Plot Twist: 3 New Ways to Discover and Explore Audiobooks on Spotify — Spotify
Spotify introduces three new audiobook discovery tools: personalized playlists, a conversational search, and next-in-series recommendations to reduce search time and enhance immersion.
Spotify has launched three new features to help users discover and explore audiobooks more efficiently. The first, Prompted Playlist for Audiobooks, allows users to generate personalized playlists by describing their preferences in natural language. The feature, currently in beta, is available to eligible Premium users in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. Users can request tailored lists, such as books with recent adaptations or seasonal themes, with options to refresh recommendations daily or weekly.
The second feature introduces a conversational search tool, enabling users to interact with Spotify using voice or text. This allows for follow-up questions and seamless transitions between music, podcasts, and audiobooks. For example, users can ask for Scandinavian noir recommendations or inquire about specific plot points in a book. The feature is available in English to eligible Premium subscribers aged 18 and older in the U.S., Ireland, and Sweden.
The third update focuses on series continuity, automatically recommending the next book in a series once a user finishes a title. Multi-part sagas are now marked, and dedicated series pages outline the exact reading order. Users can also explore an author’s entire series catalog from their profile page. This feature is available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden.
James Jacoby, Senior Director of Engineering & Insights, Audiobooks at Spotify, emphasized the company’s goal of reducing friction in audiobook discovery. He stated that the new tools aim to help listeners spend less time searching and more time immersed in stories, aligning with Spotify’s mission to expand access to books.