Although a relative newcomer to the market, Spotify has risen to become one of the top providers of audiobooks today. In January, we learned about a Page Match feature that would give its audiobooks credentials a significant boost. It has taken a few weeks, but Spotify has flipped the switch on that feature today, while also announcing a new partnership with Bookshop.org.
In a post today, Spotify said the “first-of-its-kind” Page Match feature will let users easily switch between an audiobook and an e-book or paper-based book, and vice versa.
The process is as simple as it gets. If you’re switching from a physical book to an audiobook, simply select “Scan to listen” on the audiobook’s page and scan the page using the camera interface. You can then choose to “Play from here” or “Save for later.”
Credit:Â Spotify
To switch from an audiobook to its physical or e-book counterpart, users need to tap “Scan to read” and scan any random page in the book. The app will then tell you to flip forward or backward, and even direct you to the specific passage where the audiobook was paused.
Spotify says Page Match is currently making its way to Android and iOS devices, and will be available “on most English-language titles” by the end of the month.
Subscribers to Spotify Premium and Audiobook+ plans can use Page Match with their monthly allotment of audiobook listening hours. On the other hand, free users can use it with audiobooks they’ve bought on the platform, the streaming juggernaut said.
Spotify also has something in store for physical book lovers
Credit:Â Spotify
In addition to making it easier to switch between multiple book formats, Spotify will also let users purchase physical books through a partnership with Bookshop.org.
“This partnership is designed to connect discovery on Spotify with physical ownership, making it easier for readers to move from finding a book they’re interested in to enjoying it in the format that feels right. Purchases made on Spotify will directly support those bookshops and the authors who brought that story to life.
Spotify will release this bookstore later this spring for users in the US and the UK, though a specific rollout date has not yet been specified. It’s also unclear what this Spotify-based bookstore will look like, though we expect to gain clarity on that in the next few weeks.
Coupled with the Page Match feature we touched on above, it’s clear that Spotify is taking the business of books pretty seriously. These user-focused features will go a long way in bringing more users to its ecosystem, though Spotify is still some distance away from challenging Audible’s dominance in the industry.
