Spotify adds ElevenLabs AI audiobooks for self-publishing

Spotify has integrated ElevenLabs' voice AI technology into its Spotify for Authors platform, enabling creators to generate AI-narrated audiobooks without exclusivity clauses. The tool, launching in beta this June on an invite-only basis, initially supports English but will expand to 10 additional languages including French, German, and Spanish. Authors retain full rights to distribute their content elsewhere, a key differentiator from traditional publishing models. This follows Spotify's earlier partnership with ElevenLabs and complements existing integrations like Google Play Books.

The expansion comes as Spotify reports over 700,000 audiobook titles in its catalog and 1 million Audiobook+ subscriptions generating $100M in annualized revenue. The company claims a 60% year-on-year increase in listening hours, with over half of audiobook listeners joining in the past year. Additional features include natural language search for audiobook discovery and prompt-based playlist creation for audiobooks, music, and podcasts. Spotify is also enhancing its Audiobook+ plans with higher listening limits and new student/family options (though pricing remains unannounced).