Since introducing free audiobook listens for Spotify Premium users, the success has seen the audiobook market in the United States grow.

Late last year, Spotify enhanced the selection on offer for paying subscribers. Premium users gained access to 15 hours of audiobook listening, included with their subscription. Over 150,000 audiobooks available on Spotify became included in the free listening hours.

Spotify’s push into the audiobook sector has seen an incredible growth of the market in the United States. The New York Times reported that the audiobook sector grew by 18% in the fourth quarter of 2023. If you take out Spotify’s contribution to that growth, it sits at only 14% year-on-year growth.

Audiobooks are available to purchase outright on Spotify, for full access at any time. The introduction of free listens has no doubt encouraged listeners to make purchases on books they’ve begun with their free hours. This push into audiobooks sees Spotify take an estimated 11% share of the US audiobooks market.

Spotify tells The Bookseller that they have paid “tens of millions” to audiobook publishers since launching the audiobook feature. Despite concerns about author remuneration, including from Spotify’s ex-chief economist, they seem to be boosting the market. Though it is difficult to say how much of it goes to authors and how much goes to publishing houses.

Spotify made audiobooks available to purchase on their platform in 2022. It is a part of Spotify’s strategy to evolve into a broad audio-based platform, which includes their decision to invest into podcasts. Some competitors are joining their quest to become the one platform for all audio, whilst Deezer have rebranded to oppose that approach and set themselves as a music-first platform.