Tag: london book fair

At the London Book Fair, Spotify Shares Our Vision for the Future of Reading

March 12, 2026

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.

How Spotify Is Driving Growth, Discovery, and Innovation in the Audiobook Market

March 13, 2025

Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing industry. During a presentation and panel discussion led by Duncan Bruce, Spotify’s Director of Partnerships & Licensing for audiobooks, we highlighted our ongoing efforts in expanding the audiobook ecosystem, attracting new audiences, and driving revenue growth for publishers and authors.

Since launching our audiobooks in Premium offering in 2023, we’ve significantly expanded our catalog: up from 150,000 to 400,000 titles in English-language markets. This growth has been fueled by some of Spotify’s more recent deals with leading publishers like Bloomsbury, Podium, and Crooked Lane Books.

Building on our success in English-language markets, we also expanded our audiobooks offering to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg last year with promising early results.

Attracting new audiences through discovery

Beyond catalog expansion, we’re focused on connecting listeners with audiobooks they’ll love. Unlike traditional credit-based models, Spotify encourages exploration and serendipitous encounters with new authors and genres. To facilitate this discovery, we leverage a blend of human curation and algorithmic recommendations. While algorithms personalize recommendations based on listening history and preferences, our expert editors curate playlists, craft thematic collections, and hand-pick hidden gems to guide listeners on a journey of discovery.

This discovery-driven model is attracting entirely new audiences to the format. In fact, we’ve seen a 30% year-over-year increase in listeners on Spotify in the U.K., the U.S., and Australia. This aligns with Nielsen’s Bookdata for the U.K., which shows that 24% of users who consumed an audiobook in 2024 did so for the first time that year.

In the U.K., the U.S., and Australia, audiobook listening hours on Spotify are up more than 35% year over year. All of this translates to growing revenue for authors and publishers, with Spotify now paying hundreds of millions of dollars to rights holders each year. In the U.S., the Association of American Publishers recently reported that audiobook revenues soared by 23% in 2024, contributing to an overall 6.5% revenue increase for the entire book ecosystem.

What’s old is new again

Our unique approach is also breathing new life into backlist and niche titles. These often-overlooked gems are finding new audiences and generating fresh revenue streams on Spotify, proving that great stories deserve to be heard regardless of their publication dates or genres. Seven of the top 10 audiobooks on Spotify in 2024 in the U.K. were backlist titles, with five of them being more than five years old.

We’re incredibly excited about the future of audiobooks and remain committed to innovation, expansion, and building features that enhance the listening experience for everyone. Audiobooks have the power to transform the way people consume stories, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of this revolution.

Head to Spotify to find your next great listen.