Latest news with #audiobooks
The Verge
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Spotify's new 30-hour audiobook plans are too short to finish long books
Spotify has launched two new Audiobooks Plus add-on subscriptions that allow Premium users to double their audiobook listening limit to 30 hours. They're available to individual Premium subscribers and users who manage Family and Duo plans. Other users on Premium accounts can now also request 15 hours of audiobook access from their plan manager. However, the new plans are still too short for those who prefer to listen to longer books. The 30-hour limit won't get you through titles like George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones or Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings, for example. You could listen to two or three smaller novels instead, but if you want to re-listen to them in the future, you'll have to sacrifice those hours again. And you can forget about buying books to get around these issues — any audiobook included in Premium isn't available for Premium subscribers to purchase. I scoured through Spotify's audiobook listings to find anything I could buy as a Premium subscriber and came up with nothing. By comparison, Audible's $14.95 premium plan gives users an entire free book each month that they can keep forever, and frequently has titles on sale for far less than the price of Spotify's time-based top-ups. The payouts that Spotify gives to authors are reportedly better than what Audible pays, but it sucks that Spotify makes it so difficult to support authors directly with purchases. These add-ons are currently only available for Spotify Premium users in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands, following initial tests in Ireland and Canada. Pricing will vary by region. In the UK, both Audiobook add-ons are priced at £8.99 (about $12, which could double the $11.99 individual Premium plan pricing in the US). Spotify will eventually introduce similar plans to the US, according to TechCrunch, though users in that region already have the option to purchase 10-hour audiobook top-ups for $12.99. The main perk here is convenience — these rolling add-on subscriptions will automatically allow Premium users to listen to 30 hours of audiobooks each month without needing to buy top-ups. A Spotify spokesperson wasn't immediately available to comment on how many users currently listen to over 15 hours of audiobooks. The 15 hours provided to Premium subscribers is a 'nice to have' if you also stream music on the platform, especially if you only listen to a handful of shorter book titles every month. Spotify also has a $9.99 audiobook-only Premium plan that provides 15 hours of listening with no music perks if you prefer to listen to your tunes elsewhere.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Keep reading fun (and free!) all summer long
At Read 2 Succeed (R2S), we know that summer is a critical time to help children stay connected to reading – especially as many local students are still catching up from learning disruptions over the past year. But keeping your child engaged in reading doesn't have to be a chore, and it doesn't have to cost a thing. From free books and audiobooks to reading rewards and online story times, there are tons of fun and no-cost ways to keep your child turning pages all summer are just a few ideas to get you started: Free summer reading rewards Whether it's a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut, a sweet treat from The Hop Ice Cream, or a free book from Barnes & Noble, there are multiple brands supporting summer reading with awesome rewards this summer! Check out 7 Free Summer Reading Programs Kids (and Parents) Will Love over on the R2S blog. Free audiobooks Take your family vacation to the next level with a fabulous (and free) audiobook. Download the Libby app from the NC Digital Library and use your local library card to access thousands of audiobooks, ebooks and even magazines – perfect for long car rides or quiet evenings at home. Little Free Libraries Tired of hearing, 'I'm bored'? Try a Little Free Library scavenger hunt. Find a map of Little Free Libraries near you at Let your kids pick out a few gently used books from home they're ready to pass on. Visit a few library boxes in your area, donate a book and see what treasures you might find in return. Make it a family ritual – each new stop is an adventure. Free online read-alouds On rainy days or during downtime, tap into free online read-aloud videos to help keep your child's reading habit going strong. Try Storyline Online, Story Time with Kayla, Brightly Storytime and Black Children's Books Read Aloud to get started! Set up a cozy 'read-aloud corner' at home with snacks and comfy seating to make it feel special. Free printable family reading newsletters Each month, R2S publishes printable family reading newsletters filled with book recommendations, local family events, fun literacy activities and links to curated read-alouds. Options are available for both early childhood and K–5 families – and they're all free to download at For even more summer reading resources or to get involved with Read 2 Succeed, follow R2S on Instagram and Facebook @r2sasheville or visit This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Find book joy – no admission required Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spotify expands audiobook access to family plan members for the first time
Spotify on Thursday announced an expansion of its premium audiobooks service, with two new plans that offer additional listening hours to subscribers, and allow other family members to access the service. The options are currently only available for Spotify Premium users in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, following initial tests in Ireland and Canada. U.S. users could already purchase 15 hours of listening as a standalone offering through an Audiobooks Access Plan, but these additions make it possible for those in other markets to customize their access to their own needs. The first new plan, Audiobooks+, offers Premium subscribers, or those who manage the household's Family or Duo plan, to add 15 hours of listening every month on top of the base plan. Today, Spotify's Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening, so this new plan doubles that offering, ensuring subscribers can get through longer books or even a couple of shorter ones in the month. The other new plan, Audiobooks+ for Plan Members, will be an even more welcome addition for those who want to share access to audiobooks: Members on Premium Family and Duo plans will be able to access 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening, too. Similar plans will later arrive in the U.S., Spotify told TechCrunch. To use the feature, plan members will first request audiobook access from their plan manager, who purchases the new add-on. Members can also later buy a one-time top-up of 10 hours if they run out of listening time before the next billing cycle. Spotify did not share the pricing for the new options, as they vary by market. A spokesperson said that users in those markets can visit the page to learn more. One major publisher, HarperCollins, noted in December that Spotify was working to bring audiobooks to other family members on shared plans. At a conference, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murra said that the market had potential for further growth as Spotify was at the time working out a 'technical issue' with family plans that limited audiobooks to the plan's credit card holder. The streaming service sees AI as another opportunity for expansion, saying in last quarter's earnings that it was working with Eleven Labs to get more books narrated, including translating texts from English to other languages. Spotify's catalog now spans 375,000 audiobooks. However, buying audiobook hours instead of purchasing titles, as with Amazon's Audible, lets users experiment more with what they may want to listen to, as they won't waste money on books they end up not liking and choose not to finish.
TechCrunch
17-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Spotify expands audiobook access to family plan members for the first time
Spotify on Thursday announced an expansion of its premium audiobooks service, with two new plans that offer additional listening hours to subscribers, and allow other family members to access the service. The options are currently only available for Spotify Premium users in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, following initial tests in Ireland and Canada. U.S. users could already purchase 15 hours of listening as a standalone offering through an Audiobooks Access Plan, but these additions make it possible for those in other markets to customize their access to their own needs. The first new plan, Audiobooks+, offers Premium subscribers, or those who manage the household's Family or Duo plan, to add 15 hours of listening every month on top of the base plan. Today, Spotify's Premium plans include 15 hours of audiobook listening, so this new plan doubles that offering, ensuring subscribers can get through longer books or even a couple of shorter ones in the month. The other new plan, Audiobooks+ for Plan Members, will be an even more welcome addition for those who want to share access to audiobooks: Members on Premium Family and Duo plans will be able to access 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening, too. To use the feature, plan members will first request audiobook access from their plan manager, who purchases the new add-on. Members can also later buy a one-time top-up of 10 hours if they run out of listening time before the next billing cycle. Spotify did not share the pricing for the new options, as they vary by market. (TechCrunch has reached out for a list of prices, if available, and will update if the company provides more information.) One major publisher, HarperCollins, noted in December that Spotify was working to bring audiobooks to other family members on shared plans. At a conference, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murra said that the market had potential for further growth as Spotify was at the time working out a 'technical issue' with family plans that limited audiobooks to the plan's credit card holder. The streaming service sees AI as another opportunity for expansion, saying in last quarter's earnings that it was working with Eleven Labs to get more books narrated, including translating texts from English to other languages. Spotify's catalog now spans 375,000 audiobooks. However, buying audiobook hours instead of purchasing titles, as with Amazon's Audible, lets users experiment more with what they may want to listen to, as they won't waste money on books they end up not liking and choose not to finish.
Gizmodo
11-07-2025
- Gizmodo
Bose Offers Its New Portable Speaker for Peanuts for a Few Hours, Don't Bet on Seeing This Prime Price Again
Bringing your personal playlist to an outdoor party or having your favorite podcast and audiobooks with you wherever you go requires a compact portable speaker that's ready to deal with whatever surprises the weather throws at you. That's a perfect description of the 2nd-Gen Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker, and Prime Day is a perfect time go grab one for yourself now that it's under $100 for the first time ever. The famously big, beautiful Bose sound is still big and beautiful, but now it can come from a perfectly portable speaker that's a little under 8 inches in length and weighs just 1.3 pounds, and is IP67 dustproof and waterproof. Fun fact — drop it in the pool and it floats without missing a beat. See at Amazon When Bose says the SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker is built to go anywhere, they're being pretty much literal. The waterproofing means it can serve as a shower speaker, and then come with you to the pool or beach or even on a boat trip — remember, it floats. The dustproofing also comes in very handy on the beach or if you take it with you on the trails with your bike. The built-in utility loop is ready for a carabiner or hook, and it's the perfect size and weight for packing or carrying. Should you happen to drop it or give it a good hard jolt, the silicon-wrapped body is able to withstand drops and shocks. The Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker will give you 12 hours of playback on a single charge, which is remarkable when you consider that the Bluetooth 5.3 connection is strong enough to work from 30 feet away. The portability and rugged construction make the SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker an appealing option, but the selling point of any Bose speaker is the sound. The high-fidelity audio and deep, rich bass that Bose is known for is present and accounted for in the SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker, and there's the added option of pairing the speaker with another compatible Bose speaker and using them either in Stereo Mode where one takes the left channel and the other takes the right, or Party Mode where they combine forces for even bigger, bolder sound. Of the six fun colors the Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker comes in, five are covered by this great Prime Day deal that drops the price to just $99. So unless you're a hardliner about absolutely needing a black speaker, this is the perfect deal for a take-anywhere speaker that will give you great sound for years to come. See at Amazon
