In February, Spotify made an exciting (and slightly unusual) move when it entered the world of physical book sales. As of this week, the new feature is officially live in the US and UK, allowing users to purchase physical books through the Spotify app.
This partnership is with Bookshop.org, an online marketplace dedicated to supporting local, independent bookstores. On audiobook pages in the app, users will now see a button labeled “Get a copy for your bookshelf.” By clicking this button, they are taken to the Bookstore’s website, which manages prices, stock and shipping.
Currently, the ability to purchase physical books is only available on Android devices, with iOS users set to gain access next week.
Today’s announcement cements Spotify’s position as a competitor to major bookstores as it aims to transform itself into a one-stop shop for book lovers. This new offering is also part of Spotify’s larger strategy of focusing on profitability. To further this goal, the company has increased subscription prices in the US and Europe. It was recently touted to reach 751 million monthly active listeners.
In addition to the physical book sales, Spotify launched several other updates that were originally announced back in February. This includes the expansion of its “Page Match” feature, which now supports more than 30 additional languages, including French, German and Swedish. Page Match allows users to scan a page from a physical or e-book using their smartphone camera. The tool analyzes the content and directs users to the corresponding section in the audiobook.
Since the feature’s launch for English-language books in February, Spotify has reported that users who use Page Match stream an average of 55% more audiobook hours each week compared to other listeners. Additionally, 62% of page-matched audiobook titles on Spotify are books that users had never streamed before.
Additional updates include the official rollout of “Audiobook Recaps” on Android devices. This feature provides short audio summaries tailored to the user’s most recent point in the story, making it easier to jump back to listening.
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The company also announced that “Audiobook Charts”, similar to Spotify’s music and podcast charts, is now available in Germany, following its previous release in the US and UK. These charts help users discover their next favorite book by showing what’s popular and trending on Spotify.