Spotify has announced the introduction of its free audiobooks feature to Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Users in these regions will now have access to 15 hours of monthly free audiobook listening time. Additionally, Spotify has increased its audiobooks catalog from 200,000 to 250,000 titles. This feature was previously available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.
This expansion follows Spotify’s claim that its audiobooks service is the second-largest provider after Amazon’s Audible. Since the launch of the free service last November, users have already listened to over 150,000 titles.
Audiobooks can be found in the Home feed of the Spotify app or via the search tab. Any audiobook labeled “Included in Premium” can be accessed with a Spotify Premium subscription. Users can monitor their listening hours in the settings of the Spotify app. In case of running out of listening hours, additional 10-hour allocations can be purchased for CAD $14.99, IRE €12.99, and NZD $19.99.
Recently, Spotify introduced a $9.99 per month plan in the U.S. that allows free users to enjoy its audiobooks collection. This plan, offering 15 hours of listening, enables Spotify to vie with Audible by targeting users less interested in its music service. Unlike Audible’s $14.95 monthly subscription providing one credit to purchase a title, Spotify’s $9.99 plan allows users to listen to multiple audiobooks within its catalog for up to 15 hours.
