Spotify is extending its audiobook strategy by linking audio, digital and physical books to keep listeners and readers engaged for longer across formats.
The platform has announced Page Match, a new feature that allows users to move between a printed or e-book and its audiobook on Spotify by scanning a page with their phone camera, resuming at the exact point they left off.
Page Match is available at launch on most English language audiobook titles and is rolling out to all Spotify audiobook users by 23 February, with Premium subscribers able to use it immediately as part of their monthly audiobook listening allocation.
The feature follows the beta launch of Audiobook Recaps last year and reflects what Spotify says is its focus on making reading more flexible and easier to fit into daily routines, whether users prefer to listen, read, or combine both.
Spotify is also expanding beyond audio by enabling users to purchase physical books directly within the app through a partnership with Bookshop.org, with roll out planned later this spring in the UK and US.
The partnership links book discovery on Spotify with physical ownership, while routing sales through Bookshop.org to support independent bookshops, with Bookshop.org handling pricing, inventory and fulfilment.
Owen Smith, Spotify’s Global Head of Audiobooks, said: “We believe the future of reading or listening needs to be flexible and fit more seamlessly into people’s lives.”
He added that since the launch of Audiobooks in Premium, demand has grown as books became easier to discover and enjoy, positioning Spotify as a growth driver for the publishing industry.
The Page Match launch has also been welcomed by authors and industry figures, with Harlan Coben saying the feature could encourage more people to read and listen to books.
Alongside these updates, Spotify confirmed that Audiobook Recaps will expand to Android later this spring, offering tailored summaries to help listeners return to a book after a break without re listening.
Audiobooks in Premium launched two years ago and is now available in 22 global markets, with Spotify reporting increased listening hours and new audiobook users year on year across English language markets.
