RRSS News Online Newspaper ng mga Pinoy
Subscribers of the music streaming application Spotify in the Philippines will soon be able to listen to their favorite audiobooks, as the company has announced the global expansion of the feature to over 180 markets by the end of 2026.
The catalog will feature over 350,000 audiobook titles in more than 120 languages. Audiobook refers to a digital or physical recording of a book as read by the author, an actor, or a voice talent.
Spotify has said, as per New Industry Focus, that different markets will have different methods in accessing the feature.
Premium subscribers in markets which include Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway, and Peru will get 12 hours of audiobook listening. While, subscribers in Africa, Asia and Argentina will have to add Audiobooks+ in their account.
“Bringing audiobooks to more than 180 markets means millions more people can discover that, and authors and publishers can reach readers they’ve never been able to reach before,” Owen Smith, VP of Audiobooks on Spotify has said.
He added that books change how we see the world and the people in it, and that for a lot of people, audiobooks help them find their way back to reading while on commute, on a walk, or at the end of a long day.
Spotify is working with over 300 publishers globally in expanding its audiobook catalog. Publishers that the company is currently coordinating with includes Planeta, Mondadori, and others.
The audiobooks feature was announced just a year ago and has already pulled over a million subscribers since launch. Spotify has noted that monthly audiobook listening has grew to nearly 40% over the past year, while listening hours rose more than 30%.
Sources: Digital Trends, New Industry Focus, Reddit
