In February, Spotify made a surprising move into selling physical books, and as of this week, the new feature is officially live in the U.S. and the U.K. This allows users to buy physical books directly through the Spotify app.
Spotify is working with Bookshop.org, an online marketplace that supports local, independent bookstores. Now, on audiobook pages within the Spotify app, users will see a “Get a copy for your bookshelf” button. Clicking this takes them to Bookshop’s website, which handles pricing, inventory, and shipping. Currently, only Android users can buy physical books, but iOS users will get access next week.
Today’s announcement strengthens Spotify’s position as a competitor to major booksellers, as it aims to become a complete destination for book lovers. This new offering is also part of Spotify’s larger plan to become more profitable. To reach this goal, the company has been raising subscription prices in the U.S. and Europe. It recently shared that it has reached 751 million monthly active listeners.
Besides selling physical books, Spotify also launched several other updates that it first announced in February. This includes making its “Page Match” feature available in over 30 more languages, such as French, German, and Swedish. Page Match lets users scan a page from a physical or e-book with their smartphone camera. The tool then analyzes the content and directs users to the matching section in the audiobook.
Since Page Match launched for English books in February, Spotify reported that users who use it stream 55% more audiobook hours each week than other listeners. Also, 62% of the audiobooks found through Page Match on Spotify are titles users had never streamed before.
Other new updates include the official release of “Audiobook Recaps” on Android devices. This feature gives users short audio summaries that pick up from where they last left off in a story, making it easier to resume listening.
The company also announced that “Audiobook Charts,” similar to Spotify’s Music and Podcast Charts, is now available in Germany. This follows its earlier launch in the U.S. and U.K. These charts help users discover their next favorite book by showing what’s popular and trending on Spotify.
