Buy audiobook instead of using Premium hours

[Blangi1]

I have a premium plan. I want to listen to an audiobook and don’t want to be restricted by the free or top up hours. I just want to buy it. How do I do that? Books now show as ‘included in premium’ and don’t show the purchase price. 

UK iPhone Premium Plan (family)

[Blangi1]

Hey @Ben45678,

Thanks for reaching out.

Audiobooks that are included in Premium can, unfortunately, not be purchased.

I hope this clears things up 🙂

[adrianjohnson148]

I have premium family account and halfway through listening to 1 book I was informed that my 15 hours of listening time was up and I was presented with a message about buying “top-ups”, which is not only confusing but something I simply can’t be bothered to do. It’s too much hassle. Spotify, either provide an audiobook facility and allow PREMIUM customers to listen as part of their subscription or don’t! There is no middle ground. Anyone else annoyed about this? 

[Maxim]

Hey @Blangi1,

Thanks for reaching out.

For now, audiobooks on Spotify can only be purchased in the Spotify Web Player, but you can listen in the app once you’ve unlocked a title.

Head to https://open.spotify.com, find an audiobook you want to listen to, and follow the steps to check out. Then head back to the app on any device to start listening.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Marko__]

I cant buy it online either. when i log in it just has Included with Spotify prem and does not allow me to purchases it  

[Ben45678]

Just wondering if you found a solution to this? 

I too would like to purchase a book that is 'included with premium', rather than top up.

Thanks

[Maxim]

Hey @Ben45678,

Thanks for reaching out.

Audiobooks that are included in Premium can, unfortunately, not be purchased.

I hope this clears things up 🙂

[robindhevans]

I also came looking for a solution to this. It's a pity, as I'd like to directly support authors, rather than purchase more "listening hours". Hopefully this changes in the future.

[Dudelord]

Ha Ha, included in premuim really means this book is going to cost you a **bleep**load if you want to hear it.  Such**bleep**, pushing people to other platforms, or just off for good.  Artists get pennys already, who is sitting on top of this **bleep**ing money pile?  Think about this:  Stephen King lets people make movies out of his books for 1$.  One dollar, he gives them the rights.  I own all of his books, he is rich**bleep**, and deserves it, great writer.  Spotify wants people to pay, like what, $100 dollars to listen to one of his books?  Who's getting all that money?  wth?  Buy a top-up for $13, ten hours?  What if you fall asleep?  or your stupid earbuds come alive, like they do?  So **bleep**in stupid.

[Dudelord]

they censored me, holy-**bleep**

[SpaceGhost191]

If you log out of web based player, navigate to audiobook, once se4lected it will give you a price to purchase. Once purchased you can play in any audio player including Spotify.

[OneThree80]

Yes wow! This seems like a HUGE money grab. The illusion that you are getting free audio books, but then... Oh wait, You used it up in the first week? Spend spend spend.

I do NOT like this at all. LET US JUST BUY THE BOOK!

[simrag92]

Guys seriously wth. I bought the first two books of the lord of the rings before you gave premium accounts the ability to listen to 15h each month for free. Look I think that's a great idea as it gives the opportunity to listen to new things BUT... why did you remove the option of buying single books? And the funniest thing is that if I revert to a basic account for a few hours I can still buy them! That will mess up my local files but at least I'll be able to access a feature that apparently it only for basic accounts. This makes no sense, please fix it.

[CatInTheSink]

I encountered the same issue. Just let me purchase the whole book. What if I want to relisten to the chapter over because I got sidetracked? Complete money grab BS. Absolutely ridiculous. I'll give Audible my money instead. At least I can buy the whole book and listen however much I want. 

[JG117]

Yeah, I've been a member of spotify for 10 years or more I think at this point. When listening to audiobooks, I re-listen to chapters and passages all the time because my mind wanders. I only got 10 hours into a 15 hour book before getting paywalled.  I would be happy to buy the book at a full price, but there is a 0% chance that I will ever pay for listening time. In any case, I have cancelled my decade-long membership too, not having the option to buy the book is absolutely disgusting.

[generic_username123]

So you can’t buy a book if it’s available “free” with premium? So a 20+hr LOTR book simply cannot be finished in a month without buying more time?? Why not just let us buy it? Such a shame, was hoping to have my audiobook library on Spotify. Just switched to Audible where they actually let me purchase the books I wanna listen to.

[user-removed]

This is a shame, i get worse features being a premium member, sure i get 15 hours but after that why cant it be an option to just buy? I want to avoid audible subscription but after moves like this they just asking for me to go back. 

[hamer51]

there is no excuse to blocking off purchase options from some one who (in your eyes aparently) is buying an unrelated product from you bonus or not . to anyone else looking for the buy options under premium ive yet to see anything not "Included With Premium" in  the Fantasy section atleast.

[UsedHam]

The fact you cant buy more monthly hours or the books that are "included in premium" is a massive loss for spotifys profits. Yes you can buy top ups of 10 hours for approximately $15, but ultimately many books are more then 10 hours long meaning I would spend about $30 for a book that isn't worth that. Along with the tedious task of continuously approving a transaction that leaves you in a cycle of never ending play times that give you 1-2 chapters leaving you frustrated and unfulfilled. JUST LET ME ADD MORE HOURS TO MY MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION OR LET ME BUY THE BOOK. Do it for the selfish reasons every company does, and let me give you my money in a convenient matter.

[Bamart1107]

Yes.  The audiobook feature is terrible.  If it’s based on hours, it should be based on book time, not listening time.  You’re punished for rewinding or falling asleep!

[BrianNelson7]

OK people I was chatting with the support people and went around in circles for almost an hour but got the answer!

I was only given the option to purchase my audiobook when I was not signed into premium. I just wanted to buy one audiobook but it wouldn't give me the option. So I went to an incognito tab and it said $8, that means I pay that and can listen to it as many times as I want without limitations.

What they are counting on is that we are fools and will pay $12/month for premium with only 15 hours of listening time, and $13 for each additional 10 hour top-up forever more.

If you want to buy you have to cancel your premium subscription.