What you need to know
- Spotify announced that it is rolling out a new "Audiobook Access" tier for users in the U.S. who are more interested in books than music.
- At $9.99 a month, users with this plan can access Spotify's 200,000 title catalog with 15 hours of listening time per month.
- The company launched "audiobooks with Premium" back in November 2023, which came with the option to purchase 10 additional hours for an extra $12.99.
Starting today (March 4), Spotify is rolling out a new audiobook-specific tier that users can begin purchasing at a cheaper $9.99 price tag.
According to Spotify, those on the platform will begin noticing a new "Audiobook Access tier," providing access to its catalog of 200,000 titles. The company states users will receive 15 hours of audiobook listening, as well. This plan is only available in the U.S. as it begins its initial rollout.
Spotify explains on a support page that your provided 15 hours of listening time "expires on a monthly basis." If you didn't use all of your time, Spotify states it will not stack during your next billing period when your 15 hours are refreshed. However, users can "top up" on audiobook hours if they'd like a little more time after reaching their maximum in a month.
Users can check how much time they have remaining per month by heading into their Settings > Account > Plan name > Track included hours.
Additionally, the post adds that Audiobook Access tier customers will be placed on the free ad-experience track when listening to music and podcasts.
The company launched audiobooks with Premium last November, which opened the floodgates to 200,000 titles. Subscribers were given the same 15-hour cap per month, with the option to extend their time by an extra 10 hours if they submitted an extra $12.99 payment.
Spotify's audiobook move was seen as a direct attack on Audible as the Amazon-owned service offers its Plus and Premium Plus tiers for $8 and $15 a month, respectively. Due to Audible's credit system, users are only listening to one book per month, especially if they're picking up the Premium Plus plan, which is ideal for bestsellers.
Spotify recently stated that, with 15 hours, users should be able to listen to two titles per month.
