Spotify is including English-language audiobooks as part of a new Premium Platinum subscription it is testing in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, the company's first expansion of its audiobook service into these regions.
The streaming service launched the trial on November 18 as part of a broader test of tiered subscription options across five markets, including India and Indonesia, where audiobooks are not included. Premium Platinum subscribers in the three audiobook markets will receive access to more than 150,000 English-language titles, with 12 hours of listening included and optional 10-hour top-ups available.
"What we're basically doing is highlighting different subscription rates for different types of users in those markets so that we can understand where we can deliver the best value," said Duncan Bruce, director of audiobook partnerships and licensing for Spotify. He emphasized that the initiative is "very much more on the business side that's trialling the premium subscription tiers" rather than testing audiobook catalog strategy. "It's really about us piloting these price points," he said.
The Premium Platinum tier represents the top level of Spotify's new subscription structure, which also includes Premium Lite and Premium Standard options. Alongside audiobooks, the tier offers lossless audio, AI DJ, AI Playlist, third-party DJ integration, and mixing tools.
At launch, the audiobook catalog is English-only, though Spotify is exploring expanding into local languages.
Separately, Bruce said Spotify's year-end Wrapped feature will expand its audiobook component significantly in 2024. "Last year it was a small part of the consumer experience because it was the first time we were doing it," he said. "This time around, there's going to be a lot more."
Users will see enhanced audiobook data in their personal Wrapped experience, and Spotify will release broader end-of-year listening lists for audiobooks alongside its music and podcast data.
