Like everyone else, I was so jacked up when Spotify released Audiobooks in their Premium subscription! I’ve been a member for years and have always debated reducing my membership just because I don’t listen to a ton of music. If you see me driving or washing dishes, I’m likely listening to an audiobook or a podcast.
The Spotify Audiobook section of the platform allows for 15 hours of listening time per month, with the option of paying a little bit to “top up” with 10 more hours to finish whatever other books you may want to listen to. In the six months(-ish) since this was released, I’ve only gotten close to finishing it once. I elected to top it up because I saw that you can use the extra hours at any point within twelve months – I spent $12.99 for another 10 hours of listening and I didn’t have to use it up right away.
How I Use It
This feature has been a game-changer for me personally because my favorite way to listen to an audiobook is when I’m already reading the book physically or on my Kindle. I love to switch back and forth to progress faster in my reading. For example, I usually am reading one physical book and one digital book at the same time. I don’t usually listen to three books at once, so I’ll try to grab an audio copy of either my physical or digital read, and switch back and forth between the formats. I can be reading my Kindle in the morning then hop in the shower and pick up where I left off with the audiobook as I get ready. I just love having the ability to absorb a book in multiple formats. This already-included amount of audiobook time combined with the fact that I’m already paying for the service makes it a total no-brainer for me to use and love this service. On top of all that, they have a TON of books on there. I’ve had almost no issues trying to find my current read within the Spotify Audiobooks platform. There are some obvious misses (ex: authors who have Audible-exclusive contracts) but otherwise they have an unbelievable selection. Between this and Everand (FKA Scribd), I’m all set with audiobooks for the year.
Six-Month Check-In
So how much have I used it so far? Here are some stats and interesting observations.
1. I haven’t listened to one entire book so far.
I definitely use this as a supplement to my reading. If I have a physical copy or ebook I’m reading and the audiobook isn’t readily available (ex: on Everand or available immediately on Libby/Hoopla), I’ll mix in the Spotify audiobook. I haven’t used it exclusively to listen to one entire book – only bits and pieces of multiple books.
2. I’ve listened to pieces of 10 books so far.
As I mentioned, I’ve used it on and off for the past six months to supplement my normal reading. I’ve listened to the following books on Spotify:
- Snowed in for Christmas
- The Christmas Orphans Club
- The Mystery Guest
- Raiders of the Lost Heart
- First Lie Wins
- Red String Theory
- Bride
- The Prisoner’s Throne
- Everyone is Watching
- The Reappearance of Rachel Price
It’s not a huge amount compared to how many total books I’ve read in the last six months, but I did have access to a lot of books on Audible, Libro, Everand, Libby, and Hoopla.
As you can see on the right, I listened to pieces of multiple tracks and just pick up wherever I need to depending on where I left off.
3. It’s not easy to find where you left off compared to other audiobook services.
I like when Audible or Everand have each track listed as a chapter name or number. It makes it way easier to go back and forth between book formats. I read up to chapter 13 in my ebook, then I click on chapter 13 from the list and begin listening when I hop in the car.
Spotify just lists it as tracks, like it would for an album or music. I usually have to make a guess and listen to the first couple seconds to see if I picked the right track. It’s not the end of the world for me personally because again – this is an included service in something I’m already paying for.
4. There’s a fairly unlimited selection of books, new and old.
I think there were only one or two times I looked for a book and it wasn’t included in the normal selection. They offered them for purchase though, I believe. I really appreciate that I can find books of varying release dates, including really popular ones like THE PRISONER’S THRONE and FIRST LIE WINS. They have a great selection of titles for me personally.
Conclusion
Would I recommend this service? For sure… with a few caveats. If you already have a Spotify Premium membership, there’s absolutely no reason not to listen to audiobooks on here. Even if you listen to one fifteen hour book per month, you’re still getting essentially a free audiobook when you already pay for the service. It would be $15 from Audible if you had a monthly membership, instead of $10 for the entire month of listening to music and audiobooks.
Now, would I recommend it if you’re not already a Spotify member? Probably still would. I think the track numbers instead of chapter numbers is a bit annoying if you’re someone like me who mixes formats and wants to go back and forth. If you’re someone who will just listen to one entire book, you could squeeze in 1-2 audiobooks for like $10 per month instead of $15-30+ with other services.
I do prefer the interface of Everand and still highly recommend that service if you’re looking for more ebooks in addition to audiobooks. I find that they have a great but not unlimited selection for $12/month. (You can listen to an unlimited amount of books for the most part, I just mean they don’t have EVERY book you may want on there.) You can sign up for a free 60-day trial (and I get 30 days free as well!).
Overall, this new feature on Spotify is something I absolutely will continue to use! I have a feeling they’ll make improvements over time as well (ex: chapter numbers instead of tracks), which will make the experience even better.
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