On Wednesday, Spotify announced a new 30-hour audiobook subscription plan, aiming to expand audiobook access for Premium users. Although this sounds like an excellent offer for listeners, it falls short for those who want to finish lengthy audiobooks like War and Peace or Les Misérables, whose recordings often exceed 50 hours.
This time restriction could force listeners to split their experience across many months, disrupting immersion and enjoyment.
30 hours falls short for classic and long audiobooks
The new plan allows Spotify Premium subscribers to listen to up to 30 audiobooks each month, an increase from the earlier 15-hour limit.
However, many acclaimed literary works run far beyond this limit. For instance, the audiobook for War and Peace clocks in at nearly 60 hours, which means at least two months are required to finish it under the new constraint.
Fans of long titles such as those by George R.R. Martin or Brandon Sanderson are similarly impacted, making the plan too restrictive for serious audiobook enthusiasts. Moreover, because Spotify’s Premium audiobooks can’t be purchased permanently by listeners, they cannot bypass time limits by buying titles outright.
Demand for more flexible audiobook subscription options
Industry observers and users call on Spotify to offer flexible plans tailored to different listening habits. One suggestion is to keep the 30-hour plan as a standard but add an unlimited or higher-limit tier for listeners who regularly consume long audiobooks.
This would provide the option to choose a plan suited to personal preferences for medium-length or marathon listening sessions. Currently, add-ons like Audiobooks+ add 15 extra hours, reaching 30 total hours, but they come at an additional cost and are limited to Premium users in selected countries, including the UK, Australia, and several European nations.
For audiobook lovers focused on lengthy classics or series, Spotify’s approach seems to keep them tethered to monthly limits rather than offering true freedom to listen at their own pace.
Spotify’s move into audiobooks shows promise, opening access to over 250,000 titles and growing the audiobook fan base worldwide.
Still, despite the initiative’s benefits, Spotify’s current 30-hour plan clearly restricts engagement with longer books and frustrates dedicated listeners seeking uninterrupted storytelling.