topic Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours in Subscriptions

How do I buy more listening hours for audiobooks

LMoores — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 18:52:59 GMT

We have a Premium Family Plan. My husband is trying to listen to an Audiobook but he got cut off because apparently there are only a certain number of hours per month you can listen? Other than the fact that this makes zero sense (WHY???) I am trying to purchase Top-up Audiobook Hours for him. I found this information:

How to purchase top-ups

You can purchase top-ups with a credit/debit card or PayPal.

To top up on your account:

Go to your Account overview page.
Under Subscription, select Audiobook listening time.
Select Top up.

HOWEVER when I go to the "Subscription" there is not an "Audiobook listening time" option to select. The options are:

Subscription

Available plans

Manage your plan

Manage members

Cancel plan

I have searched in all of these segments but am unable to find the "Audiobook listening time" link that is supposed to be there. Does anyone know about how I can make this happen???

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Billy-J — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 04:32:44 GMT

Hey @LMoores, thanks for reaching out to the Community!

I will make sure to pass your feedback on to the right folks in regards to the listening time. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this new feature. For future reference, you do have 15 hours of listening per month which is only available to the plan’s manager (not the members).

Can you ask the plan’s manager to log in to their account here and see if they have the option to top-up? If not, ask them to send me a screenshot of what they’re seeing and I’ll take a closer look.

Let me know how this goes!

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

LMoores — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 10:25:53 GMT

Ah, that was it, I thought I was the primary on the account but it is my
husband. All set now with the top up but I would love to be able to listen
to audio books, too! It doesn't make any sense why this feature is so
restricted (only one person allowed for a Premium Family account and so few
hours, it's weird!). Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Billy-J — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 13:43:42 GMT

Hey @LMoores,

You’re welcome! I’ll pass your feedback on to the right folks. If you have any suggestions you can always create a new Idea about this here.

I’m here if you need anything else. Have a wonderful day!

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Ludolfyn — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 04:52:37 GMT

I have even fewer options available and I am the primary on my account

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Reyfan31 — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 23:48:12 GMT

I'm having the same issue as well. I would also like a solution.

Re: How do I buy more listening hours for audiobooks

Billy-J — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 17:09:01 GMT

Hey folks,

Thanks for your reports. You should be able to add top-ups directly from the account page, but you'll need to do it from the Manage Your Plan section. Please head over to your account page > under Subscription, select Audiobook listening time >
Under Top-ups, select Top up.

You can find more info here.

Let me know how this goes!

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

whateverml — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:40:09 GMT

i’m having the same issue 😕

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Billy-J — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:58:41 GMT

Hey @whateverml,

Can you try following the steps that I have provided in my earlier replies and let me know what happens? You can also send me a screenshot of what you're seeing on your account overview page (make sure to hide sensitive info when posting to the Community).

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

KMak3 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:36:12 GMT

Please explain why there is a limit on audio book time per month. I have been a Spotify premium customer for years! So disappointed with this and wish to understand the reasoning. I don’t want to pay more. This seems like a slam to your dedicated premium customers. Thank you in advance for your response.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Billy-J — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:13:43 GMT

Hey @KMak3,

Thanks for your feedback regarding audiobooks. I will make sure to pass your feedback on to the right folks. The titles available in Spotify's audiobook subscriber catalog may vary from time to time at Spotify’s or a third-party rightsholder’s discretion. As a result, the titles in Spotify's audiobook subscriber catalog may not be the same as those available for purchase on Spotify. Typically, all of the audiobooks are for purchase - but as a benefit of being a Premium member, there is a curated catalog for Premium members. More info about Audiobooks for Premium subscribers here.

I hope this clears things up.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

LMoores — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 13:13:08 GMT

That's fine that the catalog is limited for the free titles but our
question is WHY only one of the Family members can listen and WHY is the
number of hours limited??? It doesn't really make any sense! Actually it's
a little bit petty and insulting: *"here is a benefit for your paid
Membership but it's highly restricted for no real reason!"*

Considering how many other platforms there are now it would make a lot of
sense for a relatively minimally used benefit to be open for all Family
members and no "time out" restriction. I mean, what does it matter if we
want to listen to Spotify content 24 hours a day??? Wouldn't Spotify want
*all* of us to listen as much as possible? It's just nonsensical!

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

J_D13 — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:55:17 GMT

Go to manage your plan and click the manage audio book hours. Looks like you can purchase and additional 10 hours for a one time purchase of 12.99. I agree this makes zero sense.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

LMoores — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 22:00:08 GMT

Thanks very much!

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

nightmaresaside — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 23:50:57 GMT

Fully agree. $13 for 10 hours of audiobook listening time is incredibly steep and like a slap in the face. For $13 I should own all or part of the audiobook at that point. Most books I read are longer than 15 hours. Now I have to wait 16 days to finish this book or pay $13? I'm livid. I've been a premium subscriber for years.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

gevx-u1p7_1q7 — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 05:16:07 GMT

This is certainly a very poor move by Spotify. They will shoot themselves in the foot with this decision. It will only drive customers away due to pricing transparency being non-existent. The fastest way to **bleep** off a customer is to tell them they are given something as part of a subscription and then tear it away as a secret second tier appears. Looks like Spotify doesn't want to succeed with audiobooks. Shame. This motivated me to go leave the app a 1 star review. I wonder how many will join me over time?

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

snowhope — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 11:13:53 GMT

I'm new to Spotify and having access to audiobooks was one of the appeals over Deezer. I knew that it would only be for 15hrs per month but I'm hacked off that only the primary account can use it in a premium family subscription.

I get the costs though - Spotify's costs for streaming books will be very different to those for streaming music. Seems fair to pass this onto the customer.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Pr0bablyN0t — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:51:07 GMT

Primary account owner on a single account and do not have access to buy top ups. Frustrating. Yes I followed the instructions provided.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Pr0bablyN0t — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:54:31 GMT

App literally telling me I can't buy top ups. So annoying.

Re: Top up Audiobooks Hours

Gazelle1 — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 20:30:19 GMT

I am on my account page. There is no section that says manager plan.