SPOTIFY has started rolling out audiobooks to UK listeners in a major app upgrade.
Hundreds of thousands of listen-along books are now available to purchase on the app.
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Audiobooks began appearing for US subscribers in September, but it’s now available in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
“Users will be able to purchase and listen to a catalogue of more than 300,000 audiobook titles,” Spotify explained.
“Whether by cosying up on a rainy afternoon, or listening on the go, there’s something for everyone.”
You’ll be able to find the audiobooks on Spotify alongside music and podcasts as a section in your library.
They’ll also appear in search if you already know what you’re looking for.
And there will be audiobook recommendations in the Home section on the app too.
Audiobook recommendations are currently made by editorial staff at Spotify – but eventually algorithms will be able to make suggestions too.
Listeners will buy books on a one-time-purchase basis.
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And it’s possible to preview the content for free before you buy it.
The full list of books tops 300,000, and includes titles from Michelle Obama and Sally Rooney.
It also features Harry Potter star Tom Felton’s new memoir Beyond The Wang, as well as footie legend Alex Scott’s autobiography How (Not) To Be Strong.
Sadly there is a massive catch that will inevitably frustrate users.
It’s currently impossible to buy audiobooks directly through the app.
When you attempt to listen to an audiobook that you don’t own, a pop-up appears that reads: “Want to listen? You can’t buy audiobooks in the app.
“We know, it’s not ideal.”
Spotify doesn’t even link out to a website to buy the audiobook.
Instead you have to navigate to the Spotify website manually in a web browser.
It’s likely an attempt to avoid having to pay Apple and Google a fee for in-app transactions.
There’s no timeline on when (or even if) this will change.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
