Discovering Spotify’s Newly Launched Free Audiobooks Perk in the US: A Comprehensive Guide

Spotify continues its extensive digital journey with the introduction of its new audiobook service in the United States. American users with Spotify’s Premium subscription will find themselves armed with a repository of over 200,000 book titles to explore. In a recent announcement, the music streaming giant stated that personal subscribers along with managers for Family and Duo plans have a perk of 15 hours of audiobooks monthly.

Your allocated listening hours correspond to roughly two average audiobooks, according to Spotify. Though, once you exhaust your monthly quota, you have the option to acquire extra listening time. With a $12.99 ‘top-up', you can extend your audiobook session by 10 hours. Not to worry if you can't utilize it all in a month; any unused time rolls over to the next month when you purchase another top-up. Keep in mind that the top-up expires one year after purchase.

You can buy these top-ups from the Settings menu on your Spotify account. An innovative feature displays a bar, constantly keeping you informed about the number of listening hours you've used up.

Once you've updated your Spotify app, you will be introduced to books with a ‘Included in Premium' tag, ready for listening. However, our testing revealed that not all experiences are identical, and the label might not always be visible. Nonetheless, the new Audiobook tab will guide you straight to a collection of exciting books, both classic masterpieces and the latest releases.

For those who prefer a bigger screen, the update is available on the desktop version of Spotify, with a slight variation – you have to use the Search tool and pick the required category, however, the ‘Included in Premium' label and audiobooks might not be instantly visible on the homepage. On a side note, the update, still being disseminated amongst users, might appear in phases rather than all at once.

Potential Glitches

During our trial run, we were able to access and enjoy audiobooks without any constraints, even on a free account – a possibility that hasn’t officially been announced. However, a spokesperson for Spotify clarified that the service is mainly open for eligible Premium subscribers, suggesting that we might have stumbled upon a few glitches.

In conclusion, the unveiling also brought to light Spotify user statistics and recommended some audiobook titles. If you're initiating a literary odyssey with audiobooks or a music aficionado in search of artist biographies, Spotify’s platform has you covered. Lastly, for the devoted book lovers seeking additional options, TechRadar's list of top audiobook sites is certainly worth checking.