I used Spotify's audiobook feature for the first time and had a pretty poor user experience. Basically, I was at the last 45 minutes of my book and was informed I ran out of credit and could not finish the book for 10 days unless I pay $12.99 to 'top off' my hours and be granted 10 additional audiobook hours. I've summarized some of the key issues with this experience.

• Lack of Transparency Regarding Time Limits:

  • I was unaware of a monthly listening limit until reaching the last 45 minutes of a book, causing me to run out of credit prior to finishing the last few chapters
  • Clearer communication of the time limit and a visible usage tracker are crucial.
  • Consider displaying the remaining listening time within the audiobook player itself. (under the time remaining for the book itself, add a time remaining for monthly allowance or something better)

• Disproportionate "Top-Off" Pricing:

  • The $12.99 price for an additional 10 hours of listening time is excessive, especially when only needing to finish a single book.
  • Offering more granular "top-off" options, such as a smaller amount of time at a lower cost (e.g., 3 hours for ~$4.99), would be more customer-friendly.
  • Consider a "Finish Book" option at a reduced price to avoid interrupting the listening experience.

• Time-Based Model Limitations:

  • The current time-based model can be frustrating and unpredictable, especially without a tracking system built into the app
  • Consider models like a credit system (similar to Audible) or a book-based limit to provide more predictability and ensure users can complete their audiobooks.

I really hope this experience improves because of love the idea of having all my audio media in one app!