UPDATE: Last month Spotify announced Premium subscribers were getting a new perk – 15 hours of free audiobook content per month for no extra cost, as part of their monthly dues.
Now the offer has been extended to subscribers in the United States. Users need to look for the ‘Included In Premium’ badge within the audiobook listings within the app.
Spotify reckons users will get up to 2 audiobooks free per month, with additional hours available to purchase if you just have to finish the book.
Original story continues below…
A press release regarding Spotify Premium landed in our inboxes on this otherwise standard Tuesday and a quick read of the subject line ‘Spotify Premium Update’ got our hopes up about a potential Spoitify HiFi launch.
Alas that was not the case, but it still brought news of a particularly nice perk for Spotify Premium users – access to 150,000 audiobooks.
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The additional benefit, which arrives on October 4, gives users 15 hours of listening as part of their monthly subscrition. However, considering the average auduobook lasts for around ten hours, users will be able to get through around a book-and-a-half per month.
If subscribers wish to buy extra hours, they can buy 10-hour top-ups whenever they like, and users will be able to see their monthly allowance within their Spotify settings. The company is warning users they should set their sleep timer if they reckon they may nod-off, as this will train drain the allowance. Books can also be downloaded for offline listening.
So, if you’re half way through that second book, Spotify tells us you can pay £9.99 for an extra ten hours to use at your discretion. Still, it’s better than the current audiobook service, which requires a separate purchase for applicable titles.
Listeners will be able to identify supported titles (from major publishers like Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and RB Media, and independents) via a new ‘Included In Premium’ badge.
The UK is actually getting a jump on this feature, along with Australia, while the feature won’t come to the US or elsewhere until later this year.
Spotify reckons 48% of UK adults listen to audiobooks, with 32% going back to their favourites for a second time or more. Well, at least that part is going to cost you a few bucks on top of your Premium subscription.
Still no news on the rumours of a Supremium tier that’ll add lossless music to the service, albeit at a higher price.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
