Spotify launches special tier for audiobooks lovers, but it’s a missed opportunity

Spotify has been trying to tailor its service to cater to all types of customers. The most recent change that will affect certain customers is the addition of an audiobooks-only tier for those who don’t want to pay for Spotify Premium.

Unfortunately, the price makes is less appealing that the streaming service’s Premium tier, which costs $10.99 and offers 15 hours of listening to audiobooks, as well as ad-free music and podcasts. Meanwhile, the newly launched Audiobooks Access tier costs $9.99 and offers just 15 hours of listening to audiobooks.

Comparing the two tiers, it’s pretty clear that for just $1 more you get everything that the new Audiobooks Access subscription tier, and unlimited music and podcasts with no ads.

Perhaps Spotify plans to change the price of the Premium tier to make Audiobooks Access tier more worthwhile, but that’s just guessing. According to Spotify, its new audiobooks-only plan allows listeners to tune into music and podcasts on its free, ad-supported service, while being able to listen to their favorite audiobooks at the same time.

While it’s pretty clear who this tier is addressed to, the price and the perks if offers are nowhere near what Spotify already provides to those who pay for Premium.

Spotify says that since it launched Audiobooks in Premium, it noticed a 45 percent increase in free users searching for and interacting with Audiobook content each day. That’s why they decided to add a new plan option, but the end result feels like a missed opportunity.