Spotify Celebrates Two Years of Audiobooks in Premium, Fueling Growth and Discovery Across the Publishing World

Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making books easier for listeners to discover, explore, and enjoy. The result was Audiobooks in Premium, an offering that gives eligible subscribers in select markets access to a rich catalog of audiobooks with hours of listening included in their plan each month.

Now, as we celebrate this milestone and embark on another year in the audiobooks business, we're truly seeing that vision come to life. Our catalog in English-language markets has more than tripled to over 500,000 titles, the offering is available in 14 global markets, and we're introducing the format to an entirely new group of listeners, creating new revenue streams for authors and publishers.

The next generation of listeners Our Audiobooks in Premium offering is designed to meet the habits of a generation that consumes culture on demand and expects personalized discovery. Our momentum is clear: In our English-language markets, more than half of eligible Premium users have pressed play on an audiobook. And these listeners are younger, with 52% of our global audiobook audience aged 18-34.

This growth extends across the globe. In France and the Netherlands, just one year after launch, listening hours are up 10% month over month, making them among the fastest-growing audiobook markets globally. And just six months in our expansion into Germany, listeners are up almost 10% month over month. This local engagement reflects a global trend on our platform, which has seen a 36% year-over-year growth in individuals starting an audiobook and a 37% growth in listening hours.

When we launched Audiobooks in Premium, our goal was to reimagine the reading experience for the next generation, making books as discoverable and dynamic as music and podcasts, said Owen Smith, Head of Audiobooks at Spotify. Now, two years later, we've made incredible progress. We've introduced millions of new listeners to the format, given them choice in how to explore over 500,000 titles, and helped authors reach broader and more diverse audiences while providing incremental revenue. There is still work to be done, but we've proven that making books easier to discover and enjoy doesn't just serve listeners, it grows the entire publishing ecosystem.

Innovating the experience and growing the industry Building on this momentum means giving listeners more choice and enhancing the experience itself. Earlier this year, we introduced Audiobooks+, an add-on for Premium subscribers that unlocks additional listening hours. In the US, consumption among Audiobooks+ users increased 18% within the first 30 days, underscoring how our flexible models empower both casual listeners and devoted book lovers.

Beyond offering more ways to listen, we're innovating the format with features like Follow-Along, which brings the richness of printed books into the listening journey with time-synchronized illustrations and graphics. Countdown Pages build anticipation around big releases, and Author Pages allow listeners to follow their favorite authors the same way they follow musicians and creators, deepening fandom.

Our approach is contributing to a thriving audiobook market. Data from the Publishers Association shows that in 2024, UK audiobook revenue hit a record £268 million, up 31% year over year. In the US, the Association of American Publishers' latest figures for the first half of 2025 show that digital audio remains the largest format for growth, with a 14% increase in adults and a 48% increase for kids and young adults.

As we look ahead, we're excited to continue reimagining the reading experience, helping even more stories find their audiences.

Find your next great read in Spotify's Audiobooks hub.

LINK:	https://newsroom.spotify.com/2025-10-15/audiobooks-in-premium-two-year...
	See more stories from spotify

Europe Stories