Google-owned video platform YouTube is exploring the launch of an audiobook service that could be incorporated into its existing subscription products, potentially creating another competitor for Spotify and Amazon’s Audible, according to a report published this week.
The report, from the Wall Street Journal, said executives have been speaking with book publishers about licensing audiobooks for distribution through YouTube. That feature could launch as soon as 2027 and is likely to be rolled into YouTube Premium, the platform’s $16 per month subscription plan that also offers access to YouTube Music and ad-free streaming of most YouTube videos, the newspaper said.
Less clear is how YouTube might offer the audiobook feature — details are light on whether the platform will allow subscribers to stream a limited amount of audiobooks as part of a Premium subscription or if it will charge customers a per-book fee to stream titles through its app.
Audiobooks are already widely available on YouTube, although the platform does not operate a dedicated commercial audiobook service. Most of the uploads on YouTube are public domain books along with unauthorized copies of recent titles, though YouTube doesn’t endorse the practice of distributing copyrighted content without permission.
An official audiobook offering could help YouTube establish licensing relationships with publishers while providing a commercial alternative to unauthorized uploads. It would also bring the company into closer competition with Spotify, which introduced audiobooks to its Premium subscription service in 2023.
Spotify currently provides eligible Premium subscribers with 15 hours of audiobook listening each month, with additional hours available for purchase. Its U.S. catalog includes more than 700,000 titles, and the company recently announced plans to expand audiobook availability from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026. Spotify said monthly audiobook listeners increased nearly 40 percent over the past year.
Amazon’s Audible also competes in the category through subscription plans offering audiobook credits, monthly selections and access to an included catalog. Audible additionally benefits from its integration with Amazon’s broader digital book business, including Kindle.
Audiobook sales are growing, according to some analysts, with the Audio Publishers Association noting sales of audiobook titles reached nearly $2.5 billion last year, up 9 percent from the prior year.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, will disclose its third quarter (Q3) financial earnings next week.
