Spotify is launching its new audiobooks offering in Australia with a catalogue of over 300,000 titles.
Australian users will now find audiobooks on Spotify, alongside music and podcasts as a section in their library, in search, and in their recommendations on Home.
Unlike Audible, the major player in this space, the books will be available for a one-time purchase, rather than rolled into a subscription model.
The audiobook library launches with a number of Australian titles, including: “The Other Side of Beautiful,” “The Boy from Boomerang Crescent,” “The Dry,” Boy Swallows Universe,” and “Growing Up Queer in Australia”.
Nir Zicherman, Spotify’s Vice President and Global Head of Audiobooks and Gated Content, explained the company’s move into the audiobook sector is “because we see a substantial untapped market”.
Zicherman notes that, while audiobooks represent just a 6-7 per cent share of the wider book market, the category is growing by 20 per cent year over year.
“We are running faster and are more focused than anyone else in audio,” Zicherman said.
“And we believe that audio and long-form content is a much bigger business than what many would have thought. Our expansion into audiobooks is a significant proof-point in that belief. And this is just the beginning.
“Just as we did with podcasting, this will introduce a new format to an audience that has never before consumed it, unlocking a whole new segment of potential listeners.”