YouTube is reportedly in talks with publishers to add audiobooks to its service, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The feature could be announced as early as next year, although Google has not officially commented on the report.
Audiobooks Could Be Included With Premium
Unlike Google Play Store audiobooks, which users have had to buy individually since 2018, YouTube is reportedly planning to include audiobook listening in its YouTube Premium subscription.
That would give Premium another advantage over the cheaper Premium Lite plan, which offers fewer benefits.
It could also help justify recent price increases for YouTube Premium.
YouTube Already Offers Podcasts
Google added podcast support to YouTube Music in 2023.
Premium subscribers can listen to podcasts online or offline, sk-tsxz.
Premium Lite excludes music, although it still includes ad-free podcast playback.
YouTube Could Compete More Directly With Spotify
Adding audiobooks would put YouTube into closer competition with Spotify, which already offers audiobooks through both a dedicated audiobook plan and its Premium subscription.
Spotify expanded its audiobook service to more than 180 markets earlier this year.
It also offers features such as Page Match, which lets users photograph the page they are reading in a physical book and continue from the same point in the audiobook.
If the reported plans move forward, audiobooks could become another major part of YouTube Premium alongside music, podcasts and ad-free video.
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