Spotify is getting into the business of selling physical books. Starting this spring, premium subscribers in the US and UK will be able to buy hardcovers and paperbacks directly through the app. This move works with the online store Bookshop.org, which will handle pricing, inventory, and shipping while also helping independent bookstores.
The partnership builds on Spotify’s audiobook service, which started in 2022 and is now available in 22 markets with more than 500,000 English-language titles. There has been a 36% increase in new listeners and a 37% increase in listening hours, which shows that there is a lot of demand for audio content. There will be a “Add to your bookshelf at home” button on audiobook pages that will take you to Bookshop.org to make a purchase.
Page Match is a new tool from Spotify that uses AI to let users scan a physical book page with their phone and go straight to the right place in the audiobook. Audiobook Recaps, which used to only work on iOS, will now work on Android this spring for quick session summaries. The goal of these improvements is to make reading both in person and online easier.
Spotify is trying to be the go-to place for book lovers by competing with Amazon and Barnes & Noble, especially since prices have gone up recently. Owen Smith, Spotify’s global head of audiobooks, stressed the need to reach more people with books. The rollout is aimed at premium users, who make up more than half of Spotify’s 281 million subscribers.
