Spotify Opens Audiobook Service to Kenyan Users, Targets Local Authors

Spotify has introduced audiobooks in Kenya, giving users another way to enjoy books alongside music and podcasts available on the streaming platform.

The rollout allows eligible Spotify Free and Premium users to discover audiobooks, although accessing them comes at an additional cost through the platform’s Audiobooks+ subscription or individual book purchases.

The Audiobooks+ package costs KSh 489 per month and offers 15 hours of listening.

Users who exhaust their allocated time can purchase an additional 10 hours for KSh 589. Alternatively, listeners can buy individual titles to keep.

The new service offers an option for Kenyans who want to enjoy books while commuting, exercising, or winding down at the end of the day without having to sit down and read.

Spotify is introducing several features designed to make listening more convenient.

Page Match allows users to switch between reading a physical book and listening to its audiobook version. By scanning a book’s ISBN barcode, listeners can find their place in the audio version using page numbers.

The platform will also feature a dedicated audiobook section where users can browse titles and receive recommendations based on their interests across music, podcasts and books.

Other features include a sleep timer, offline downloads and synchronised listening progress across supported devices.

This allows users to resume a book where they stopped, even when switching between compatible devices.

The features are intended to make audiobooks easier to incorporate into everyday routines, particularly for people with limited time to read.

The launch could also open another distribution channel for Kenyan writers and publishers seeking international audiences.

Spotify says its audiobook partnerships are non-exclusive, allowing authors and publishers to distribute their work through the platform without giving up other publishing arrangements.

Through Spotify for Authors, local publishers and self-published writers can upload audiobooks, access listener insights and reach audiences in markets where the service is available.

The company says its Kenyan catalogue will continue expanding as more publishing partners join and local authors make their work available.

However, the opportunities available to Kenyan writers will depend on the titles uploaded and whether listeners discover and purchase them.

Kenya’s rollout forms part of Spotify’s plan to expand audiobook access from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026.

The company says its catalogue contains more than 350,000 titles, giving listeners access to books across different genres.

Spotify also reported that monthly audiobook listeners grew by nearly 40% over the past year, while listening hours increased by more than 30%. Its Audiobooks+ service has attracted more than one million subscribers since launching just over a year ago.

Spotify Vice President of Audiobooks Owen Smith said the expansion would help more people discover books while giving authors and publishers opportunities to reach new audiences.

To get started, users need to update their Spotify app, open the Audiobooks section or search for a title, then follow the available purchase or subscription options.