Spotify to Offer Limited Free Audiobook Trial to Subscribers in Bid to Take on Amazon's Audible

Spotify will reportedly offer a free audiobook trial to subscribers for a limited time to enter the market. Users will get access to up to 20 hours of listening per month.
This comes after Spotify added 300,000 book titles last year following its $123 million purchase of Findaway. Previously audiobooks were pay-per-download only.
The free trial aims to gauge customer interest in audiobooks on Spotify's platform. This is part of Spotify's push to compete with Amazon's Audible.
The trial follows controversy over Spotify removing audiobooks from iOS to avoid Apple's fees. Spotify criticized Apple for "shifting goalposts" with App Store rules.
The free audiobook trial is expected to slowly roll out in the US, Canada, Australia and UK as Spotify continues building its audiobook library. The full extent and timing of the launch remains unclear.

gizmodo.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/16/2023

Yet another music streaming service is getting a price bump

Amazon Music Unlimited has increased its pricing for Prime members by $1 per month, with annual plans also seeing a $10 to $16.99 increase. Other music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music have also recently raised their prices. The price increase is said to be for bringing more content and features to the platform, but it remains to be seen if this will differentiate Amazon Music Unlimited from its competitors.

9/5/2023

Spotify tests making lyrics a Premium feature

Spotify is testing a paywall for in-app lyrics on its free tier, sparking backlash from users who believe it discriminates against people with disabilities and goes against the company's promise to make the feature available to all.

9/23/2023

Leaked Code Reveals Spotify's Upcoming 'Supremium' HiFi Plan with Lossless Audio and AI Playlists

Spotify is planning to launch its 'Supremium' HiFi plan, offering 24-bit lossless audio, AI-enabled playlist creation, 30 hours of audiobooks per month, and DJ-like features, with a pricing of $19.99 per month.

9/26/2023

Spotify Launches 'Jam Session' Feature for Real-Time Music Queuing with Friends

Spotify has introduced a new collaborative feature called "Jam," allowing up to 32 people to control a music playlist in real-time from their own devices, with Premium subscribers being able to start the "Jam" and even free users able to contribute to the queue.

10/3/2023

Spotify Jumps into Audiobooks, Offering Premium Subscribers 15 Hours a Month

Spotify's expansion into the audiobook market has raised concerns about the potential devaluation of writers' work, as the company proposes a pay-as-you-listen model that mirrors Apple's transformation of the music industry.

10/6/2023

Spotify Developing $19.99 Superpremium Tier with Lossless Audio, AI Playlists, and More

Spotify's upcoming "Superpremium" service is expected to offer features such as AI playlist generation, advanced mixing tools, more hours of audiobook listening, and a personalized offering called "Your Sound Capsule."

10/6/2023

Spotify to Launch Premium $20/Month Supremium Tier with Lossless Audio and More After Missing Earnings

Spotify is rumored to launch a new $20-a-month tier called "Supremium," offering high-quality music, playlist mixing tools, access to audio books, and personalized features such as a "sound capsule" and 24-bit lossless audio.

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Posted 9/8/2023, 5:25:00 PM

Spotify to Offer Limited Free Audiobook Trial to Subscribers in Bid to Take on Amazon's Audible

Spotify will reportedly offer a free audiobook trial to subscribers for a limited time to enter the market. Users will get access to up to 20 hours of listening per month.
This comes after Spotify added 300,000 book titles last year following its $123 million purchase of Findaway. Previously audiobooks were pay-per-download only.
The free trial aims to gauge customer interest in audiobooks on Spotify's platform. This is part of Spotify's push to compete with Amazon's Audible.
The trial follows controversy over Spotify removing audiobooks from iOS to avoid Apple's fees. Spotify criticized Apple for "shifting goalposts" with App Store rules.
The free audiobook trial is expected to slowly roll out in the US, Canada, Australia and UK as Spotify continues building its audiobook library. The full extent and timing of the launch remains unclear.

gizmodo.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/16/2023

Yet another music streaming service is getting a price bump

9/5/2023

Spotify tests making lyrics a Premium feature

9/23/2023

Leaked Code Reveals Spotify's Upcoming 'Supremium' HiFi Plan with Lossless Audio and AI Playlists

9/26/2023

Spotify Launches 'Jam Session' Feature for Real-Time Music Queuing with Friends

10/3/2023

Spotify Jumps into Audiobooks, Offering Premium Subscribers 15 Hours a Month

10/6/2023

Spotify Developing $19.99 Superpremium Tier with Lossless Audio, AI Playlists, and More

10/6/2023

Spotify to Launch Premium $20/Month Supremium Tier with Lossless Audio and More After Missing Earnings