At the London Book Fair, Spotify Shares Our Vision for the Future of Reading
Spotify was at the London Book Fair this week, joining conversations across the publishing industry about how people can make reading part of their daily lives. During the event, we shared that our audiobook catalog has grown from 150,000 titles at launch to more than 700,000 in just two years, representing more than fourfold growth.
As an official partner of the UK’s National Year of Reading, we see a clear role for Spotify in putting books into more people’s hands and ears and encouraging lasting reading habits. In a world where time and attention are stretched thin, growing readership means making books easier to discover and fit into moments throughout readers’ days.
“We believe every session on Spotify should feel worthwhile, and books are the epitome of this idea of time well spent,” Duncan Bruce, Director of Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify, said during his “Reading Reimagined” keynote at the fair. “Our aim is to put books in as many people’s ears as possible, and we believe that can only be achieved by widening access and making books available to as many people as possible.”
Interest in the format is only increasing, particularly among younger listeners. In the UK, more than half (52%) of audiobook listeners are under age 35, underscoring how we’re bringing books to a new demographic. Now, the focus is expanding from audiobooks to all books, designing for a world where readers move between formats throughout the day.
“People don’t read in one fixed way anymore,” said Niamh Parsley, Head of Product & Design, Audiobooks, during the “Growing Readers in a Noisy World” panel. “They might read a physical book at home and listen on their commute. We need to continue to invest in the people we’re all serving and meet them where they are. When we reduce friction between formats, we make it easier to stay immersed and finish more books.”
Spotify’s participation in the London Book Fair comes on the heels of innovation across audiobooks, from new innovative features like Page Match (which lets you sync your place between a print or e‑book and the audiobook version) and Recaps (short audio summaries designed to catch you up on the portion of the audiobook you’ve already heard) to the introduction of Audiobooks Charts to make content easier to access, discover, and enjoy.
“This is part of how we’re reimagining reading,” said Bruce, “we’re focused on helping people discover more books and finding more opportunities for them to enjoy those books by building products that integrate them into every moment in people’s lives.”
Head to the Audiobooks hub on Spotify to find your next great listen.
