audiobooks to over 180 markets, including Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.
- The expansion offers access to over 350,000 titles across more than 120 languages.
- Audiobooks+ generates over $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
