Spotify has announced it will start selling printed books on its streaming platform through a partnership with online book retailer Bookshop.org. This unexpected expansion goes beyond its core business in audiobooks. The company is working on new features to better compete with streaming services from tech giants like Apple and Amazon. Spotify launched its audiobook service two years ago. Bookshop.org will handle pricing, storage, and order fulfillment, while Spotify will earn a commission on purchases made within its app. This move comes as printed book sales slow due to more users shifting to e-books and other online sources. The company also raised its premium monthly subscription by $1 to $12.99 in the US, Estonia, and Latvia. It said its number of new listeners grew 36% from a year ago, and listening hours increased by 37%. The feature to buy printed books will start rolling out this spring to users in the US and the UK.
