Family members showing audiobooks locked, even under premium family account

[cliffordboobyer]

Plan

Premium Family

Device

(iPad)

Operating System

(iOS latest)

My Question or Issue

Hi, when i browse my app under my account, I can see audiobooks which are able to be played. However when I use my kids premium family login under their iPad, same audiobooks shown as locked. What gives? Some kind of early restrictions or teething issues as it seems audiobooks for streaming is quite new.

[roland_fraval]

Hey Spotify, I just want to add my voice to this topic.

I find the fact that family accounts are limited to one person being able to listen to audiobooks as a ridiculous feature. 

Firstly, this was not made clear before me, my partner and sister chose to link our plans through a family plan.

Secondly, by choosing to be a premium member of Spotify, based on the entire history of how Spotify works, I would assume this would mean having access to the full library of works without ads... that's the whole point of paying for a membership.

Now I get that book rights and publishing deals are a different beast to music, but this needs to be sorted out. If you need to increase the family membership fee, then do it, at least have an option for multiple members to have audiobook access!!!

Please sort this out.

[Mkdavisco]

Adding my voice here as well. When I linked my premium account with my husband's, I expected to keep full premium access. Absolutely ridiculous that only the manager has access to audiobooks. Who thought up that policy? How long does it take to reassess? First comments on here are from Oct 2023. Please do better for your customers.

[Mkdavisco]

Also - adding this for anyone it may help - many public libraries offer audiobooks for free, mine is offered through Hoopla. Sometimes there is a queue, but oftentimes not.

Thinking it's past time to quit these subscription services and look locally.

[ribbidytibbidy]

This is terrible policy and pathetic. Do better, Spotify.

[ildefonse]

Utterly ridiculous. What do you expect us to do now? Cancel the family plan and each of us get premium? 

Why is this not sorted out yet? 

[kdvoreis]

This does not make sense that only the manager can have access to audio books. My kids and wife should also have the ability to be able to listen to audio books under the family plan

[jeneeb]

This is a bit ridiculous. I put my partner on my Spotify plan. What's the point of paying for a family membership if you don't get the same perks. We will have to switch to our own personal plan. 

[nerdshowandtell]

Seems like a deceptive practice and false advertising from Spotify when all the info/ads for family plans mention what you have access to but don't point out CLEARLY the limitations and restrictions to other members.  Seems to me some legal action is possible here.  I'm sure eventually we will all get mail about a class action lawsuit, followed by a check for $2.. But hey, the lawyers will get their cut! :s

[bawbf]

You keep responding with the same answer that doesn't solve anything. Very frustrating that all members are not created equally!!!

[twinkleleigh]

I have a Spotify premium family account, I have downloaded and made a playlist of audio books and shared them with my children via the Spotify kids app on their iPads. When I click on the playlist it comes up with the error message 'something went wrong' 

[chrisschnedler]

Some kind of explanation of why this is the case would be helpful! otherwise it just seems like spotify is being stingy for no reason!

[zetiacg]

I want to add to the folks saying this policy is stupid. We pay for a family account and should be able to share the audiobook hours or at least assign them to the member we want to based on preference. This should be changed by now.

[mcslaney]

Hello.  My daughter is manager of our family plan but I would like to switch the manager to me so that I can listen to audiobooks. Is that possible without losing Playlist for our family members?

[Lathamamber]

Currently me and my partner are listening to an audio book that he can't seem to get without my account. I pay for the family so why is he being locked out of the book when he's on the same account that's paid for. He is asked to pay for it,when I'm not. 

[cathypauline]

It's August of 2024. How much longer are we needing to wait for a real solution to this problem?

[spaterno]

We have Premium Family. I sent an audiobook recommendation to my husband but it shows as locked in his account, and requires him to buy it. How come it’s included in my premium account and not his if we have the Family premium subscription?

Plan

Premium Family

Country

Canada

Device

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

Operating System

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

My Question or Issue

[DeepOcean]

Same here, both my wife and i enjoy the audiobooks since our eyesight isn't what it used to be. This is a very deceptive policy and I'm so frustrated with this type of bait and switch.

The Header on the Spotify Premimum Duo page states " Two Premium Accounts for Couples under one roof" What it should say is 1 1/2 Premium Accounts.

I'm going to file a compliant with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and at least get the misleading ads changed.

[ildefonse]

A great idea, I have also just reported it with the New Zealand commerce commission for false advertising, as it clearly states on the premium webpage that "Family members under one roof can enjoy up to 6 Premium accounts", and not "Family members under one roof can enjoy up to 6 Premium accounts excluding audio books".

[kokopele]

This is a terrible policy and not clearly advertised! It needs to change right away!

[skaustralia]

I've got a Premium Duo account that I Share with my daughter. She wants to listen to audiobooks; they are nto free for her as a plan member but she also seems to be unable to purchase them. How can a plan member access audiobook content?