Move over Amazon, physical book sales are coming to Spotify

Spotify hasn’t been shy about stepping into the audiobook space, but a couple of major announcements have audiobook fans and all readers alike drooling. Back in January, Android Authority spotted a bit of code in Spotify that pointed to a new feature called Page Match, a feature that will let users switch seamlessly between audiobooks and their physical counterparts without losing their place. But amidst all this buzz, the company revealed another trick up its sleeve.

Spotify’s officially connecting audiobooks to physical books now — but it also plans to connect physical books to you, too. Today, the streamer announced a new partnership with bookshop.org, an organization that connects readers to independent booksellers worldwide. The collaboration will allow users to purchase physical books directly through the Spotify app, which feels like the last official puzzle piece in bridging the gap between physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. It also feels like another shot to Amazon’s bookstore heart.

Wait, what’s Page Match?

A quick recap

Many readers want to consume their books in multiple formats, usually oscillating between audiobooks and another physical format, like an e-book or even a physical book. No one wants to put a juicy read down, and that’s why Spotify created Page Match — if you spend all night reading a thriller and have to commute to work the next morning, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t bring the audiobook with you in the car speakers.

However, it’s tedious to use the slider to find exactly where your eyes left off and even more dangerous to go back to the physical format — there’s a high chance you encounter spoilers if you flip too far forward. Page Match will effectively eliminate that issue by allowing you to scan a page in your physical book with your phone to find the exact timestamp in the audiobook. The feature supposedly works vice versa, but there will most likely be a few bugs to work out. Even Spotify admits that it probably won’t be perfect.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Open the Spotify mobile app and find the title you’re reading.
2. Tap the Page Match button.
3. Use your camera to scan a page in your physical book.
4. Spotify finds your spot in the audiobook.
5. When you’re ready to return to print, scan again to find the right place in the text.

What Spotify’s partnership with Bookshop.org means

Switching formats is only the beginning

When I first heard that Spotify was going to be ‘selling physical books,’ I admit — I was suspicious. As a physical-book lover, I was worried (yet again) that another media giant was entering the scene to steamroll small bookstores. I only got over Barnes & Noble’s massacre when Amazon rose up out of the depths with its convenient Kindle store.

But then I read more about Bookshop.org and realized the organization’s goals directly align with supporting independent bookstores. Its mission is literally “to help local, independent bookstores thrive in the age of ecommerce.” It also offers itself as a direct alternative to Amazon, which sells about 60 to 70% of all books in the US. Bookshop.org knows that people want to buy their books online because it’s more convenient — it exists to provide a choice that isn’t Amazon.

So, what will a partnership with Spotify include? Users will be able to browse and purchase physical books right on Spotify’s mobile app through Bookshop.org and make it easier to connect their digital discovery to a physical experience — all while supporting independent retailers and authors themselves.

Spotify’s Global Head of Audiobooks, Owen Smith, claims that the streamer’s step into the audiobook space in 2022 has opened ample opportunities for listeners, readers, and authors alike. This partnership takes those opportunities to another level:

We believe the future of reading or listening needs to be flexible and fit more seamlessly into people’s lives… Since launching Audiobooks in Premium, we’ve seen that when books are easier to discover and enjoy, demand grows, making Spotify a real growth engine for the publishing industry and changing how people find their next great read. Now we’re extending Spotify’s discovery and engagement strengths across both audio and physical formats, so authors can build deeper connections with their audiences and books can follow readers wherever they go.

— Owen Smith, Spotify’s Global Head of Audiobooks

It’s a win-win-win — Bookshop.org’s reach expands, Spotify most likely gets a cut of the deals, and local bookstores receive the support they deserve.