Spotify Audiobooks currently offers over 250,000 book titles in its Premium subscriber catalog, ranging from obscure and unknown to international bestsellers and everything in between. From true crime to real-life, they have it all.
But how can you access 15 hours of audiobooks on Spotify for free?
What is the Spotify Audiobook Offer?
In early October 2023, Spotify announced it would offer instant access to 150,000 free titles through the Premium subscription. Now, with Premium, you can enjoy 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month. Plan managers for Duo, Family, and those with Individual Premium will all get access to this feature.
Note that the Premium Student plan isn't eligible for audiobooks at this time.
With that free 15 hours, you can enjoy any of the 150,000 included in the offer, and with Premium, you can listen to over 250,000 audiobook titles in their subscriber catalog. You can split your hours over multiple books or choose a longer book to enjoy from start to finish.
And just like when you listen to music, if you need to pause your audiobook, you can, and it will pick up where you left off when you press play again.
So what that means is, from your Premium Spotify account, you’ll get all of your favorite music, podcasts & shows plus 15 hours of free audiobooks!
Anyone with a free Spotify account will need to upgrade to a Premium account to access the specific 15 hours of free listening offer.
However, free Spotify accounts can purchase audiobooks to listen to, but you’ll miss out on the 15 hours included with the Premium subscriptions - is it worth upgrading from Spotify Free to Spotify Premium to get the offer?
If you're in a country where audiobooks are available, and you listen to a lot of music, it might just be a great decision!
Which Countries Have Spotify Audiobooks?
Originally Premium Spotify account holders in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the US had access to the Spotify Audiobooks 15 hours free offer. However, a recent update (October 2024) has meant it has been rolled out to France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
How Much Are Audiobooks on Spotify?
While there are plenty of free audiobooks available on Spotify, you'll need to pay for some titles.
One thing you'll notice pretty quickly is many of the most popular and bestselling audiobooks have a discount, so it is worth checking on audibooks you want regularly.
Each of the paid audiobooks are individually priced, but generally anywhere between $4-$50 dollars (and this varies based on location). You can only purchase individual audiobooks on the Spotify Web Player.
How do you activate your 15 free hours on Spotify Audiobooks?
Your free hours will automatically be added to your Spotify Premium account. You can check how many hours of listening you have by going to your Account page and clicking Audiobooks.
The hours don't roll over, so it is best to use them up.
How to Listen to Spotify Audiobooks
Each month, Premium Spotify account managers will have access to 15 hours of free listening – but don’t worry, if you go over those 15 hours, you can purchase an extra 10 hours of time or buy the audiobook you want to listen to.
You can choose from all the best audiobooks on Spotify to make the most of your listening time.
Look for the 'included in premium’ tag to find out if a book is free to listen to.
You can only buy the audiobooks through the website now rather than through the app. Spotify decided to avoid paying commissions through either Apple or Google. While it is not an ideal scenario if you want to buy it quickly, accessing the audiobook through the website is easy via mobile.
- To find the audiobooks, open the Spotify webpage, click the search button, and you’ll see all of the regular colored tiles you are used to (Podcasts, Live Events, Made For You etc.) – but with the addition of Audiobooks.
- Tap the Audiobooks tile, and you’ll be presented with a carefully curated list of recommended reads from Spotify – including the bestsellers, a range of genres, and things like ‘fantastic first audiobooks,’ which is a great place to get you started.
- Once you have unlocked a title in the Spotify Web Player, you can listen to it on the mobile app. You can find any audiobook you have unlocked in Your Library, both in the app and on the web player.
Can I purchase audiobooks and listen to them on Spotify?
Yes, you can purchase audiobooks on Spotify’s Web Player and instantly unlock them. You’ll find all the titles in Your Library.
Unlike other platforms, like Audible, where you have to pay a monthly fee, Spotify has a pay-for-what-you-want model (buying only what you want to read) and 15 hours of free reading for Premium account holders, plus a wide range of free titles.
What are the best audiobooks to listen to on Spotify?
Choosing your first audiobook title might take a while, so to help, here are a couple of the best audiobooks on Spotify right now.
The Woman in Me – Britney Spears: a real behind-the-scenes of Britney’s life to date, packed with plenty of juicy details - piping hot ☕️.
Before He Kills – Blake Pierce: a serial killer on the loose, and just at the start of his spree – will they stop him before it’s too late? Intense thriller 🫣.
The Island House – Elana Johnson: a sweet romantic story with a lot of heart. Do Charlotte and Dawson find love? Or will it all come crashing down? A gentle romance 😍.
Here are some of the other popular titles right now:
And if you are interested in more great Spotify audiobooks that are available, check out our blogpost with the Best Audiobooks on Spotify.
Audiobook Only Subsciption on Spotify
If you don't need or want a Spotify Premium subscription, you can opt for an Audiobook Access plan. You'll get 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month. Just like Premium, if you don't use them - you lose them. Unused hours don't roll over (sadly).
Audiobook Access is limited at the moment when it comes to which devices you can use it on. Apple Watch, Samsung Watches, Car Thing, Tesla and Garmin aren't supporting it at the moment.
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