Spotify’s Audiobooks will have dedicated ‘Countdown Pages’ to preview impending new releases

Spotify is improving its audiobook streaming service by introducing Countdown Pages, a feature similar to what the app offers for music listeners. Spotify introduced Countdown Pages, similar to YouTube, last year as part of new features for artists. These pages provide a special section on artists’ profiles where a timer may clock down to an upcoming release. Today at the London Book Fair, the company revealed that audiobook publishers and writers would now have access to the same choice.

Spotify’s Countdown Pages let users pre-save audiobooks before they are officially released. Spotify will notify subscribers when the book is available. Publishers and writers may now market their book before its release to generate interest in the forthcoming publication, similar to how pre-orders are available on platforms like Amazon.

Users may use the “More Like This” button on the Countdown Page to discover comparable books that have already been published and are available for quick listening. This might lead to an increased acceptance of audiobooks in general.

Countdown Pages was used by several artists, such as Taylor Swift, Karol G, Florence and the Machine, Paramore, and the Jonas Brothers, before its integration with audiobooks. The Jonas Brothers unveiled this function at Spotify’s press event last year. Subsequently, over 80% of those who use the pre-save function often stream the new version within the first week.

Spotify said that the Countdown Pages for books would be accessible in mid-April.

The firm provided an update on the use of its audiobooks service, stating that “millions” of people had listened to more than 150,000 titles on the site since its introduction. The service provides a collection of more than 200,000 audiobook titles. Spotify aims to increase the service’s use by leveraging its extensive worldwide user base of over 600 million listeners with the introduction of the Countdown Pages feature.

Spotify stated that audiobooks will be included with its Premium membership starting in late 2022, first in the U.K. and Australia, then in the U.S., Canada, and other countries. Subscribers to Spotify may listen to 15 hours of audiobooks each month. Spotify’s free customers now have the option to subscribe to a separate audiobook service for $9.99 per month, which was introduced earlier this month.

Countdown pages for audiobooks will be introduced in all areas where Spotify offers audiobooks, including the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.