Does Google have an audiobook subscription?
Audiobook subscriptions have become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing listeners access to a vast catalog of audiobooks for a monthly fee. Major players in the audiobook subscription market include Audible, Scribd, and Apple Books. The audiobook industry as a whole has experienced rapid growth, with revenue more than doubling from $2.1 billion in 2013 to $4.8 billion in 2020.
As Google has entered into many content markets from books to music, there has been speculation that the tech giant may launch its own audiobook subscription service. Google already allows users to purchase audiobooks through its Google Play Store. However, it does not yet offer an “all-you-can-listen” subscription option. An audiobook subscription could leverage Google’s massive user base and cloud infrastructure to disrupt the audiobook market.
The Rise of Audiobook Subscriptions
The audiobook market has been growing rapidly in recent years. According to Grand View Research, the global audiobook market was valued at $5.36 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 26.3% from 2023 to 2030.
A major driver of audiobook growth has been the rise of audiobook subscription services like Audible, Scribd, and Storytel. Audible, owned by Amazon, is the dominant player with over 60% market share in the US according to Good e-Reader. For a monthly fee, subscribers get credits to redeem audiobooks from Audible’s extensive catalog. The convenience and affordability of subscription services has made audiobooks more accessible to consumers.
Other companies are also vying for market share in the audiobook subscription space. Scribd offers an ebook and audiobook subscription, while Storytel is popular in Europe. As the audiobook market continues to grow, subscription services have emerged as a preferred model for consumers to access and enjoy audiobook content.
Google’s Entry into the Audiobook Market
Google entered the audiobook market in early 2018 with the launch of audiobooks on Google Play Books. Google Play Books was originally launched in December 2010 as an ebook store and reading app across Android, iOS, and the web (1). In January 2018, Google announced it was adding audiobooks to the Google Play Books platform, allowing users to buy, download and listen to audiobooks directly within the app (2).
The addition of audiobooks expanded Google Play Books beyond just ebooks and enhanced it as a centralized hub for digital reading and listening. It gave existing Google Play Books users access to audiobooks alongside their ebook libraries. The Google Play Books audiobook catalog contains over 100,000 titles from top publishers (3). Users can buy individual audiobooks a la carte or subscribe to an audiobook subscription service.
However, Google Play Books does not currently offer an unlimited, Netflix-style audiobook subscription service. Rather, the subscription option gives credits each month to redeem for audiobook purchases. So while Google now competes in the audiobook market, its offerings differ from comprehensive subscriptions like Audible or Scribd.
Sources:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play_Books
(2) https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/01/23/google-play-books-web-gets-full-fledged-audiobook-store-new-reading-features-coming-android/
(3) https://support.google.com/books/answer/7684529
Speculation About a Google Audiobook Subscription
There has been some speculation that Google may launch an audiobook subscription service to compete with Amazon’s Audible. In early 2018, Google launched audiobook sales on Google Play, allowing users to buy individual audiobooks (source). This led some industry analysts to wonder if a subscription offering may be next.
In a 2018 article, Forbes discussed the potential benefits of Google offering an unlimited audiobook subscription compared to Audible’s model of one credit per month (source). The article notes that Google has the technical infrastructure in place and a large user base to quickly compete in the market.
There has also been speculation that Google could bundle an audiobook subscription into its existing services, such as YouTube Premium or Google Play Music. However, Google has not made any official announcements about plans for an audiobook subscription at this time.
Benefits of a Google Subscription
If Google were to offer an audiobook subscription service, there are several potential benefits for consumers compared to buying individual audiobooks. The main advantage would likely be cost savings. For avid listeners who get through multiple audiobooks per month, a subscription model with unlimited access for a flat monthly fee could be cheaper than paying the retail price for each title.
Subscriptions also provide convenience and flexibility. With unlimited access, users can listen to as many audiobooks as they want without restrictions. They can sample books freely and move between titles without financial considerations. This allows for spontaneous listening without having to purchase each book upfront.
Additionally, a Google audiobook subscription could potentially provide a larger catalog size compared to competitors like Audible. Given Google’s vast resources and technical capabilities, its library could be more extensive and include more exclusive or hard-to-find content. Along with cost savings, a huge selection of titles would be a major draw for subscribers.
Finally, some speculate that Google could leverage its personalization and recommendation engines to provide better suggestions and discovery of new audiobooks based on users’ listening history and preferences. This curation could enhance the experience and help users find their next favorite audiobook.
Challenges and Obstacles
While Google’s potential entry into the audiobook subscription market could shake up the industry, the company faces some significant challenges in competing with the current giant, Audible.
Amazon’s Audible, founded in 1995, has become the dominant player in the audiobook space. According to The Ticker, Audible accounts for about 41% of the US audiobook market. Audible has over 475,000 audiobook titles and exclusivity agreements with many popular authors.
One of Audible’s key advantages is its extensive audiobook catalog, especially exclusive titles. As noted by Libro.fm, Audible has struck deals with publishers and authors for exclusive distribution rights. This means many popular titles are only available on Audible. Google would need to find a way to match or exceed Audible’s catalog breadth to truly compete.
In addition, Audible benefits enormously from being owned by Amazon. As HowToBe247 points out, Amazon can promote Audible extensively to its huge customer base of over 200 million. Google lacks this built-in cross-promotion advantage.
Overall, competing with Audible’s entrenched position, vast catalog, exclusivity deals, and Amazon ownership presents major hurdles for Google. The company would need to make substantial investments and innovations to gain significant market share.
Impact on the Audiobook Industry
The entry of a major tech player like Google into the audiobook market could significantly disrupt the current landscape. As per recent reports, the audiobook industry has been steadily growing, with over $1.8 billion in revenue in 2022. Currently, Amazon’s Audible dominates the market with an estimated 90% market share. Other players like Apple Books and Spotify have made some inroads but have not dented Audible’s dominance.
If Google were to launch a subscription service, it could pose a serious threat to Audible given Google’s massive reach, technical expertise, and financial resources. Google has the potential to rapidly scale up and acquire exclusive content. It can leverage YouTube’s audiobook samples and Google search to direct traffic to its service. Google could potentially integrate it across its ecosystem spanning Android, Google Assistant, Chromecast, and more. This cross-platform integration can make it highly accessible to users.
Overall, Google’s entry could spur more innovation and choice for consumers while challenging Audible’s stranglehold over the market. However, it remains to be seen if Google would commit to audiobooks for the long haul and invest the necessary resources to carve out a meaningful market share.
Google’s Track Record Launching New Services
Google has a strong track record when it comes to launching new subscription services. In recent years, they have introduced several successful subscription offerings including YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, Google One cloud storage plans, and Google Workspace productivity subscriptions.
According to success stories from Google, publications like Business Insider have been able to grow their subscription revenue significantly using Google’s subscription tools and analytics. Other Google Cloud customers have also seen great success, with many case studies available on Google’s website.
While not all of Google’s new initiatives have been major hits, their track record indicates they know how to build and market products that consumers are willing to pay for on an ongoing basis. Given Google’s expertise in data analytics and user experience, they are well positioned to create a compelling audiobook subscription.
What We Know So Far
Google entered the audiobook market in 2018 with the launch of audiobooks on Google Play Books (https://play.google.com/store/books/category/audiobooks?hl=en_US&gl=US). This allowed users to purchase individual audiobook titles through the Google Play store. At launch, there were no subscription options available.
In 2022 and early 2023, rumors and leaks started emerging about Google testing and preparing some type of audiobook subscription service. Specific details have been limited, but the subscription is rumored to be called Google Play Audiobooks Membership.
Based on the leaks, it appears Google is aiming to compete directly with Amazon’s Audible by offering a similar all-you-can-listen subscription model. The Google subscription may allow unlimited access to audiobooks in the Google Play store without having to pay per title.
Google has not officially confirmed or announced anything related to an audiobook subscription. The launch is still speculative at this point. However, given Google’s resources and its proven success with subscriptions like YouTube Premium and Google One cloud storage, an audiobook offering seems within reach.
The Bottom Line
Despite speculation and hope for a Google audiobook subscription service to compete with Amazon’s Audible, Google has not yet announced plans to offer an all-you-can-listen audiobook subscription. As of January 2018 when Google launched audiobook sales on Google Play, audiobooks can only be purchased individually without a subscription.
When Google entered the audiobook market in 2018, they did so without a subscription model, allowing customers to buy single audiobooks at affordable prices instead (https://blog.google/products/google-play/ok-google-read-my-book-introducing-audiobooks-google-play/). This contrasted with Audible’s popular but more expensive audiobook subscription service through Amazon.
While many speculated Google may add a subscription later or use it to promote Google Home devices, so far Google has stuck to selling individual audiobooks without a monthly fee. There are advantages and disadvantages to this model, but it indicates Google currently has no plans for an audiobook subscription platform.
So in summary, despite high interest and speculation over the years, Google does not currently offer an all-you-can-listen audiobook subscription service to compete with Audible. Google allows customers to buy single audiobooks on Google Play, but there is presently no “Netflix for audiobooks” subscription option.