Spotify, the music streaming service, has gone in loads of different directions lately, none of which involve what started it all: music. Audiobooks make sense for an audio company, whereas a Spotify-branded urn… doesn’t. The streamer’s latest stunt doesn’t stray quite as far off the beaten path. Spotify now sells printed books. Really.
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Only for UK and US users at the time of writing, however. That doesn’t mean the streamer won’t eventually expand its partnership with Bookshop.org globally. There was a time when audiobooks weren’t available locally, and now, they’re available in 22 countries — including South Africa. Still, we’ve got to admit it’s a tad weird.
Stick to what you know, you know? “By connecting digital discovery with physical book sales, we’re giving listeners more ways to experience the stories they love while supporting authors and independent bookstores,” the streamer wrote. One of those ways is physically turning the page of the book you’re reading, rather than having Stephen Fry send his glorious voice down your ear canals. Do people still remember how?
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For now, only those with an Android device and a Spotify subscription can use the store. If you’ve got the right ingredients, your book’s trek should begin shortly. Spotify reckons iOS users aren’t being left out. They will see the new store inside their apps sometime next week. Again, only for users in the US and the UK. For now.
Should South Africa ever get a turn to give Spotify even more money, it’ll be as simple as searching up the audiobook version of the novel you’re looking for. From there, click “Get a copy for your bookshelf”, and you’ll be redirected to Bookshop.org, which handles just about everything else. What’s Spotify doing here, again?
