Spotify Expands to Physical Book Sales, Rolls Out New Audiobook Features

Spotify is making big moves in the book world. While some users grumble about higher prices for their music and podcast subscriptions, the company has exciting news for book fans. On Thursday, Spotify announced it will soon sell physical books right inside its app. This is a fresh step for the platform, which started as a digital music service. People in the United States and the United Kingdom can look forward to buying printed copies of their favorite audiobooks directly through the app. This change turns Spotify into a handy spot for all kinds of books, both digital and physical.

To make things even better, Spotify rolled out two new tools for audiobooks. The first is called Page Match. It lets users scan a page from a physical book or e-book with their phone camera. The app then finds the exact spot in the audiobook and jumps right there. This works great for people who switch between reading on paper and listening on the go. For example, you could read a chapter at home, scan the page, and pick up the audio during your commute without missing a beat. Premium subscribers can use Page Match now, and it will come to everyone by late February. It covers most English-language titles, and Spotify plans to add more languages later. The tech behind it mixes Spotify’s own tools with outside help for scanning images.

The second feature is Audiobook Recaps. This gives short summaries of the last part you listened to, so you can refresh your memory quickly. It was only on iPhones before, but Android users will get it this spring. These updates make listening to books feel smoother and more fun.

Spotify teamed up with Bookshop.org for the physical book sales. This site supports small, local bookstores across the country. When you buy through Spotify, your money helps those indie shops, and Spotify gets a small fee for connecting you. Starting this spring, you’ll see a button on audiobook pages in the app that says “Add to your bookshelf at home.” Tap it, and it takes you to Bookshop.org to finish the purchase. They handle the price, stock, and delivery. This setup nods to the fact that many people still love holding a real book in their hands, even with all the digital options out there.

By offering physical books, Spotify steps into a crowded market against giants like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But the company wants to be your one-stop shop for stories, in audio, print, or both. This comes as audiobooks boom on the platform. Spotify now has over 500,000 titles. In just two years, the number of audiobook listeners jumped 36% in the past year, and listening hours rose 37%. More than half of Spotify’s 281 million premium users have tried an audiobook at least once.

These changes show Spotify’s push to grow beyond music. Even with price hikes for some plans, book lovers get real value. The full rollout happens this spring, and the company shares its latest money report on February 10. If you enjoy stories, keep an eye on the app, your next adventure might mix pages and playback perfectly.

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