Amazon Music Unlimited to offer monthly access to Audible’s catalogue of 800k audiobooks

Amazon Music Unlimited customers in the UK, US and Canada can now listen to one audiobook a month from sister company Audible’s library, in a move that seems designed to ward off competition from Spotify, which launched a limited streaming offer a year ago.

The Bookseller understands that this new move will not change the way Audible compensates authors and creators, but there could be benefits from the increased audience reach and earning potential.

“Audible has revolutionised the way people worldwide consume books, and as our category continues to evolve and scale, we’ve seen an ever-growing appetite for audiobooks,” said Audible c.e.o. Bob Carrigan. “The opportunity to extend Audible to Amazon Music subscribers enables us to captivate the next generation of listeners with a treasure trove of storytelling, while Audible’s standalone service will continue to provide its exceptional library and customer experience in a suite of plan options for audiobook lovers who can’t get enough.”

Amazon Music said it offered the largest selection of audiobooks across genres, and listeners can choose from a catalogue of 800,000 audiobooks in the UK, in addition to 100 million songs and ad-free podcasts.

"The combination of Amazon Music and Audible, two pioneers in audio streaming, brings an unmatched selection of audio entertainment to customers,” said Steve Boom, vice president of Audio, Twitch and Games for Amazon. “Amazon Music redefined audio streaming through the magic of Alexa, and with the introduction of high-definition and spatial music. Today, Amazon Music introduces the audiobook category to a brand-new audience by making Audible’s industry-leading catalogue of audiobooks available to Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.”

Amazon Music Unlimited individual plan subscribers and primary account holders to the family plan can listen to one audiobook of any length per month with their subscription. Customers can continue listening to their monthly title after the next billing cycle begins, or select a new one.

Listeners who want more beyond their monthly listen can subscribe to an Audible membership or purchase titles directly from the Audible app.

New subscribers to the platform are offered three months of Amazon Music Unlimited for free for a limited time.