I speculated for a while that Spotify was cooling its interest in audiobooks. That seems not to be the case. It has just announced a deal with Bloomsbury to make the publisher’s audiobooks available to “Audiobooks in Premium” subscribers and à la carte purchasers. These include stellar titles like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.
ALLi News Editor, Dan Holloway
Amazon has also made a major audiobook move. Amazon Music Unlimited will now give subscribers free access to Audible. This, of course, opens up another audience for indie audiobook publishers.
The Daily Mail comments on this move:
“By bridging the gap between Amazon Music and Audible, the retail giant has made the platform a one-stop shop for all of your listening needs.”
Now, that sounds like standard puff, but it’s an interesting turn of phrase. “One-stop shop for audio” is exactly what Daniel Ek has said he wants Spotify to become. This comparison was not lost on Mark Williams. He has a very detailed piece on the twin moves, and his take is blunt (but wise and informed) as ever:
“It’s not often we see Amazon playing catch-up, but right now Spotify is leading the changes in an expanding global audiobook market.”
He also believes this shift will continue, with Amazon losing its automatic first place in book-related markets. You can read more in The New Publishing Standard.
Amazon vs. Spotify: A Closer Look
The specifics of the Amazon Music Unlimited move are straightforward. Subscribers (this does not include the free-for-Prime-members version of Amazon Music, though Prime members get discounted rates) gain access to one Audible title a month. It should be noted, of course, that this means access to one book. Unlike Spotify, where subscribers get a set amount of time that they can apportion across multiple books.
EU Antitrust Investigation Concludes
And while we’re on the subject of audiobooks and Spotify, last week the European Union ended its antitrust investigation of Apple’s ebook and audiobook service. The complaint alleged that Apple failed to give apps rivaling its own products ample discovery. Spotify was not the complainant in this case, though it had been a complainant in a similar case over music that concluded earlier this year with a $2 billion fine for Apple.
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