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Phone Arena
18-07-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Spotify wants more money from customers, but its offer leaves to be desired
Do you plan to pay for Audiobooks+ when it arrives in the US? Yes, it's more convenient to pay for everything in one place No, I prefer Audible for audiobooks. I prefer to read books rather than listen to audiobooks. Yes, it's more convenient to pay for everything in one place 0% No, I prefer Audible for audiobooks. 0% I prefer to read books rather than listen to audiobooks. 0% Receive the latest Apps news By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy Audiobooks+ is now available in several more countries | Image credit: Spotify Countries where the Audiobooks+ add-on subscription is now available: Australia Austria Belgium Canada France Germany Liechtenstein Luxembourg New Zealand United Kingdom Spotify announced that Audiobooks+ is available in the UK for £9 per month, but that's all we know so far. The add-on subscription is not yet available in the United States, but Spotify says it will bring this option to Spotify Premium customers in the country in the 'coming weeks.' Audiobooks+ : Available to Premium Individual subscribers as well as Family and Duo plan managers, this add-on unlocks an additional 15 hours of listening each month for the existing base plan. : Available to Premium Individual subscribers as well as Family and Duo plan managers, this add-on unlocks an additional 15 hours of listening each month for the existing base plan. Audiobooks+ for Plan Members : For the first time, additional members on Premium Family and Duo can access 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening through this recurring add-on. They can also purchase a one-time 10-hour top-up if they run out of hours before their monthly billing cycle refreshes. Spotify's new plan options aren't that competitive Launched back in 2023, Spotify's Audiobooks service had a positive effect on audiobook sales. According to a survey by the Audiobook Publishers Association, audiobook sales grew by 13 percent in 2024, with 99 percent of the revenues generated by digital audiobooks. More importantly, Spotify's publishing partners specifically name Spotify as a key contributor to the growth. Despite that, Spotify's Audiobooks plans are nowhere near as good as Audible, probably the best service aimed at those who love reading. Audible offers two subscription options, which are both superior to anything that Spotify has launched to date: Audible Plus : Unlimited listening: Members can stream or download any title from the Plus Catalog. Cost: $7.95 per month. Content: Includes audiobooks, podcasts, and Audible Originals. Titles: A constantly updated catalog of thousands of titles. Audible Premium Plus : Includes everything in Audible Plus, plus credits for premium selection titles. Cost: Starts at $14.95 per month. Credits: One credit per month for a premium selection title, which is yours to keep forever. Exclusive sales and discounts: Members get access to sales and discounts on additional premium selections. In comparison, Spotify's select Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month. The cheapest Premium plan that includes that many hours of listening time costs $10.99 in the United States. Since Audiobooks+ is not yet available in the US yet, we can't accurately compare it with Audible, but let's just put its price at around $10 just because Spotify is offering the plan in the UK for £9. Audible's plan options | Screenshot by PhoneArena That means that for 30 hours of listening time, Spotify customers will have to pay around $21 per month. But if you keep your Spotify Premium plan and pick Audible Plus instead of Audiobooks+, you get unlimited listening and pay about $19 per month. If you're a UK resident, it's easier to compare the two subscription options. Audible Premium Plus costs £9, the exact same price as Spotify announced for Audiobooks+, while Audible Standard is available for £6. In order for Spotify to make Audiobooks+ more appealing it needs to either lower the price or make it unlimited. However, based on its actions, Spotify has no intention of competing with other audiobooks services and is relying on the fact that Audible is only available in several regions like Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and United States. That means that for 30 hours of listening time, Spotify customers will have to pay around $21 per month. But if you keep your Spotify Premium plan and pick Audible Plus instead of Audiobooks+, you get unlimited listening and pay about $19 per you're a UK resident, it's easier to compare the two subscription options. Audible Premium Plus costs £9, the exact same price as Spotify announced for Audiobooks+, while Audible Standard is available for £ order for Spotify to make Audiobooks+ more appealing it needs to either lower the price or make it unlimited. However, based on its actions, Spotify has no intention of competing with other audiobooks services and is relying on the fact that Audible is only available in several regions like Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and United States. Countries where the Audiobooks+ add-on subscription is now available:Spotify announced that Audiobooks+ is available in the UK for £9 per month, but that's all we know so far. The add-on subscription is not yet available in the United States, but Spotify says it will bring this option to Spotify Premium customers in the country in the 'coming weeks.'Launched back in 2023, Spotify's Audiobooks service had a positive effect on audiobook sales. According to a survey by the Audiobook Publishers Association, audiobook sales grew by 13 percent in 2024, with 99 percent of the revenues generated by digital importantly, Spotify's publishing partners specifically name Spotify as a key contributor to the growth. Despite that, Spotify's Audiobooks plans are nowhere near as good as Audible, probably the best service aimed at those who love offers two subscription options, which are both superior to anything that Spotify has launched to date:In comparison, Spotify's select Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month. The cheapest Premium plan that includes that many hours of listening time costs $10.99 in the United Audiobooks+ is not yet available in the US yet, we can't accurately compare it with Audible, but let's just put its price at around $10 just because Spotify is offering the plan in the UK for £9. Spotify has just announced plans to bring its Audiobooks+ service to more countries after the successful initial trials launched earlier this year. Audiobooks+ will be slowly rolled out to several European countries, as well as Australia and New introduced in Canada and Ireland, Audiobooks+ allows Spotify Premium users to listen to an additional 15 hours of audiobooks included in the service's catalog. This is added on top of the hours of listening time per month included in Premium Individual and Family Spotify Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month from a catalog of over 250,000. Customers can buy top-ups if they need more audiobook listening Audiobooks+, the total hours of audiobook listening time per month reaches 30 for Premium Individual subscribers, as well as Family and Duo plan managers. However, Audiobooks+ doesn't come for free, so you'll have to pay a monthly fee on top of your Spotify Premium subscription.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spotify says support for external payments on iOS has already boosted subscriptions
Spotify says its ability to direct its customers to external payment links in its iOS app has already had a positive impact on sales. In a newly filed amicus brief in support of Epic Games in its ongoing legal battle with Apple over external payments on the App Store, Spotify claims its internal data indicates that its recent update supporting web payments has resulted in "a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription." Shortly after the U.S. District Court in Northern California ruled in favor of Fortnite maker Epic Games on the matter of external payments, Apple was forced to finally allow U.S. app developers to direct their customers to other ways to pay from within their iOS apps without having to pay Apple's commission. Now, iOS app developers in the U.S. can choose to tell their customers about web billing options and whether there's a discount for paying directly. Spotify was one of the first to update its iOS app to take advantage of the new policy. The updated version explains to customers what subscriptions cost, points them to its website to purchase, and allows users to purchase audiobooks directly. The results have been largely positive, Spotify wrote in the new filing. "The 2025 Order has created substantial benefits for developers and — more importantly — consumers," the filing states. "Spotify's internal data show that its iOS app updates have already resulted in a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription. Apple's compliance has also enabled new product innovations that would not have been possible without the Injunction." Spotify said that its revised "Premium Destination Page" in its iOS app tells free users how to upgrade to a paid subscription by offering information about prices and a link to a checkout page. Since adding the link and pricing information, Spotify says it's seen the immediate impact of the changes. In the two weeks the new page has been live, Spotify says the rate of conversions from the free to Premium tier has remained "relatively constant" on Android, where Spotify has already been able to offer basic pricing information. Meanwhile, the conversion rate among iOS users has increased substantially, the company says. "This strongly suggests that the increase is due to Apple finally complying with the Injunction thanks to the 2025 Order," Spotify wrote. Plus, the company adds that it's beginning to see the effects on audiobook purchases just three days after the new product options were launched. Spotify declined to share specific numbers related to the increases when reached for comment. Its brief joins those from Microsoft and others in support of Epic Games, as Apple tries to fight the injunction that upended its U.S. App Store business. Apple doesn't want to comply with the court's decision, which it's in the process of appealing, until all legal matters are fully settled. It also tried to keep Epic Games' Fortnite out of the App Store for the same reason, but the judge pressured Apple to allow the game back in the App Store or return to court to explain why Apple was in non-compliance with the ruling. On Tuesday, Fortnite went live on the U.S. App Store after a five-year hiatus. The case between Apple and Epic now continues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Apple filed an Emergency Motion so it could revert to its old policy while its appeal was underway. However, the court decided not to grant the motion, saying the panel of judges would follow the default briefing schedule and then rule on the motion in "due course." This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
21-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Spotify says support for external payments on iOS has already boosted subscriptions
Spotify says its ability to direct its customers to external payment links in its iOS app has already had a positive impact on sales. In a newly filed amicus brief in support of Epic Games in its ongoing legal battle with Apple over external payments on the App Store, Spotify claims its internal data indicates that its recent update supporting web payments has resulted in 'a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription.' Shortly after the U.S. District Court in Northern California ruled in favor of Fortnite maker Epic Games on the matter of external payments, Apple was forced to finally allow U.S. app developers to direct their customers to other ways to pay from within their iOS apps without having to pay Apple's commission. Now, iOS app developers in the U.S. can choose to tell their customers about web billing options and whether there's a discount for paying directly. Spotify was one of the first to update its iOS app to take advantage of the new policy. The updated version explains to customers what subscriptions cost, points them to its website to purchase, and allows users to purchase audiobooks directly. The results have been largely positive, Spotify wrote in the new filing. 'The 2025 Order has created substantial benefits for developers and — more importantly — consumers,' the filing states. 'Spotify's internal data show that its iOS app updates have already resulted in a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription. Apple's compliance has also enabled new product innovations that would not have been possible without the Injunction.' Spotify said that its revised 'Premium Destination Page' in its iOS app tells free users how to upgrade to a paid subscription by offering information about prices and a link to a checkout page. Since adding the link and pricing information, Spotify says it's seen the immediate impact of the changes. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW In the two weeks the new page has been live, Spotify says the rate of conversions from the free to Premium tier has remained 'relatively constant' on Android, where Spotify has already been able to offer basic pricing information. Meanwhile, the conversion rate among iOS users has increased substantially, the company says. 'This strongly suggests that the increase is due to Apple finally complying with the Injunction thanks to the 2025 Order,' Spotify wrote. Plus, the company adds that it's beginning to see the effects on audiobook purchases just three days after the new product options were launched. Spotify declined to share specific numbers related to the increases when reached for comment. Its brief joins those from Microsoft and others in support of Epic Games, as Apple tries to fight the injunction that upended its U.S. App Store business. Apple doesn't want to comply with the court's decision, which it's in the process of appealing, until all legal matters are fully settled. It also tried to keep Epic Games' Fortnite out of the App Store for the same reason, but the judge pressured Apple to allow the game back in the App Store or return to court to explain why Apple was in non-compliance with the ruling. On Tuesday, Fortnite went live on the U.S. App Store after a five-year hiatus. The case between Apple and Epic now continues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Apple filed an Emergency Motion so it could revert to its old policy while its appeal was underway. However, the court decided not to grant the motion, saying the panel of judges would follow the default briefing schedule and then rule on the motion in 'due course.'
