It has been claimed that YouTube is conducting negotiations with publishers to add audiobooks to its Premium subscription plan. According to information reported by the Wall Street Journal, the platform is considering making audiobooks part of its existing subscription structure.
There has been no official statement from Google regarding the matter. However, according to the claim, the new service is on the agenda to be announced next year. Such a move could expand the scope of YouTube Premium on the audio content side, alongside its ad-free video and music experience.
Google has been selling audiobooks via the Google Play Store since 2018. In the current model, users purchase books individually; there is no subscription-based package for audiobooks. Integration into YouTube Premium, contrary to this structure, could offer audiobooks directly as a subscription benefit.
NEW DIFFERENTIATION IN PREMIUM PACKAGE
The potential move is being evaluated as a step aimed at increasing the value of the Premium subscription, which has recently been on the agenda due to price hikes. Furthermore, this feature could make the difference between Premium Lite and the full Premium plan more distinct.
YouTube had previously strengthened its presence in the audio content space by adding podcast support to YouTube Music. While Premium users can listen to podcast content ad-free and offline, music remains outside the scope of the Premium Lite plan, but ad-free access to podcasts continues.
The audiobook move could bring YouTube into more direct competition with Spotify in this area. Spotify has grown its audiobook-focused subscription options and expanded its service to more than 180 markets. Whether YouTube will offer similar user experiences is not yet clear.
The outcome of the negotiations with publishers will be decisive in YouTube's audio content strategy. For now, there is no finalized launch calendar or official detail regarding the subscription scope.
News Source: 12punto
