Do not limit Audiobook listening

[Biff09]

I'm not an expert on the economics of audiobooks, but the reason that Spotify is great is that you get access to all of the music in the catalog and you can enjoy it as much as you like for a flat monthly fee.

Spotify has introduced all sorts of insane new problems by limiting the amount of time listened.  These are just a few examples:

- Do the hours count for multiple people on family/duo accounts?

- How to deal with getting cut off in the middle of a book?

Instead, make Audiobook consumption unlimited JUST like is done for podcasts and music, etc.

If you need to raise the price of the membership then do so.  If you need to make an "audiobook" add-on subscription then do so.

Do NOT limit the number of hours audiobooks or any other kind of media can be consumed.  It's a terrible user experience and is a complete about-face to the model Spotify used to become the dominant music streaming service.

[Nando_Keo]

With the coming price increase, it would be fair to get rid of the monthly limit for audio book streaming. Or atleast increase the limit drastically because 12 hours is not even enough for one audio book per month 

[fex_2025]

Limiting the # of hours on audiobooks is just another example of enshitification.

[zandybyrd]

I just got an email about paying for 15 hours of audio book listening. Neither my husband or I have listened to audio books at all this month or the past two months. Why the **bleep** do I need to now pay to use audiobooks at all if I am suppose to have like 10 free hours a month? So I don’t even get a set amount of time for free audio book listening?? Meaning they have regressed further into greed. Great.

[1151498515]

I completely agree! I drive about 10 hours a week and really enjoy listening to audiobooks during that time. However, if I want to do that with Spotify, I need (for about 43 hours):
- The Premium (Individual) subscription (~ €11)
- The Audiobooks+ subscription (~ €9)
- About 1.5 top-ups (~ €15)

That comes to a total of €35 per month instead of the previous €11.

The add-ons for audiobooks then cost more than the Premium subscription itself. At the very least, users should be able to choose whether the restriction applies to listening to music or audiobooks. As it stands, Spotify is completely useless to me. In terms of the company's pure profit, I also find it very hard to believe that there is no way to offer more affordable subscriptions. I am now switching to Audible and canceling Spotify.

And I would like to be completely honest again: I find it highly unprofessional to attract customers with an economic concept that doesn't work and then switch to profit once a critical mass has been reached. Of course Spotify should make a profit, like any company. But luring customers in with bait offers is disgusting – even if almost everyone who becomes as big as Spotify (or bigger) has been doing it for years now.

[Noelleanne]

I agree also about not limiting the Audiobook hours. My question is: Is there a way to see how much time we have left every month? I don't want to start a drive and have my book get cut off. 

[JulyGerman]

Changed my family accpunt to Deezer. 

Now  Deezer is changing it's audiobook organization as well - and not for the good. But it seems I will at least not switch back to Spotify. Without Audiobooks (that crazy little hours are actually are even worse than havon no Audiobooks ad all....) it makes no sens for me

[Skeppers]

Terrible Policy for Audio books and then asking for 11.99 additional for only 15 more listening time is criminal. I Might consider cancelling my premium subscription all together. horrible decision. 

[Itsmesg]

I want to vote against the limited audio, listening hours. I was listening to a really good book and all of a sudden it just stopped!! so silly

[Screescree]

Spotify audiobooks seem to purposefully get people to not listen. Nowhere did it say that there was a 15 hour limit, I was just cut off in the middle of the month. And the top up options are ridiculous. It's like renting a car to a customer and not telling them the car can only be driven 2.5 miles, the car just shuts off. 

Adding hours (whether 10 or 15) makes no sense at all. I understand you dont have enough employees anymore to function properly. But you let AI choose an entire new side of the app including payment and quality without reviewing? And let it run that way for 2 years? Back to Audible we all go.

[slicerman]

Yes spotify is real amazing at music and podcasts .. but not
audiobooks.. is it because of copyright payments ?? etc dont know ..
just as upset as you ..