Audible vs Spotify

2026. Audible launches cheaper plan to challenge Spotify



Audible has launched a cheaper "Standard" plan at $8.99 per month, $6 less than its "Premium" plan. It includes one audiobook per month from the Audible catalog and unlimited listening from a curated library featuring a selection of Audible originals. Unlike "Premium," the new plan does not allow users to keep audiobooks after canceling their subscription. The launch of the new plan comes amid growing competition from Spotify, which launched audiobooks in 2022 and included the format in its own premium subscription, bundling it with music and podcasts. However, Spotify recently raised the price of its monthly subscription plan for the third time in three years, potentially opening the door for Audible.


2026. Spotify Wrapped includes audiobooks for the first time



Audiobooks have appeared for the first time in the main Spotify Wrapped section - a report in the Spotify app that is formed at the end of the year. It shows what you've listened to most over the past 12 months. Wrapped features a vibrant and interactive design easy to share with friends. Audiobooks such as Rebecca Yarros's The Fourth Wing and Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses made the overall rankings. Spotify also notes that "The biggest trends were undoubtedly racy romances and romantic fantasies, which continue to dominate book culture. We're also seeing a real surge in music memoirs, as readers love these behind-the-scenes glimpses into creative life. And film adaptations of books continue to be incredibly popular, with hits like Stephen King's The Summer I Was Beautiful and The Long Walk fueling interest in older works."


2025. Spotify added AI Recaps for audiobooks



Spotify has introduced a Recaps feature for audiobooks, allowing users to listen to a summary of the book up to the place where they finished reading. The Recaps button is located at the top of the audiobook page. Spotify stated that recaps will appear after users have listened to 15-20 minutes of a book and will be updated regularly as they listen. The company added that Spotify does not use audiobook content to train its models and that recaps do not reproduce the original text. Recaps is currently in beta testing and is available on iOS for a limited number of English-language titles, with plans to expand it over time. Earlier this year, Amazon launched a similar feature, Kindle Recaps, for text-based ebooks.


2025. Spotify launched Messages that allow to share audiobooks.



Spotify has introduced a new Messages feature that allows customers to exchange audiobooks (both in Premium and Free version). The function was created in response to requests of listeners who wanted more space in the room to discuss content with friends and family. Actually it's a chat where you can share content and react with emoji and text. To upload audiobook just click Share in the Now Playing window, select contact and send. The choice can be accepted and modified, after which the parties will be able to correspond and share new content. Chats section is available in the profile menu, in the upper left corner.


2025. Spotify added new subscription option for audiobooks



As you know, Spotify (unlike Audible) charges subscribers $11.99 for certain amount of audiobook listening time (15 hours) per month. This was done because people subscribed to Spotify mainly to listen to music without ads. Now, the service has added special option for audiobook listeners. The Audiobooks+ subscription gives an additional 15 hours of listening each month on top of the current base plan. Users can also purchase an additional 10 hours if they run out of monthly hours. Spotify claims that the new plan will help publishers and authors attract new listeners, increase revenue and together help the book industry reach new heights.


2025. Spotify to allow iOS users to buy audiobooks in app



Spotify to allow iPhone users in the United States to top up their credits directly within the main app and allow Premium users to use these credits for additional audiobook listening time. Premium users currently receive 15 free hours each month (which is an equivalent to listening to one full audiobook). This change will unlock new revenue opportunities for audiobook publishers and authors, allowing them to reach fans and access new audiences seamlessly.


2025. Spotify Audiobooks are now available for German-speaking countries



Spotify has flung open the audiobook floodgates across several German-speaking countries with all the exuberance of a caffeinated opera singer. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the ever-plucky Liechtenstein now find themselves on the receiving end of 350,000 audiobooks in German, French and Italian, presumably narrated by people with voices so smooth they could butter toast. Germany, having long embraced the fine art of “Hörspiele” (a word which roughly translates to “why read when you can be dramatically read to?”), seems particularly well-prepared for this auditory onslaught. Eligible Premium listeners are granted 12 hours of literary immersion per month, with bonus packs of 10 hours available for €9.99—because nothing says modern enlightenment like metered access to Dostoevsky. As for the non-Premium plebeians, fret not: you too can pay à la carte, because democracy in the audio age apparently means paying extra for chapter four.


2024. Spotify Audiobooks launch in France, Belgium and Netherlands



Spotify is a cheeky, upstart musician in the concert hall of digital audiobooks, where giants like Audible and Storytel already hold court. Today it has taken a bold step onto the international stage, waving an audiobook flag in the direction of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. With the subtlety of a tap dancer in a library, it’s now offering up a smorgasbord of literary voices from the likes of Gaël Faye, Maylis de Kerangal, Joël Dicker, Suzanne Vermeer and Saskia Noort—names that somehow sound better when whispered over a strong coffee. Premium subscribers in these newly inducted territories can dive into over 200,000 titles (that’s roughly one long book per day for 548 years), with a clever option to snag any elusive non-Premium titles à la carte. Meanwhile, non-subscribers are free to purchase anything they fancy, because, well, Spotify’s nothing if not accommodating.


2022. Spotify to sells audiobooks



Spotify is entering the audiobook market with its new section, Spotify Audiobooks. This means you'll be able to enjoy your favorite music, podcasts and books all in one location, whether or not you subscribe to Spotify Premium. However, unlike music and podcasts on Spotify, the audiobooks are not free. To buy an audiobook through Spotify, you'll be directed to the web from the app to finalize your purchase—similar to how you pay for Spotify Premium—and then returned to the app. Each audiobook is priced individually in line with industry norms. There is no discount for Spotify Premium subscribers. This feature allows users to download audiobooks that they can keep indefinitely; the platform offers over 300,000 titles across a wide range of genres.


2021. Spotify sets its sights on audiobooks with Findaway acquisition



Spotify is expanding its audio prowess with the purchase of Findaway, a leading audiobook platform. The platform is used for both audiobook distribution and self-publishing for independent authors. Findaway operates multiple businesses, including distributing audiobooks to various platforms and offering audiobook creation services under its business Findaway Voices. The company pairs authors with narrators, which could become a new and valuable source of revenue for Spotify. This isn't the first time Spotify has toyed with audiobooks, offering an exclusive audio experience for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 2020. Earlier this year, Spotify launched its first collection of audiobooks in the form of classics read by celebrities.