Spotify dives into audiobooks with a library of over 300,000 titles | Engadget

After a number of strikes that indicated today was coming, Spotify has officially added audiobooks as one more listening possibility in its app. Starting at the moment, customers within the US may have a devoted part for the format that enables standalone purchases through an internet hyperlink. At launch, the corporate says its library will include over 300,000 titles.

In addition to their very own part alongside music and podcasts, audiobooks will present up in your suggestions on the principle web page. When you dive into the audiobooks tab, you will see a group of picks from Spotify at launch. Over time, this part can be tailor-made to your exercise identical to every other content material that is really helpful for you on the service. The service’s library of titles may even present up in search outcomes like artists, albums, songs and podcasts already do. 

When you choose an audiobook, you will see a lock icon on the play button that signifies you have not but bought the title. If you determine to take action, a hyperlink will boot you out to a browser to finish the transaction earlier than beaming you again to Spotify to start out listening. Any bought titles will robotically seem in your library and can be obtainable for offline listening. Just like podcasts, the service will provide velocity controls so you may pay attention at your most well-liked tempo. 

Spotify has been heading down this path for fairly some time. The service supplied an audio model of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone learn by numerous celebrities within the spring of 2020. In a take a look at early final yr, the corporate added a collection of public area books within the spoken phrase format — once more learn by a roster of well-known names. Spotify then introduced that Storytel subscribers would be capable of hyperlink their account to the streaming service because the audiobook platform was is without doubt one of the first main publishers to reap the benefits of Spotify’s Open Access Platform (OAP). The tech permits publishers and creators to stream their content material by means of Spotify whereas utilizing their current login system. In November, Spotify acquired Findaway, an audiobook platform with over 325,000 titles and instruments for creators. That was seemingly the final piece of the puzzle.

Spotify is obvious that is “the first iteration”of audiobooks on its platform. The firm plans to take notes and see what must be modified earlier than increasing to different markets. It additionally desires to “innovate the format” in order that listeners, authors and publishers profit extra from what the format can provide.