Spotify has long been a popular choice among music lovers and podcast enthusiasts. Recently, the platform has rolled out a feature for audio books as well, but it’s currently not living up to the expectations of avid listeners of the genre. Here’s why:

Limited Collection

Unlike its extensive music and podcast library, Spotify’s collection of audio books is limited. The platform has partnered with only a few publishers and mostly include popular titles, which leaves out lesser-known and indie ones that are just as valuable. For avid readers, this narrow selection is a significant downside because they’re not able to find the books they’re interested in.

No Sorting Option

Another issue is the absence of a sorting option. Spotify’s audio book feature does not allow users to sort books based on categories like fiction, non-fiction, biography, memoir, etc. For those reading to gain knowledge, looking for a particular type of book can be challenging.

No Bookmarks

Listeners streaming audio books on Spotify must remember their stopping point within the book manually. There’s no possible way to mark the place in the book where they previously left off, making it hard to pick up again. This feature is often expected in audiobooks as it’s easy to lose track of time and progress when you aren’t physically sitting down with the book.

No Sleep Timer

A sleep timer is a critical tool in any audio book app. With this feature, users can set a timer that pauses the book after a set period, usually when they’re nodding off while listening. This is a desired feature, especially when listening to books in bed or at night. Unfortunately, Spotify’s audio book feature doesn’t offer it.

No Speed Control

Many people are familiar with adjusting the speed when listening to audiobooks, speeding up when the narrator speaks too slowly or slowing down when it’s too fast. Unfortunately, this popular feature is absent in Spotify’s audio book feature. The platform has not yet integrated this capability into the audio book feature, leaving it behind its competitors.

In conclusion, as Spotify’s audio book feature lacks many of the essential tools, avid listeners of audiobooks will likely search elsewhere to find their books. While Spotify may have plans to improve or update its audio book feature in the future, it’s not currently the best place for audiobooks. For now, its best to stick to other audio book platforms that cater to the needs of audiobooks listeners better.