Spotify Premium Celebrates 2 Years of Audiobooks With Record Growth

Spotify is celebrating the second anniversary of integrating audiobooks into its Premium subscription, while announcing a major expansion of titles and record listener engagement.

When the feature launched, eligible Premium users in selected markets were given access to audiobook listening hours built into their plan. Since then the offering has matured rapidly, surpassing 500,000 English-language titles and rolling out across 14 countries.

From the outset Spotify envisioned a new chapter for digital reading, where audiobooks sit alongside music and podcasts to form a unified listening ecosystem. According to the company, more than half of Premium users in English markets have experimented with an audiobook. The demographic leans youthful i.e. 52% of the global audiobook audience on Spotify falls between 18 and 34 years old.

On a regional level the momentum is vivid. In France and the Netherlands, listening hours are rising by about 10% month after month, merely a year after introduction. Germany, where the feature arrived more recently, is already experiencing nearly 10% monthly growth in listener activity. Overall Spotify reports a 36% year-on-year jump in listeners.

Spotify’s head of audiobooks, Owen Smith, says the milestone underscores progress toward making books more discoverable and accessible in the digital era. He highlights how this model is widening the reach of authors and publishers while expanding revenue opportunities.

To enhance the listening experience Spotify has rolled out new innovations. Earlier in 2025 the company launched Audiobooks+, an add-on for Premium users that unlocks extra listening hours. In the United States, subscribers who adopt Audiobooks+ increased their consumption by 18% in the first 30 days.

In the United Kingdom 2024 audiobook revenue hit a record £268 million, up 31% compared to the prior year. In the United States, digital audio continues to lead growth, with a 14% increase in adult audiobook consumption and a 48% surge in children’s and young adult listening in early 2025.