Spotify is targeting physical book sales in the US and UK
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Music streaming giant Spotify is set to enter the physical book market by partnering with Bookshop.org. According to TV3, this new feature will become available to Spotify Premium users in the United States and Great Britain starting at the end of this spring. The move is Spotify’s expansion beyond audio content and shows efforts to integrate more book-related services into its platform, following the interests and consumption habits of its users.
Cooperation with Bookshop.org and its purpose
The partnership with Bookshop.org is a strategic move aimed not only at expanding Spotify’s offering, but also at supporting independent bookstores. Bookshop.org is an online platform created as an alternative to large booksellers such as Amazon, and supports local bookstores by giving them a portion of sales revenue. Spotify users will be able to purchase physical books through the Spotify app, and Bookshop.org will handle the transaction processing, accounting and shipping. This model ensures that every purchase made through Spotify provides financial support to independent bookstores.
New features for users: “Page Match” and purchase of books
In addition to the option to buy physical books, Spotify is introducing a new feature called “Page Match”. This technology allows users to seamlessly switch between audio and print versions of a book without losing space. If a user is reading a physical book and wants to continue listening to the audio version, they can scan the page with their phone’s camera and Page Match will find the corresponding point in the audio. It also works the other way around – if you’re listening to an audio recording and want to resume reading the printed copy, the feature will help you find the right page. Although this feature will initially be available for most books published in English, there are plans to expand its availability.
Spotify’s rise in the audio content market
The move is a logical continuation of Spotify’s successful development of its audiobook division. Since the introduction of audiobooks in 2022, this segment has seen significant growth, offering more than 500,000 English-language books in 22 markets. Spotify says new users listening to audiobooks are up 36% year-over-year, with total listening time up 37%. The new option to buy physical books is designed to satisfy those readers who still prefer paper editions, thus fully covering the different reading preferences.
Market trends and competitive landscape
Spotify’s decision to enter the physical book business comes at a time when physical book sales remain solid despite the growing popularity of e-books and online resources. The influence of social media platforms such as TikTok (the “BookTok” community) has fueled interest in physical books among young people, especially among Gen Z. This trend has also helped traditional bookstores like Barnes & Noble to open new stores. By partnering with Bookshop.org, Spotify not only expands its offer and creates new sources of revenue, but also strengthens its position as a platform that supports independent booksellers in competition with the big players in the market.
date:2026-02-07 13:22:00
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