Swing-dancing their way from simple streaming service to global artist mega-market, renowned as much for their freedom of access and upload as their controversy, Spotify have famously taken on the Podcast and video realm in recent years, and now announce their inclusion of hundreds of thousands of audio-books available to the premium subscriber.
As a full-time music writer and promoter, Spotify Premium is essential to my daily work-life, and honestly – the added benefit of ad-free podcasts has been a joy. This new inclusion of 15 hours of audiobooks seems very much like the icing on the cake. No more need for Audible, no more scurrying to buy the latest books as and when they emerge – sudden access to a multitude of inspiring stories and guides and biographies; the next generation’s unlimited connection to valuable texts. What’s not to like?
The unfairly paid musicians who barely make rent despite tens of thousands of streams may well have something else to say about this. Perhaps there’s also an issue with the writers of these books. Then there are libraries – something I’m a big advocate for, and still regularly frequent. How can we get the younger generations to embrace this amazing free local resource more?
I’ll look further into the Spotify shift, but if you have an opinion, let me know in the comments. Is Spotify becoming the Amazon of entertainment and escapism? Will VR live shows take the throne next? Is there any end to the digital vortex? Get in touch.
Header Photo by PhotoMIX Company.
