Spotify is upping its game in the world of audiobooks with a new feature that may ring a bell for its music-loving users: Countdown Pages. Introduced as part of last year’s updates for Spotify’s artists, these YouTube-style pages have now expanded to include audiobook publishers and authors.
The announcement was made today at the London Book Fair, where Spotify revealed its latest plan to enhance the user experience for audiobook listeners. The Countdown Pages will allow users to pre-save upcoming audiobooks and receive notifications when they become available. This creates an exciting opportunity for authors and publishers to build hype around their upcoming releases, similar to the pre-order feature commonly seen on other platforms like Amazon.
But that’s not the only twist to the Countdown Pages. Once users visit the page to save their desired audiobook, they’ll also have the option to browse “More Like This” recommendations and discover other related, previously released titles. This added feature not only helps users discover new content, but also promotes the overall adoption of audiobooks.
The expansion of Countdown Pages to audiobooks comes after successful usage by popular music artists including Taylor Swift, Karol G, Florence and the Machine, Paramore, and the Jonas Brothers. According to Spotify, over 80% of users who pre-saved an album using Countdown Pages streamed it within the first week of its release.
The launch of Countdown Pages for audiobooks is set for mid-April, with Spotify’s audiobooks service reporting “millions” of users streaming over 150,000 titles since its release. With a collection of over 200,000 audiobooks and a global user base of 600 million listeners, Spotify aims to further increase its audiobook listenership with the addition of this feature.
The incorporation of audiobooks into Spotify’s Premium subscription was first announced in late 2022, starting with the U.K. and Australia and later expanding to the U.S., Canada, and other regions. Premium users can currently stream up to 15 hours of audiobooks per month, while non-subscribers can opt for a standalone audiobooks subscription priced at $9.99 per month, introduced earlier this month.
Countdown Pages for audiobooks will be available in all markets where Spotify’s audiobooks are offered, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.
