Subscribers to Spotify in Canada can now access audiobooks for a fee as part of their subscription.
Audiobooks, available starting today, include a catalog of more than 300,000 titles from authors like Margaret Atwood and Emily St. John Mandel. Some of the latest available titles include ones like Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which was recently turned into a TV series on Amazon Prime Video and Canadian actor Jennette McCurdy’s shocking and heartbreaking autobiography I’m Glad My Mom Died. The audiobooks are available for purchase and listening in both English and French. There’s only a very small selection right now, but Spotify says the selection will continue to expand along with new ways for users to discover and engage with audiobook titles.
Audiobooks can be found alongside music and podcasts in a specific section within the library. You can also search for audiobook titles and access them right from the Home screen. You can listen to a free five-minute sample and see information about the book, including who it’s narrated by as well as how long the entire audiobook is along with a chapter-by-chapter breakdown. There’s a speed control option if you need to listen more quickly or conversely, slown down the pace.
The audiobooks appear on a mobile device with a lock icon beside the Play button. If you want to purchase one, you need to visit the Spotify website after which you can unlock and listen to them on mobile devices if preferred. Books are available for a one-time purchase, saved to your library and available to listen at any time.
You can download content to listen offline as well, with automatic bookmarking that saves your place so you can pick up where you left off.
Once you’re done listening, you can share your opinion about the audiobook using the rating feature. This publicly displays the aggregate rating of a book to help you find highly rated audiobooks that other Spotify users have enjoyed.
Note that you need a Spotify account in order to purchase audiobooks, though you can be subscribed to the free tier. Audiobooks range in price, but are typically in line with hard copies: the McCurdy autobiography, for example, is $18 while Daisy Jones & The Six is $24.90. Michelle Obama’s Becoming is $30.90 while Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is $41.90.