€1 Million Commitment to Audiobook Production

Spotify has unveiled its initiative to invest €1 million (approximately £860,000) aimed at enhancing the production of audiobooks in non-English languages, with a primary focus on French and Dutch markets.

Addressing Market Gaps

The streaming giant emphasized that this investment will help foster opportunities for authors and publishers, particularly in regions where the audiobook sector is not fully developed. This follows Spotify’s launch of its audiobook service in France and the Benelux countries in October 2024.

Currently, high production costs and slow consumer adoption have constrained the availability of non-English audiobooks. For instance, Spotify identifies that France has around 800,000 published titles in French, yet only about 20,000 audiobooks are available. Likewise, the Netherlands boasts approximately 15,000 audiobooks in Dutch amidst a total physical catalog of 209,000 titles.

Combining Human and Digital Narration

Spotify has expressed its commitment to the importance of human narration in audiobook production while also integrating Digital Voice Narration. This approach aims to reduce costs for partners looking to enter the market with lower barriers. The company stated that audiobooks produced through this initiative will be distinctly marked as “narrated by a digital voice” in their descriptions.

All audiobooks co-funded by Spotify will maintain a non-exclusive status, allowing them to be accessible not only on the Spotify platform but also on other major audiobook providers.

Growing the Audiobook Industry

Jérémy Amsellem, Spotify’s audiobook partnerships and licensing manager for Europe, highlighted, “Our aim is to help create long-term value for the publishing industry and build new revenue streams for partners.” He further pointed out the vital role audiobooks can play in attracting new audiences while retaining existing readers, with less than 3% of French-language books currently available in audio format. Amsellem emphasized, “This is a great opportunity to help publishers and authors find new readers.”