YouTube explores audiobook service to compete with Spotify and Audible

YouTube is reportedly in discussions with book publishers to launch an audiobook service, potentially as early as 2027. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, the platform is exploring ways to integrate audiobooks into its existing subscription model, likely bundling the feature with YouTube Premium.

While Google has offered individual audiobook purchases through the Google Play Store since 2018, this new initiative would represent a shift toward a subscription-based ecosystem. Details regarding the specific structure of the service—such as whether it will offer unlimited listening, a monthly hour allotment, or per-book purchases—remain unconfirmed by Google.

This move would place YouTube in direct competition with established players in the audiobook market, specifically Spotify and Amazon’s Audible. Spotify currently includes audiobook access in its Premium plans and is expanding its global availability. An official audiobook offering could also provide a legitimate commercial alternative to the unauthorized, AI-narrated recordings currently circulating on the platform.