Spotify Brings AI Audiobook Creation to Authors With ElevenLabs

Music and audio giant Spotify is expanding deeper into the audiobook industry with a new AI-powered creation tool built in partnership with ElevenLabs.

Announced during Spotify’s Investor Day event, the new feature will allow authors to generate AI-narrated audiobooks directly through the Spotify for Authors platform. The company said the tool will launch in beta this June on an invite-only basis and will initially support English-language content only.

Unlike some publishing programs, Spotify confirmed that authors using the AI audiobook tool will not be tied to exclusive agreements. Creators will still be free to distribute their audiobooks on other platforms as well.

The launch builds on Spotify’s earlier partnership with ElevenLabs, which already enabled writers to upload audiobooks generated using ElevenLabs’ voice AI technology to Spotify’s platform.

The latest move brings the audiobook creation process directly inside Spotify’s ecosystem.

Spotify has increasingly focused on expanding its audiobook business over the past few years as competition in digital audio intensifies. The company appears to be betting that advanced AI narration tools could encourage more writers and independent creators to publish content faster and at lower production costs.

Previously, Spotify also worked with Google Play Books to support digitally narrated audiobook content. However, newer AI voice models from ElevenLabs are widely seen as more natural and emotionally expressive compared to older synthetic narration systems.

The timing is notable because ElevenLabs launched its own self-publishing audiobook platform in 2025, quickly becoming one of the leading names in AI-generated voice technology.

Alongside the new audiobook tools, Spotify also announced a major language expansion for Spotify for Authors. The platform will now support 10 additional languages, including French, Canadian French, German, Dutch, Latin American Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian.

Spotify is also planning to upgrade its Audiobook+ subscription plans later this year. The company said future versions will include higher listening limits and additional plan options for students and families, though pricing details have not yet been revealed.

According to Spotify, the audiobook segment has already become a meaningful business opportunity for the company. The platform has surpassed one million Audiobook+ subscriptions and is reportedly on pace to generate around $100 million in annual recurring revenue.

The company also introduced new AI-powered discovery tools during the event. Users will soon be able to search for audiobooks using natural language questions instead of traditional keyword searches. Later this summer, Spotify will also expand its AI playlist-generation tools so users can create prompt-based audiobook playlists similar to existing music and podcast playlist features.

Spotify’s audiobook catalog has grown rapidly and now includes roughly 700,000 titles worldwide. The company has invested heavily in international expansion, non-English audiobook content, audiobook charts, and in-app purchasing systems.

Earlier this year, Spotify also launched a program allowing authors to sell physical books in both the U.S. and the U.K., signaling broader ambitions beyond streaming alone.

The strategy appears to be working. Spotify claims audiobook listening hours on the platform have increased by 60% year-over-year, while more than half of its audiobook listeners joined within the past year alone.

As AI-generated narration becomes more advanced, Spotify’s latest move could significantly lower the barrier for authors looking to enter the growing audiobook market.

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