Spotify is now a physical book store, y’all.
On Wednesday, the (primarily) music streaming company announced the launch of printed book sales in the U.S. and UK. In these two markets, Spotify users can now order physical books, though only on the Android version of the app, with iOS support starting next week.
Spotify, which announced the move in February, partnered with Bookshop.org for physical book sales. Bookshop.org is an online book marketplace that focuses on local, independent bookstores, selling both physical books and e-books.
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Spotify launched audiobooks in Sept. 2022 in the U.S., and has since steadily expanded its catalog and availability in other markets, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and several European countries. The company currently offers audiobooks in 22 markets, and has a catalog of 700,000 titles.
As for why is Spotify, initially a purely digital platform, moving into physical books, hear it from Owen Smith, Spotify’s Global Head of Audiobooks. “We believe the future of reading or listening needs to be flexible and fit more seamlessly into people’s lives, he said in February when the feature was originally announced. “We’re extending Spotify’s discovery and engagement strengths across both audio and physical formats, so authors can build deeper connections with their audiences and books can follow readers wherever they go.”
On Wednesday, Spotify also launched several other features. One is the expansion of Page Match, a feature that allows listeners to seamlessly move between ebooks, physical books, and audiobooks, to 30 additional languages. The company also expanded Audiobook Recaps on Android, launched Audiobook Charts in Germany, and introduced a dedicated Audiobook Chart for kids in the U.S. and the UK.
