NEW YORK, Feb. 5 (GeokHub) — Spotify is expanding its ambitions beyond music and audiobooks, announcing plans to allow users to purchase physical books directly through its app via a new partnership with online bookseller Bookshop.org.
The move marks an unexpected step into physical retail for the streaming company as it looks to deepen user engagement and compete more aggressively with rivals such as Apple and Amazon.
Under the partnership, Spotify users in the United States and the United Kingdom will be able to browse and buy printed books within the app beginning later this spring. Bookshop.org will manage pricing, inventory, and delivery, while Spotify will earn an affiliate commission on each purchase.
Spotify said the expansion builds on the momentum of its audiobooks business, which launched two years ago and now operates in 22 global markets. The company said its English-language audiobook catalog has grown to more than 500,000 titles, with new listeners rising 36% year over year and listening hours increasing 37%.
Alongside physical book sales, Spotify unveiled a new feature called “Page Match,” designed to connect physical and digital reading with audio. The tool allows users to scan a page from a printed book or e-book using the Spotify app and instantly jump to the corresponding point in the audiobook. The feature will be available at launch for most English-language titles and is expected to roll out fully by February 23.
Spotify’s move comes at a challenging time for the traditional book industry. Physical book sales have softened as readers increasingly turn to digital formats, while publishers and distributors have reported slowing orders and store closures in recent months.
The company is also adjusting its pricing strategy. Spotify recently raised the monthly cost of its Premium subscription by $1 to $12.99 in several markets, including the United States.
Shares of Spotify fell about 4.5% following the announcement, though the stock remains up nearly 30% over the past year.
