How-To

How to Buy Audiobooks on Spotify

By Adam Davidson

Updated December 15, 2023

There’s a lot more to Spotify than just music, including podcasts and audiobooks. Here’s how to buy audiobooks on Spotify.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Spotify has completely changed the way we listen to music. Before Spotify made streaming mainstream, there were few options if you wanted to listen to music. Amazon Prime Music and Apple Music never quite picked up the adoption like Spotify. Spotify made it easy to get access to music without having to spend a fortune and without having to break the law (no comment…) Spotify isn’t just about music, however. You can also find videos and podcasts on Spotify, and since 2022, it’s also been possible to listen to audiobooks on Spotify.

If you happen to be someone who’s not really explored Spotify, this tip is for you. Here’s how you buy an Audiobook for pretty much any topic.

How to Buy Audiobooks on Spotify

To buy audiobooks on Spotify, you’ll need to sign into Spotify in a browser.

1. Visit the Spotify website in your browser of choice.
2. Click Search. You may also see suggested audiobooks on your home page.
   
3. Select Audiobooks.
   
4. Find an audiobook that you want to purchase.
   
5. Click Buy.
   
6. Choose a payment method and make your purchase.
   
7. Once the payment has gone through, the audiobook will be available in Your Library.
   
8. Click the Play button to start enjoying your audiobook.
   
9. You can also find the audiobook in Your Library on the mobile app if you want to listen on the go.

Can I Buy Audiobooks on Spotify Mobile?

Currently, it’s not possible to purchase audiobooks directly through the Spotify app. The only way to do so is through the Spotify website. If you try to purchase an audiobook through the app, you’ll see a message pop up informing you that you can’t buy audiobooks in the app.

You can use the app to browse for audiobooks, however. Once you’ve found one you want to get, you’ll need to sign in on a browser to make the purchase.

Can I Buy Audiobooks on Spotify Without Spotify Premium?

Anyone with a Spotify account can buy audiobooks on Spotify. You don’t need to have a Spotify Premium subscription in order to do so. Since you’re paying for the audiobooks, you won’t hear any ads when you’re listening to it, even if you don’t have a paid Spotify subscription. However, Spotify has said that it may introduce ad-supported audiobooks at some point in the future.

How to See Your Spotify Audiobook Order History

If you can’t remember which audiobooks you’ve bought, you can find your audiobook order history via the Spotify website.

1. Visit Spotify in your browser.
2. Click the Profile icon.
   
3. Select Account.
   
4. Under Payment click Order History.
   
5. Click Audiobooks to see a list of all your audiobook purchases.
   

Why is Spotify Selling Audiobooks?

Spotify is still the biggest music streaming service on the planet, but even the most successful companies can’t rest on their laurels. In 2015, Spotify added podcasts and videos alongside streaming music, and in 2022, audiobooks were added for the first time.

The intent is to try to make Spotify a one-stop shop for all of your listening so that you don’t need to switch to a different app to consume a different type of audio content.

Where Else Can I Buy Audiobooks?

Spotify isn’t the only place to buy audiobooks, of course. The biggest player in the field is Audible, which has a huge selection of books available. Apple has its own Books app, and there are even apps such as Libby that allow you to listen to audiobooks for free from your local library.

For comparison, Matthew Perry’s autobiography is available for £25.90 on Spotify in the U.K. On Apple Books, the same audiobook is £11.99, and on Audible, it’s £11.38. This is only one example, but it does seem that currently, Spotify is more expensive than other options when it comes to audiobooks.

Learn More About Spotify

Learning how to buy audiobooks on Spotify allows you to do more than just listen to music or podcasts through the streaming service. By purchasing an audiobook, you can listen to stories, learn history, or binge autobiographies, all from the same place when you listen to your music. You should be aware that the same audiobooks may be available for lower prices through other apps and sites, however.

There’s a lot more to Spotify than simply streaming songs. For example, did you know that you can use Spotify Blend to automatically create shared playlists with friends based on your musical preferences? It’s an easy way to make a playlist for a road trip without arguing over who gets to play music. It’s a great feature you should check out.