Alongside instruments for AI-generated podcasts, Spotify on Thursday launched a brand new, ElevenLabs-powered AI software for self-publishing audiobooks inside the Spotify for Authors platform. The firm stated at its Investor Day occasion that the function will launch in beta this June on an invite-only foundation, initially with help for the English language solely.
The AI-powered audiobook technology gained’t bind authors to an unique contract, that means they’re free to publish their generated audiobooks wherever.
The information builds on Spotify’s earlier partnership with ElevenLabs, which allowed writers to submit audiobooks created on the voice AI startup’s platform to Spotify.
The audio streaming platform additionally already had a partnership with Google Play Books to permit for digitally narrated content material. However, it could have needed authors to entry newer voice fashions that sound extra expressive and human-like, like these supplied by ElevenLabs. Notably, ElevenLabs had launched its personal self-publishing platform for authors in 2025.
Spotify can be increasing its “Spotify for Authors” platform to help 10 extra languages, together with French, Canadian French, German, Dutch, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian.
In addition, the corporate will increase its Audiobook+ plans this yr to permit for larger listening limits and can add new choices for college students and households sooner or later. (Spotify didn’t specify any pricing or utilization particulars for these plans in its announcement, nevertheless.)
To date, Spotify has clocked in over 1,000,000 Audiobook+ subscriptions, and it’s on observe to generate $100 million in annualized recurring income for the platform.
At the occasion, the corporate launched a brand new means for customers to ask questions utilizing pure language for audiobook discovery. This summer season, Spotify may also increase a function that enables customers to create prompt-based playlists for podcasts and music to incorporate audiobooks, it stated.
Spotify has elevated its concentrate on audiobooks closely in the previous couple of years and has managed to construct its catalog to 700,000 titles. The firm introduced this system to worldwide markets, made an funding in non-English titles, enabled in-app purchases, and launched audiobook charts. This yr, it additionally began a program for authors to promote bodily books within the U.S. and the U.Okay.
Through these initiatives, the corporate has managed to bump up listening hours by 60% year-on-year, the corporate claims. Spotify additionally stated that greater than half of its audiobook listeners began within the final yr.
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