Apps & Consumer
Spotify launches ElevenLabs-powered audiobook creation tool
Spotify is launching an ElevenLabs-powered AI tool for self-publishing audiobooks, aiming to grow its catalog as it is on track to generate $100 million in annualized recurring revenue.
On Thursday, Spotify introduced a new, ElevenLabs-powered AI tool for self-publishing audiobooks within Spotify for Authors, its self-publishing platform. The company announced that the feature will launch in beta this June on an invite-only basis, and it will initially support the English language only. This new tool builds on an existing partnership with ElevenLabs, which previously allowed writers to submit audiobooks created on the voice AI startup’s platform directly to Spotify.
The AI-powered audiobook generation tool will not bind authors to an exclusive contract, meaning they are free to publish their generated audiobooks on other platforms. This setup differs from Spotify’s existing partnership with Google Play Books, which allows for digitally narrated content. Spotify may have wanted authors to access newer voice models that sound more expressive and human-like, such as those offered by ElevenLabs. Notably, ElevenLabs released its own self-publishing platform for authors in 2025.
Alongside the new tool, Spotify is expanding its Spotify for Authors platform to support 10 more languages: French, Canadian French, German, Dutch, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian. The company also plans to expand its Audiobook+ plans, its subscription tier for audiobooks, this year to allow for higher listening limits, with future plans to add options for students and families.
These initiatives come as Spotify scales its audiobook business. To date, the company has clocked in over a million Audiobook+ subscriptions and is on track to generate $100 million in annualized recurring revenue for the platform. Spotify has managed to build its catalog to 700,000 titles. According to the company, it has managed to bump up listening hours by 60% year-on-year, with more than half of its audiobook listeners starting in the last year. Additionally, this year the company started a program for authors to sell physical books in the U.S. and the U.K.
Why it matters
Spotify is scaling its audiobook business by lowering barriers to entry for creators and expanding language support, a strategy designed to grow its catalog and subscription revenue.