Late last year, Spotify announced a new audiobook feature, sparking backlash among authors who seemingly found out after the ink had dried between publishers and the music/podcast app. While many readers initially rejoiced, that excitement faded for many as they found the limits to this access.
With Spotify rapidly pouring resources into offering features beyond music in the late 2010s, it was only a matter of time until it got into audiobooks. Following the surge in reading during COVID-19 lockdowns, Spotify began this initiative with one of the most popular children’s books of all time. Each week starting May 2020, a famous actor, starting with Daniel Radcliffe, would read a chapter of the Harry Potter. While it’s TERF author J.K. Rowling would host the video on her website, the audio alone went to Spotify. This audiobook version of the book became a Spotify exclusive.
Less than a year later, Spotify made nine classics available to users, read aloud by various celebrities. It became the destination to listen to Bahni Turpin narrate Nella Larson’s Passing or … David Dobrick narrate Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Not my cup of tea personally, but it probably helped a student or introduced someone to their new favorite book. So, this was definitely a win.
Then, in November of 2024, the streaming service expanded its library to 200,000 titles. This library—free to most Spotify Premium users—included mostly bestselling titles. Unlike writers who see their future being exploited like the music artists on Spotify, readers saw this as great news.
Is Spotify Audiobooks worth it for the readers, though?
While a good fit for some users and readers, this new service does come with some major caveats. For one, users are only allotted 15 hours of time every month, and that time doesn’t roll over. This is not a single audiobook credit system like Audible or Libro.fm. Additionally, student accounts and those on a shared account (like duo or family), aside from the plan manager, don’t have access to these hours. This does mean you can try a few books, but that time lost won’t be available until the next month.
Some users have tried workarounds like speeding up the book, as the app will let you increase the speed up to 3.5x. This works on desktop and iPhone in the U.S. However, some TikTok commenters have shared that this feature might not available in all countries and on all device types. Beyond trying to get the most bang for their buck, many audiobook readers set books at 1.25x speed or faster as their standard way of listening.
Anecdotally speaking (as a voracious reader pre-Baldur’s Gate 3), many books are under 15 hours. Many memoirs, thrillers, horror, and romance novels are well under 15 hours. This means you can start and finish the book without worrying about getting booted from your title. However, this will be of concern to those who read in genres like fantasy, science fiction, non-fiction, and historical fiction.
BookTokker Torreysreads shared that Spotify locked her out of her book when she had an hour left. She then had to wait 20 days (a.k.a. until the next subscription renewal) to finish her novel on the app. Torreysreads actually could have finished the book, but it would’ve cost her $12.99. Unlike the base 15 hours, which expire, these added hours roll over.
Now, this might be a good deal for some readers already paying for Spotify Premium. For example, this a steal if you’re barely getting back into reading, finish a single book a month, or mostly read physical books while reading an audiobook over a few weeks. If you accidentally pick up a book over 15 hours, you can add 10 more hours for $12.99. Totaling up to $10.99 to $23.98 for a single book is an okay to fantastic deal. New audiobooks for purchase range from $20–30 if not on sale. Still, there are more efficient and ethical ways to spend you money that benefits you, authors, and your community.
Best deal for audiobooks
The best audiobook alternative to Spotify and Amazon’s Audible is Libro.fm. The service gets you 1 audiobook credit a month (that does roll over) that you can use on anything and even easily gift to someone. Subscriptions come with 30% off in the audiobook store if you want to pick up more titles. Additionally, books go on sale a lot. Discounts range from 10–90% off! This service costs $14.99 a month—regardless of the length of the book.
As a nearly two-year user, I can confidently say the best part about Libro.fm (besides the price and user design) is that part of the profits go to local bookstores. Upon checkout, you get to select a local bookshop and they’ll receive part of the profits. Like Bookshop (the physical book equivalent), this can change at any time, too. The company started off employee-owned, and this model of profit sharing extends to your own community.
What’s better than cheap? Free! For desktop users who love the classics in the public domain, I recommend LibriVox. However, for a bigger selection and an app service, I think you know my final suggestion. That’s just going to your local library! If you have one, it’s already paid for by your tax dollars. You might need to wait for these titles to become available, but you can put multiple books on hold and stagger when you get them.
Many libraries use Libby (Overdrive), Axis360, and Hoopla for ebooks and audiobooks. If a library doesn’t have the book you want (or not enough copies), you can always request it via email, phone, or on their website. Also, some libraries have shops with deaccessioned library materials. This includes books on tape and CDs for a low as 50 cents a title.
(featured image: cottonbro studio)
