Free Audiobooks Not Available Even With Premium Account

[LeeMc]

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

Mobile

My Question or Issue

Recently the free Audiobooks for premium members plan started. I went to try it out as I have a premium account and it states "locked" and mentions how I have to pay for the content. I've asked my friends and family and everyone else seems to be able to access the free Audiobooks, so I'm just wondering why I'm locked out.

I pay for Spotify yearly with their gift card option (buying a card from the supermarket and inputting the code instead of providing my bank details), and I was wondering if maybe this is the reason why I'm locked out? But if that's the case, I find it incredibly unfair as I'm still paying for my premium membership rights. Anyone else having issues accessing the content?

[Skinner2]

Anyone found a solution to this? I've reached out to support but still no solution. I've done a clean reinstall on my phone and I still can't listen to anything (I can only purchase books).

[syvil]

This doesn't help me, I'm afraid. I am the premium manager for my family, I've tried the apps on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and even the browsers on those devices. I can't see any audiobooks I can listen to. Are they released in Ireland?

[Alexred20]

What a stupid implementation, only allowing one member of a duo account or family account to access the audiobooks. Announcing audiobooks without making this huge limitation clear has wasted the time of thousands of people, damaging their relationship with Spotify. Totally dumb.

[child-of-chaos]

For those people that have paid annually:

Go into your subscription and sign up to premium individual by adding a card / PayPal to your account.

This will set up auto billing for when your annual runs out (you can still add another annual to your account before hand)

This will give you access to the audiobooks. The issue is the system doesn't see you as having an active subscription.

[minimax333]

@child-of-chaos I can't believe this worked. Super thanks for this!

In my case, I had to *cancel* my existing Premium Subscription, then I could go back into the account and subscribe to Premium again using the existing saved card.

Quick and easy, just silly.

I'll still only be next billed next year as my gift card months are still active.

[tailslide1970]

I am the premium family manager.. all books show up as locked on the iOS app and they all have a purchase price on the website.

[Misty_demure]

I have tried this on moth the lap top and phone, I still am being told to pay. The best I can appear to work out is that I have to wait until my first payment after 3 October to be eligible - despite absolutely everything telling me I am eligible and encouraging to check out certain audio books This means I have tried everything and need to spend another week in limbo before testing my access as my subscription was paid on 3 October. It has been a complete debacle.

[LiamAlex89]

How did you even reach out to someone?! Deleted and reinstalled on two separate devices and still nothing...

[jonathanaddams]

• None of the below information is required. However, the more you provide the easier it will be for us to try and help.

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

Samsung S10

Operating System

ANDROID

My Question or Issue

My wife and I havea premium duo account. Audio books that are available as part of premium play fine on my phone, but show as locked on hers.

I've tried restarting her app, and ensuring she's logged in on the account that's connected to our premium subscription.

Do you know how to resolve this please?

[Maxim]

Hey @jonathanaddams,

Thanks for coming to the Community.

Right now, Audiobooks in Premium is available only on select plans and is limited to plan managers.

This means if someone joined a Duo or Family plan as a member, they won’t have access to the free listening time, but this is something that will be explored in the future to allow Family and Duo users to have more flexibility from their audiobooks access 🙂

For more info, you can also visit the following Newsroom article: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-10-03/audiobooks-included-in-spotify-premium/.

Hope this clears things up!

[minimax333]

@Maxim Not the same issue! This thread is for gift card / annual subscription related issues. Stop polluting this thread with unrelated non-issues.

[jomo3]

I deleted the spotify app from all my devices and reinstalled the app and restarted devices . That seems to have worked for me, as I can now see & hear unlocked audio books.

[ronster100]

Exactly the same here.

[spookywitch]

Wow, how nice of Spotify to allow you to pay extra for access for two people but then only allow one person to have a feature... I also have Premium Duo and am having the same issue.

[syvil]

I’m becoming very aware that this thread is a lot of users trying anything and everything to use the service they were promised but as yet not a single Spotify employee with potential fixes or solutions to what is clearly a defect in their application.

[isobelj1]

Thanks for the advice! I am also an annual gift card individual premium member... I added a payment card to my account but still no included audiobooks. What WORKED was buying a one month gift card and applying it to my account - the free audiobooks magically appeared! I felt too nervous to cancel and resubscribe, in case I lost playlists, or my prepaid months... Hope this helps someone!

[MusicMeGusta]

So true - what’s the point of these threads if Spotify can’t take a little  time to help a bunch of paying customers with the same problem. 

[Cmcg16]

Didn't delete your downloaded music?

[jomo3]

I don't know, It probably would have deleted downloads. (Google it or ask on this forum to find out) I only stream , and dont DL music , so it isn't an issue

[syvil]

Turns out this is only available in the UK, USA, and Australia so I can’t get this no matter what. Good luck to those trying to figure this out in those 3 countries.