Free audiobook listening time for all Premium members

[SamBuzz]

While I'm grateful for the move to bring audiobooks to Spotify, the exclusive benefit of free audiobooks for the "plan manager" in duo and family memberships seems unjust. It diminishes the premium experience for other members who pay the same amount as their friends and family but don't enjoy the full premium benefits. 

I acknowledge the cost-effectiveness of duo and family memberships, but the solution to a fairer listening experience could be to distribute the 15 hours among all members in your party. This way, duo members, for instance, would get 7.5 hours free—a reasonable compromise for the reduced cost.

It ensures fairness to all users and gives users the option to customise their audiobook time based on their plan size and budget.

[MS37448]

Plan

Free/Premium

Country

Device

(iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy 9, Macbook Pro late 2016)

Operating System

(iOS 10, Android Oreo, Windows 10,etc.)

My Question or Issue

[GenoSmith1]

Premium is for all members That's why I got a family plan so audiobook should be free also to all my members come on Spotify That's not fair that's being cheap please don't make me go somewhere else

[MS37448]

Good evening GinoSmith1

Thank you for your message.

I fully agree, what is the point of a Family Plan, if the Plan Manager is the only one who can access the Audio Books feature?

Spotify need to resolve this urgently not use Idea Exchange as a reason for delaying full rollout.

[BlaiseBell]

I want unlimited audiobook listening hours. I am a premium member. This is just a pathetic way to squeeze out more money. I am very close to deleting the app if this is not fixed. I am going to look for unlimited listening hours on a different app with audiobooks. 15 hours is pretty insulting and the cost for extra hours is down right disrespectful and a disgusting unapologetic example of how developers of these subscription type apps will do anything to squeeze money out of there customers regardless of the negative effects on the over all experience. 

[MS37448]

Good afternoon BlaiseBell,
I am currently looking intoAmazon Prime who do more than Audio Books, without listening time restrictions.

[Petereweiss]

I have the Premium family plan and I'm the Plan Manager but i don't listen to audiobooks.  My daughter is part of the family plan and loves to listen to audiobooks.  Seems like it should be an easy feature to add to allow the plan manager to delegate to another member of the family plan the ability to listen to the audiobooks.  Otherwise, this is a waste of a feature and very frustrating for us.  If you offer a feature, make it a viable one. What I’m suggesting does not add cost to the company. But I’m told she can add audiobook feature for 9.99?? So that’s really disappointing. Just trying to get more money from long-time paying customer? Shameful. 

[northernsoul18]

Absolutely agree with the commenter here.  I have the same issue as I do not listen to audio books but one of my kids does.  I do  but am told by Spotify to change the Manager I have to cancel the subscription and rejoin BUT my other family members cannot then join my family plan for twelve months so they would all miss out!!!!. IMO this is in effect bribery.  If my other kids were not frequent music listeners I would cancel the subscription on principle.  Unfair, inflexible practice.  Clearly Spotify just trying to sting the loyal consumer for more money.  Soon as there is a rival service I would switch as has left a really bad taste in my mouth.  Should be renamed.  Scamify. 

[Jeremiahjallen05]

Please fix this Spotify!

[donaldcaldwell44]

The family or duo memberships needs to have the ability for at least 2 members to be able to read books. Maybe keep the 15 hours? Or make a slight price addition? Either way, there needs to be a solution for this. 

[Jamesy-boy]

Fully support this idea. I thought the audio books appearing locked was a glitch before reading hundreds of disgruntled comments online about it. It's so daft. 'Premium' denotes the top-tier of something, but this limitation from Spotify gives a 'lite' flavouring to it's highest level. Sort it out.