It has been just about a week since Spotify launched its first audiobook service. The streaming major said it would initially offer its audiobook services in the US before branching out to other regions in the world. Also, its audiobook division is going to function differently from the usual streaming service it provides for music or podcasts. Subscribers will have to buy the audiobook titles to listen to them as there is going to be no subscription-based or ad-supported free tier streaming service available.
So, how do you buy audiobooks on Spotify?
The process is simple and involves just a few steps.
- Go to the official Spotify site.
- Click on Find Audiobooks.
- Browse or search for the title you are looking for. All of them will be seen with a lock symbol indicating those aren’t available until you have paid for them.
- Click on the audiobook you want, followed by clicking on the Buy button.
- Follow the on-screen procedure to complete the purchase.
You now own the particular audiobook title and can listen to it anytime and via any compliant device.
The point to note here is that Spotify is not allowing in-app purchases, which might be to evade paying Google and Apple the percentage share in transaction fees that both companies charge. Trying to purchase an audiobook via the company’s iOS or Android app will lead to a prompt that will inform you that you need to ask for an email containing the purchase link.
Also, since you are buying the audiobooks and not listening to it online, you won’t be needed to be a premium subscriber to buy the audiobook. Further, once the audiobook has been added to your library after you have bought it, you won’t be able to share it with anyone even if you are a member of the top-rung Spotify subscription plan. Currently, Spotify has over 300,000 audiobook titles to offer, and the number is going to increase all the time.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
