Spotify’s Audiobook Expansion
Spotify’s expansion into other audiovisual entertainment has been a long time coming. As the world’s leading music streamer, there was only so much growth they could experience before it was time to tap other markets.
In 2021, they famously spent $1 billion on big-name podcasts, and then 2022 saw the launch of their audiobook service. That service came with a new, cheaper plan for book lovers who aren’t interested in the music. With it, they have also offered free trials and listening periods to celebrate events like National Audiobook Month. These kinds of offers are typical for online services, best seen with video streaming or iGaming sites, and others that deal in digital products/experiences. That’s why, across many online poker sites, they host similar but distinct bonuses that offer welcome credit, deposit matching, or entry into reward tournaments. In each case, it’s a way to give consumers a chance to try the service out for free — much like Spotify does with its Premium and free listening trials.
Now Spotify has expanded its audiobook service to cover more European ground, specifically France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. This means users in these regions can join the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand in using the service, which now supports the French and Dutch languages. It’s the first step in a gradual rollout that will surely come to other regions in the future.
Spotify’s New Music Features
As its audiobook service continues to roll out, Spotify is still refining its listening experience for music lovers. So far, this has included embracing the latest AI innovations that rocked the world in 2023 while also integrating music videos into their app. Now both of those features are also expanding to new markets, with some reaching the USA for the first time.
AI Playlist Comes to America
From September 2024, Spotify’s AI Playlist has reached the service’s other main markets – the US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. This feature, which was originally available in the UK and Australia, allows users to create a playlist using a chatbot. That chatbot is powered by generative AI, so users can type out moods, inspirations, comparisons, and other phrases that the AI will then read, and then find music that best fits the vibe. With their announcement, Spotify provided a prompt playlist tutorial for this new feature.
Music Videos & Instagram Integration
Then, in October, Spotify brought its music video feature to brand new markets after first announcing it earlier in the year. This allows users to seamlessly watch music videos for the songs they are streaming if one is available. According to their own stats, users were 34% more likely to listen to a song again if they watched its video, and also more likely to save the song to their library.
Similarly, Spotify has made a deal with Instagram to make discovering songs easier. Now, users can find a new button on Instagram, specifically on videos and reels that feature music. Tapping that button, an “add” button featuring the Spotify logo, will add the song to your Spotify library.
Together, these features are bringing Spotify’s new brand of variety streaming to whole new audiences. As 2024 wraps up, fans of music and more can expect other features to come down the pipeline for 2025 and the foreseeable future.
