Spotify Expands into Physical Book Sales
The platform is adding print book purchases and cross-format tools as it broadens its audiobook strategy beyond digital subscriptions.
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Spotify has announced an expansion of its audiobook offering, including entry into physical book sales in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Users will soon be able to purchase print editions of select audiobook titles directly through the Spotify app. The feature marks a shift for the streaming platform, which previously focused solely on digital audio content.
Spotify has partnered with Bookshop.org to facilitate physical book sales. Purchases will redirect users to Bookshop’s website for pricing, fulfilment and shipping. Spotify will receive an affiliate fee from transactions, while sales will support independent bookstores participating in the marketplace.
The company is also introducing new features aimed at bridging the gap between print and audio formats. A tool called Page Match allows users to scan a page from a physical or e-book using their smartphone camera and instantly continue listening from the corresponding point in the audiobook.
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Page Match is currently available to premium subscribers and is expected to roll out to all audiobook users later this month. It supports most English-language titles and uses a combination of Spotify’s in-house and third-party computer vision technologies.
In addition, Spotify is expanding Audiobook Recaps to Android devices this spring. The feature provides short summaries tailored to the last section a user listened to, helping listeners resume content more easily.
Spotify reported that audiobook engagement has grown steadily since launching the format two years ago. The company said audiobook listeners increased by 36% year on year, while listening hours rose 37%. More than half of Spotify’s 281 million premium subscribers have engaged with audiobook content.
The move positions Spotify more directly alongside traditional booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, while expanding its footprint across both digital and physical reading experiences.
For the broader media and retail sector, the development reflects ongoing efforts by digital platforms to integrate commerce into content ecosystems and extend user engagement beyond core subscription models.
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