Spotify brings shared audiobooks to Family and Duo plans, but there’s a catch

Audiobook access on Spotify has always been limited to the account owner, meaning that even for Premium Family or Duo subscriptions, only the person who set up the plan could actually use the included hours each month. That’s about to change, depending on where you live.

Two add-ons for Individual, Duo, and Family plans

Until now, Spotify’s audiobook access has been limited to the primary user and capped at 15 hours per month. But this week, Spotify announced that Premium subscribers in select markets will be able to add new audiobook listening options for themselves and their plan members.

As explained by the company, the update introduces two new add-on subscriptions:

• Audiobooks+: Available to Premium Individual subscribers as well as Family and Duo plan managers, this add-on unlocks an additional 15 hours of listening each month for the existing base plan—a great option for booklovers seeking more audiobook time, including fans of longer titles.
• Audiobooks+ for Plan Members: For the first time, additional members on Premium Family and Duo can access 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening through this recurring add-on. Plan members just need to request audiobook access from their plan manager, who can purchase the add-on on their behalf. They can also purchase a one-time 10-hour top-up if they run out of hours before their monthly billing cycle refreshes.

For now, the add-ons are available only in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, in addition to Canada and Ireland, where they trialed the new plans.

Spotify says that pricing varies by market, and that details can be found at spotify.com/audiobooks. It also tells TechCrunch that “similar plans will arrive later in the U.S”.

AirPods deals on Amazon

• AirPods Pro 2, USB-C Charging: $169 ( $249)
• AirPods 4 USB-C Charging: $89.99 (was $129)
• AirPods 4, USB-C and Wireless Charging: $119.99 (was $179)
• AirPods Max, USB-C Charging, Midnight: $529