Spotify has launched audiobooks in Kenya with more than 350,000 titles, adding books to the music and podcasts its users already stream.
From Wednesday, eligible Free and Premium users in Kenya can access audiobooks in the app.
The Kenya launch is part of a global rollout that will take Spotify’s audiobooks from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026, reaching more than 750 million people.
The firm’s Audiobooks+ plan gives listeners 15 hours of listening a month for Sh489, roughly 30 minutes a day.
Users who run out of hours can buy a 10-hour top-up for Sh589, or pay for individual titles to keep.
“For a lot of people, audiobooks are how they find their way back to reading, on the commute, on a walk, or at the end of a long day,” said Owen Smith, Spotify’s vice-president of audiobooks.
“Bringing audiobooks to more than 180 markets means millions more people can discover that, and authors and publishers can reach readers they’ve never been able to reach before,” he added.
Spotify is pitching the service at commuters, saying the 15-hour allowance is designed to fit into daily routines such as the drive along Thika Road.
The app includes a Page Match feature that lets users scan a printed book’s ISBN barcode and pick up the audio version from the same page, as well as a sleep timer and offline downloads.
Listening progress is saved across more than 2,000 supported devices, allowing users to switch from phone to car or speaker.
Spotify is also courting local writers. Through its Spotify for Authors platform, Kenyan publishers and self-published authors can upload audiobooks and reach listeners in more than 180 markets, with data on who is listening.
The firm says all its audiobook partnerships are non-exclusive, leaving authors free to sell on rival platforms.
The launch puts Spotify in direct competition with Audible and Storytel for Kenya’s growing base of digital listeners.
Spotify says monthly audiobook listeners grew nearly 40 per cent in the past year, while listening hours rose more than 30 per cent.
Audiobooks+, launched just over a year ago, has more than one million subscribers globally.
Spotify has 777 million monthly users, including 300 million paying subscribers, across more than 180 markets.
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By Nixon Kanali
Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to kanali@techtrendsmedia.co.ke.