Spotify’s new audiobooks features have been a prominent weapon in its battle against Apple, with the company arguing that its initially-awkward purchasing system was the fault of overbearing App Store policies.
But since then it has rolled audiobooks into its existing subscription and given them a big push. Is that working? A pair of reports suggest that it might be.
“Excluding Spotify, the audiobook market in the United States grew 14 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year,” reported the New York Times, citing data from research firm Bookstat. “With the addition of Spotify, the audiobook sector grew by 28 percent in that period.”
The company estimates that Spotify already has an 11% share of the US audiobooks market, ahead of Apple and behind only dominant player Audible.
Meanwhile, Spotify told The Bookseller that it has paid audiobook publishers “tens of millions” (whether that’s dollars, Euros or pounds isn’t specified) since launching the feature last year.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools :: Cresqa
Cresqa pitches itself as “your personal content strategy assistant”.
To access this post, you…