You can now use Spotify to catch up on your magazines in addition to your podcasts and audiobook backlog. The streaming service is introducing long-form magazine articles to audio, keeping you up to date even during your commute.
The initial selection brings more than 650 articles narrated in English from major digital and print publications, including The Atlantic, Wired, and Vogue. Appropriately, music-oriented outlets like Billboard and Pitchfork are available.
Spotify Premium subscribers can use their audiobook allowances to listen to articles at no extra charge. If you prefer the free tier, you can buy articles for $2 each without committing to a subscription.
The company is direct about its intentions: it sees articles as “less intimidating” gateways into listening that could eventually translate into audiobooks. This is a way to boost Premium memberships and audiobook listening time top-ups. For publishers, this brings their work to audiences that might not have the time or inclination to sit down with a magazine or web article.
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No ads on any paid plan
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Starting at $12.99/month, or $6.99/month for students
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The launch of articles is also a not-so-subtle expansion of Spotify’s competition with Apple, which already includes audiobooks, music, music videos, and podcasts.
In this case, Spotify is targeting potential Apple News+ subscribers. That service already offers audio versions of magazine stories, sometimes from the same publishers. In theory, you’ll be more likely to stay with Spotify (or upgrade to Premium) if you like the thought of consuming a thought-provoking feature on your trip home from work.
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Audiobooks and podcasts are also receiving overhauls.
Apple has the advantage of a larger selection given its head start, and you can read those stories on-screen through a single $13 per month subscription instead of paying for separate accounts. You can also bundle News+ with a larger $38/month Apple One Premier plan that includes Music, Apple TV, Arcade, Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage. Spotify has no equivalent all-in-one offering.
However, News+ also requires an Apple device like an iPhone to listen to articles. With Spotify, you can listen on virtually any platform — it’ll be the only choice on Android and Windows. You may prefer Spotify’s article access if you’re either already invested in the service or just want more hardware options.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
