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Spotify is preparing a free audiobook trial for its paying subscribers. In accordance with The Wall Street Journalthe music streaming service is about to offer a bundle of titles from the largest US publishers, as part of a pilot program that will offer up to 20 hours of listening at no additional cost.
The objective is to gauge public interest, which is why the program will be for a limited time, people familiar with the project told the American newspaper. It is expected to be released in the coming months. If successful, Spotify would find a new way to diversify its offering and sources of income. Last July, the company announced that it would increase for the first time the price of its individual premium plans in the main markets of the world.
Spotify began offering audiobooks last year, after it purchased the audiobook platform Findaway at the end of 2021. The difference with the new project is that, until now, it has been using a pay per download model. It already offers a catalog of more than 300,000 titles from independent authors and major publishers, including books by acclaimed horror author Stephen King.
He WSJ explains, however, that Apple’s App Store policies have hampered business. Spotify notes that users make purchases through a web browser, rather than within the app. Although it may be a more cumbersome procedure, this allows them to avoid Apple will charge up to 30% commission for downloads.
Download audiobooks directly from the Spotify app
Spotify’s pilot program will allow users to download audiobooks directly from the app. In addition to the purchase of Findaway, the company reached an agreement in 2021 with Storytelso that the audiobook library of this platform is available on Spotify for subscribers who link their accounts.
The proposal is a direct challenge to the Audible platform, a leader in the sector. In 2022, Audible, which is owned by Amazon, owned 63.4% of the audiobook marketwith approximately $1.8 billion in sales.
There aren’t many details yet. The program is expected to launch in English-speaking countries on a limited basis. It’s unclear how Spotify intends to compensate publishers. According to the WSJ, it is possible that the authors receive payment depending on the time users spend listening to their works.
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