--- title: Who will win the audiobook wars? - The Hustle description: Spotify’s betting big on audiobooks, and taking on Amazon in the process. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/955958461-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-10T024956.277Z-scaled.webp --- # Who will win the audiobook wars? ![Samir Javer](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Samir Javer](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/samir-javer) [Samir Javer Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/samir_javer) Published: October 10, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 Today, audiobooks make up just [~$9B](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-06-08/spotify-founder-and-ceo-daniel-eks-investor-day-2022-remarks/) of the $140B global book industry. ![Who will win the audiobook wars?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/955958461-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-10T024956.277Z-scaled.webp?width=595&height=400&name=955958461-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-10T024956.277Z-scaled.webp) By 2030, that segment is forecasted to reach [$35B+](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/08/08/2493559/28124/en/Global-35-Billion-Audiobooks-Markets-to-2030.html), and with so much growth expected, it’s no surprise the market is heating up. With music and podcasts under its belt, and almost a year after acquiring audiobook distribution platform Findaway, Spotify recently [launched](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-09-20/with-audiobooks-launching-in-the-u-s-today-spotify-is-the-home-for-all-the-audio-you-love/) its own audiobooks section, serving up 300k+ titles. #### **That puts it in Amazon’s sights…** … with Audible commanding the largest share of the US market. Still, it’s clear Spotify is uniquely positioned to take them on. - **The Spotify Machine,** as CEO Daniel Ek calls it, represents the company’s proven practice of bundling verticals “into a single consumer experience… that benefits users, creators, ad partners, developers and Spotify itself.” Spotify has spent years oiling its music and podcast verticals. It [dominates](https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22892939/music-streaming-services-market-share-q2-2021-spotify-apple-amazon-tencent-youtube) the music streaming market and claims [to have surpassed Apple](https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/27/spotify-says-u-s-podcast-listeners-now-use-its-service-more-than-apple-podcasts/) in podcast listeners. #### **Audiobooks make economic sense** Spotify is notorious for [stiffing artists on royalties](https://thehustle.co/the-economics-of-spotify/), but the streamer still spent [~$7B](https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/spotify-7-billion-music-industry-labels-publishers-2021-1235212986/) on music payouts in 2021. While audiobooks aren’t quite as attractive as podcasts, which have zero marginal costs, their [margins](https://completemusicupdate.com/article/spotify-boss-says-his-big-ambitions-in-audio-at-large-will-deliver-mega-revenues-and-better-margins/) are better than music. - For now, the company offers audiobooks a la carte, but it’s [studying](https://techthelead.com/spotify-audiobooks-are-here-but-they-might-have-ads-soon/) business models that involve advertising within audiobooks. Parents may rejoice at the result, as users could potentially see more promotion for teen novels, and less for the latest Drake album. Topics: [Podcast](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/podcast) [Streaming Media](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/streaming-media) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Podcasting has a big money problem](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/534147622-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-podcast_20230809233357.webp) ### Podcasting has a big money problem - ![On Bob Iger’s to-do list: Fix ESPN, TV, Pixar, and more](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/290907383-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-espn_subs_20230807230900.webp) ### On Bob Iger’s to-do list: Fix ESPN, TV, Pixar, and more - ![So, can we stop calling it ‘the streaming wars’ now?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1189252561-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Streaming-Wars_20230724220432.webp) ### So, can we stop calling it ‘the streaming wars’ now? - ![The world’s subtitle use is speaking volumes](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/945883034-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-roku_subs_20230612225638.webp) ### The world’s subtitle use is speaking volumes - ![Christopher Nolan is leaving Warner Bros. — the latest domino to fall in AT&T’s streaming misadventures](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/857604052-News-Brief_2021-09-17T011335.439Z.webp) ### Christopher Nolan is leaving Warner Bros. — the latest domino to fall in AT&T’s streaming misadventures - ![Teletubbyland is a world of love and laughter — it’s also pretty lucrative](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/133917396-httpsthe-hustle.hubspot.comhubfsDaily20Newsletter20ImagesMarch2031202023Teletubbies.webp) ### Teletubbyland is a world of love and laughter — it’s also pretty lucrative - ![Price increase? Disney fans are nonplussed](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/797151777-HS-News-Brief_2023-03-19T235355.687Z.webp) ### Price increase? Disney fans are nonplussed - ![Can Netflix be a lifestyle brand?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/181502968-HS-News-Brief_2023-02-07T042108.421Z.webp) ### Can Netflix be a lifestyle brand? - ![Showing no signs of chill, Netflix enters its next phase](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1211446346-HS-News-Brief_2023-01-23T005703.803Z.webp) ### Showing no signs of chill, Netflix enters its next phase - ![Bob’s back. Can he bring the magic?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/915616723-HS-News-Brief_2022-11-22T031922.146Z.webp) ### Bob’s back. Can he bring the magic? 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