This week, Spotify announced a new feature that will allow audiobook authors and publishers to promote their new releases. Countdown Pages first launched for music artists last year and has been used by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, allowing fans to pre-save upcoming releases and stream them as they are released. It pops into their library. The page is decorated with a large countdown clock (the timer is accurate to the second) to get the audience excited. The feature isn’t revolutionary, but it fits Spotify’s differentiating features as an audiobook provider.
Getting ahead of a new audiobook is pretty standard. On traditional platforms like Audible, you can pre-order a title and it will appear in your library the day it’s released. But most people who consume audiobooks on Spotify do so through paid streaming rather than purchase, breaking the traditional distribution model. Combined with a promo page and countdown timer, this feature allows authors to engage with fandom in a more typical musical way than publishing. It will be launched in mid-April.
I imagine this won’t be the last music style feature we see added to Spotify’s audiobook vertical. After a rocky start, the company’s stance on audiobooks is becoming clearer. That doesn’t mean everything will work – I’m especially skeptical of the audiobook-only tier, since it only costs a dollar less than a regular premium subscription. But so far, the data does show that Spotify is expanding its market.
