Spotify grows audiobook catalog to 700,000

Spotify said on May 21 that its audiobook catalog now exceeds 700,000 titles and that the format has expanded to 22 markets, as the company used its investor day in New York to outline a broader push into books and AI-powered audio tools. The company also introduced new product features for listeners and authors, including an audiobook production tool built with ElevenLabs and a separate desktop app called Studio by Spotify Labs. The announcements came as Spotify pitched investors on higher-value products beyond its core music subscription business. Spotify said additional audiobook plans will arrive later this year. ### How much bigger is Spotify’s audiobook business now? Spotify said in a May 21 post that it has grown its audiobook catalog to more than 700,000 titles since entering the category in 2022. The company said it has also expanded audiobook availability to 22 markets. May 21 marked Spotify’s third investor day, held in New York City, where co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström presented the company’s long-term strategy. In investor-day remarks published by Spotify, the company said it had added audiobooks to Spotify Premium in more than 20 markets as part of its broader product expansion. (newsroom.spotify.com) ### What did Spotify launch for authors? TechCrunch reported on May 21 that Spotify launched an ElevenLabs-powered audiobook creation tool designed to help authors generate audiobooks for distribution on the platform. The publication said the feature will begin in invite-only beta in June and will initially support English only. (newsroom.spotify.com) TechCrunch also reported that authors using the tool will not be locked into exclusive distribution, allowing them to publish AI-generated audiobooks elsewhere. The new release builds on Spotify’s earlier work with ElevenLabs, which had already allowed authors to submit audiobooks created with the startup’s voice tools. (techcrunch.com) ### What is Studio by Spotify Labs? Spotify said on May 21 that Studio by Spotify Labs is a standalone desktop app that lets users create and personalize audio experiences using their browser and other apps and services on their computer. In a separate Spotify post, the company said the product is meant to help users “create, control, and personalize” listening across different moments. (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported the app extends Spotify’s personal podcast feature and gives non-coders another way to generate customized audio. Spotify’s own investor-day recap said the app will let users generate private, personalized audio experiences such as daily briefings that are saved directly to their Spotify library. (newsroom.spotify.com) ### What did Spotify say about new audiobook plans? Spotify said in its audiobook update that it plans to introduce new audiobook plans later in 2026. The company did not list full pricing in the Spotify newsroom post announcing the expansion. TechCrunch reported on May 21 that Spotify’s upcoming offerings include new audiobook options tied to Premium and family-plan listening, adding detail to the company’s statement that more plans are on the way. (techcrunch.com) A previous TechCrunch report from July 2025 said Spotify had been expanding audiobook access for family and duo subscribers, which provides context for the new plan rollout. (newsroom.spotify.com) ### Why did Spotify bundle books and AI announcements together? Spotify’s investor-day recap said the company is building a portfolio of higher-average-revenue products and add-ons aimed at its most engaged users. The recap said Audiobooks+ users are delivering lifetime values that are multiples of Premium-only users, framing audiobooks as part of a broader monetization strategy. (techcrunch.com) Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström told investors on May 21 that Spotify is pursuing growth across formats including music, podcasts, video and audiobooks. The next milestone the company identified was the launch of new audiobook plans later in 2026, while the ElevenLabs-powered author tool is set to enter beta in June. (newsroom.spotify.com 1) (newsroom.spotify.com 2)