Spotify now lets you stream narrated magazine articles, too
Source: TechCrunch
Overview
Spotify announced that it is adding narrated long‑form magazine articles to its app. The feature launches today and initially includes more than 650 articles (English‑only) from publications such as Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vogue, Variety, Billboard, Vibe, GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair, and Pitchfork.
Availability and Pricing
- Premium subscribers can stream the articles as part of their 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month.
- Free users may purchase individual articles for $1.99 each.
Content and Production
The articles are produced in‑house by Spotify’s audiobooks team. Narration combines human voices with digital‑voice synthesis; any portion using digital voice is clearly labelled for listeners.
Strategic Implications
Spotify sees the addition of shorter‑form audio content as a way to:
- Encourage users to explore listening beyond music.
- Build “healthy listening habits” that could later translate into increased engagement with longer‑form audiobooks, which are potentially more profitable.
“By bringing shorter form content into the mix, we’re meeting audiences where they are to help build healthy listening habits, ultimately growing engagement with books over time,” — Colleen Prendergast, Licensing Lead at Spotify Audiobooks (see the blog post).
Subscription Options
- Audiobook Access plan – $9.99 / month for free‑music listeners, providing a set of audiobook listening hours.
- Audiobooks+ plan – $11.99 / month, which doubles the available listening hours.
Both plans also allow “top‑up” hours when the allocated time runs out.
Recent AI Audio Updates
In recent weeks Spotify has expanded its AI audio capabilities, including:
- AI‑generated podcasts (TechCrunch article)
- AI‑powered audiobook creation for authors (TechCrunch article)
- Support for AI‑generated covers and remixes (TechCrunch article)
- New fitness‑related audio content (TechCrunch article)
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