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.

[Bestsofar]

So my husband wanted to listen to a book and I literally pay 19.99 a month for our family…. He has to pay? I am getting really really sick of the greedy corporations. Straight up, this kind of sh!t pisses me off. This kind of greed makes me want to just cancel my account. 

[Dubgfuhg]

Has this issue been resolved or completed ignored? 

[ildefonse]

Ignored

[LMDani09]

My husband and I have both have had all the premium plans in our combined 30 years as premium members. We currently have the duo plan. Which has the same problem as the family plan with primary account holder only being able to listen to audiobooks. 

I posted yesterday but apparently Spotify didn’t like what I had to say, and deleted it without explanation, so perhaps, I’ll say it nicer. Although, I’m still very very very angry. 

My husband the primary account holder, listened to 28,650 mins last year in music and no audiobooks, no podcasts. I probably listened to under 7,000 mins of music, no audiobooks, no podcasts. We already use Apple for podcasts because we will not support anything to do with Joe Rogan. We really only care about the music. However, I did find one specific 10-hr audiobook that I wanted to listen to but was unable to as I’m not the account holder.

I shouldn’t have defer to/waste my Audible credits on a book that costs less than $16. I already have over 100 Audible books. I’m not going to buy one on a different platform. One that I can’t even find how to actually see how much it would cost let alone buy via Spotify’s website 

Why should I keep Spotify? That is not a rhetorical question. Spotify, please tell me, why should I stay? 

Particularly when you clearly don’t care about this issue or the feeling of unfairness your customers are experiencing in this tread. 

It has been over a year since OP and this is still an issue. What is the point of this stupid community when they just ignore us. They have given NO justification or an explanation as to why the primary account holder is the only one who can listen to audiobooks. After a year you would think they would at least give an update. 

As some of Spotify’s most loyal customers, we will be switching as soon as we decide on a new provider. We will probably go with whichever actually pays the artists a decent percentage, maybe Tidal. 

As someone who worked for a leading tech company and participated in helping people on a successful community blog site for incorporating customers ideas and addressing issues. Spotify’s engagement on this platform is pathetic. 

Over the years, my husband and I have probably spent $5000 on spotify, but I guess a $16 audiobook is worth loosing two formality loyal customers. 

P.s. Followed all your stupid community rules relative to all the other posters this time and am screenshotting this to post on Reddit if you delete me again. 

[willie1foot]

Definitely the latter

[adrian012]

This doesn’t seem good enough does it ? Anyone would reasonably expect that a family plan shares everything. “ Something that will be explored in future “ can’t honestly claim to be a solution to the problem raised in this forum 

[1231950105]

has there been any update to the policy in the last 18months? 
It a little ridiculous that 18 months later, only the plan manager is able to get audiobooks, and I have to pay more to let the other people in my PREMIUM plan access the same things. 

[mbrooke143]

It’s ridiculous that Spotify still hasn’t updated this feature. My husband is the “plan manager” and doesn’t use audiobooks, and I do. We should be able to get audiobooks for the entire premium family, or at the very LEAST be able to switch the plan manger without cancelling and signing up again. 

[Alyssa417]

This is the dumbest**bleep** ever. Apple Music here we come. 

[willie1foot]

I have already cancelled and reluctantly moved to Apple Music

[Halipenyo]

What are other services doing with audible and audiobooks?

It's been a long time since I last looked and I don't remember audiobooks being a part of any other services' included offerings. What's the landscape like now?

[kkillebrew-us]

Well I’ve been a premium  member for about 10 years, or however long they’ve been offering it  and this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.   You cannot always listen to an audiobook in 15 hours or whatever,   only having this available to the primary member is not a value.  it appears Spotify has done zero research on how people actually listen to audiobooks.  As an Audible member for 20 years, I can tell you this is a useless thing you are providing.   it doesn’t make me want to keep your service at all. in fact, having gotten into the middle of a book and now being locked out makes me want to cancel the service. I wish I hadn’t found this feature.   

[NIKC1111]

Can the account manager who doesn't listen to audio books pass their audiobook listening abilities to another family plan member?

[uniqueuser1]

I have run into the same problem. It renders the family plan somewhat useless, as I have to give my family members access to the main/"managing" account in order to access this content. This leads to unnecessary issues that the family plan was meant to avoid in the first place.

Can this be addressed, please?

[LittleLama]

I can't understand Spotify policy.

I paid for many many year for a premium service for my family and now I have to explain them why they can't listen to audiobooks anymore.

I'm feeling fooled by Spotify and looking actively for a replacement.

Confidence is lost.

[jodieb13]

Ah, I have found my people.

Same story really. My husband is the plan manager but has no interest in audiobooks or books in general. After reading that Spotify premium users get 15 hours free audiobooks, I recently realised that my dog walks could be better spent with a book in my ears, but alas that won’t be happening any time soon as I’m not the plan manager. Ridiculous.

At least let us share the 15 hours, ffs.

[atlcanadiangmr]

This is very annoying. The constant raising of prices with this app with little in return. I just found out today that my Wife does not get the same features as me when were all considered "premium" members within Spotify through our family plan. This is not acceptable. 

Other platforms are looking more and more better everyday. 

[Gucky29]

Adding to the frustration. Trying to work out for half an hour why my wife can’t play audiobooks on her phone and realised that this is intended. Certainly not as excepted and currently very reluctant to spend more money for something I’m already paying for .

[rwfelsch]

At the risk of being YET ANOTHER voice in the wilderness .............. I pay a fee for a FAMILY to use a service which in reality is only a full service for me and a partial service for the rest

My daughter recently asked me about this after she received a pop that told her she could use this - which was clearly not correct as she is not the plan manager, so it seems that even Spotify itself is not clear on what exactly it is offering (or maybe simply another software bug)

In other industries this would likely be deemed unethical - its certain illogical and arguably bordering on immoral

This makes no sense as a consumer when considering the reason one would have a PREMIUM FAMILY PLAN, and by the looks of the posts here the commercial side of this must be rapidly deteriorating from a Spotify perspective with so many of your customers clearly NOT HAPPY with this approach

As the 1st post in this thread is now 15 months old and @250 posts complaining about this ................. it would seem that Spotify is NOT LISTENING as there is simply not enough noise from more customers

My daughter and I like other wait in hope that Spotify will WAKE UP

[EmWebb]

I agree with everyone here, it is a really disappointing feature. 

I didn't know that I only get the listen to books for 15 hours a month...? What if a book is longer than that? This plan needs to be updated. I am sure you can find another way to get more money out of the subscribers who want unlimited access to audiobooks on family plans.