Spotify is expanding its book offerings beyond audiobooks with new features that connect digital listening to physical book ownership. At an event in New York on February 4, the streaming platform announced a tool called Page Match and a partnership with independent bookseller Bookshop.org, marking a strategic move into the physical book market.
Page Match is a technical feature that allows users to scan a page from a physical or e-book within the Spotify app to instantly jump to the corresponding location in the matching audiobook, and vice versa. The company states the system uses computer vision and text matching, not artificial intelligence. This aims to solve a common friction point for listeners who switch between reading and listening. Page Match is rolling out for most English-language audiobooks, available immediately to Premium subscribers using their monthly audiobook credits, with full availability for all users by February 23.
Concurrently, Spotify will integrate Bookshop.org into its app later this spring for users in the U.S. and U.K. This will enable direct purchase of physical books, with Bookshop.org managing pricing, inventory, and fulfillment. The partnership is designed to route sales to independent bookstores, aligning with a noted resurgence in indie bookselling. Bookshop.org reports that since 2020, more bookstores have opened than closed annually in the U.S., with its platform having directed over $52 million to independent stores in the U.S. and U.K. over five years.
The initiatives are framed by data from Spotify’s global head of audiobooks, Owen Smith, who noted only 16% of U.S. adults read for pleasure, attributing the gap to modern distractions and difficulty finding time. The company’s approach is to adapt reading to busy lifestyles, following earlier features like Audiobook Recaps that help users re-engage after breaks. “We want to help more people find more time to enjoy more books,” Smith said.
The expansion builds on Spotify’s rapidly growing audiobook segment, launched just over two years ago. Its English-language catalog has grown from 150,000 to over 500,000 titles across 22 markets. The company reports a 36% year-over-year increase in audiobook starts and a 37% rise in total listening hours. Notably, more than half of its audiobook listeners are under 35, a younger demographic than the traditional audiobook market.
By linking discovery, audio, and physical purchase, Spotify is positioning itself as a holistic reading platform. The move supports independent retailers while attempting to capture a larger share of the reading economy, transforming from an audio-only service into a bridge between listening and owning tangible books.
