Spotify has announced two new audiobook plans that allow family members to access the service and provide additional listening hours to premium subscribers.
The expansion is currently available to Spotify Premium users in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. Similar plans will arrive in the United States later, the company confirmed.
The first new option, called Audiobooks+, allows Premium subscribers or those managing Family or Duo plans to add an extra 15 hours of monthly listening time. This doubles the current offering, as Spotify’s Premium plans already include 15 hours of audiobook listening per month.
The second plan, Audiobooks+ for Plan Members, extends audiobook access to other family members on Premium Family and Duo plans for the first time. These members will receive 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening after the plan manager purchases the add-on.
To use the service, family plan members must first request audiobook access from their plan manager. If users exceed their monthly hours, they can purchase a one-time top-up of 10 additional hours before the next billing cycle.
Spotify did not reveal pricing for the new plans, stating that costs vary by market. Users in eligible countries can visit Spotify.com/audiobooks for more information.
The expansion addresses a previous limitation noted by HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray in December, who said Spotify was working to resolve a “technical issue” that restricted audiobook access to only the plan’s credit card holder.
Currently, US users can purchase 15 hours of listening through a standalone Audiobooks Access Plan, but the new options will allow greater customization based on individual needs.
Spotify’s audiobook catalog now includes 375,000 titles. The company views artificial intelligence as another growth opportunity, working with ElevenLabs to increase narrated content and translate books from English to other languages.
The hour-based purchasing model differs from competitors like Amazon’s Audible, which sells individual titles. Spotify’s approach allows users to experiment with different books without wasting money on titles they may not finish.
The streaming service initially tested the expanded audiobook features in Ireland and Canada before rolling them out to the additional markets announced Thursday.
