Spotify including free access to audiobooks for paid subscribers
Authors (L-R) Yomi Adegoke, Min Jin Lee, and Jennette McCurdy attend The Future of Audiobooks Event with Spotify 2023 on October 03, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Spotify )
Spotify Premium users are getting a new world of listening unlocked at their earbud tips: audiobooks.
The Swedish audio streaming media company announced last year that it was adding 300,000 audiobooks available for purchase to its library. Now, many of those books will be available to listen to for free.
Spotify is offering each Premium individual 15 hours of free listening per month.
That means users can listen to as many titles as they want within that monthly time limit. Above that, you can purchase a 10-hour top off session if you want to finish the book ahead of the next month when the time limit refreshes.
Plan managers of Family and Duo accounts also get this perk.
Spotify says more than 150,000 of its titles will be available to Premium users.
The free listening will begin in the U.S. later this year, but has already been made available in other countries.
RELATED: Spotify introduces Jam, letting everyone play DJ at the next party
When the perk becomes available, users can see what they can listen to for free as the audiobook will be marked "Included in Premium."
Spotify has acquired books from major publishers and says their library includes upwards of 70% of bestselling books.
The full audiobook catalog, including titles available on Spotify Premium, will still be available for a la carte purchases.
This story was reported from Detroit.