Audio streaming giant Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio platforms, entered the audiobook market last October, offering its premium subscribers 15 hours per month of free audiobook listening. But audiobook bundling has led to reduced royalties for songwriters.
The music industry fight is, however, not the only controversy associated with Spotify’s entry into audiobooks. Book publishers and authors are also concerned about how audiobook streaming might affect how authors are paid and their rights over their work. In 2024, audiobook listening is shaped not by physical media, but by digital production and distribution platforms, like Audible and now Spotify. With audiobooks, readers pay to access a vast library of material – but the control of that library ultimately resides with the platform that hosts it.
The Australian Society of Authors responded to Spotify’s audiobook launch by saying they want to ensure remuneration to authors is fair. Risking loss of intellectual property Major global corporations have unprecedented control over cultural products, including books and audiobooks. Minor shifts for consumers, like Spotify’s new audiobook offering, can signal and accompany tectonic changes for creators, affecting things like their income and their rights over their work. These changes are amplified for creators in specific regions, like Australia.
This new agreement encroached on a range of intellectual property rights – in a big way. For example, Spotify was suddenly able to distribute these audiobooks, regardless of authors’ original licensing agreements with Findaway. Spotify could also use them to “create derivative works” – which potentially includes using these audiobooks to train AI models.