Millions of Spotify owners got a surprise upgrade overnight – check it out now

SPOTIFY has started rolling out audiobooks to UK listeners in a major app upgrade.

Hundreds of thousands of Listen Along books are now available for purchase through the app.

2

2

Audiobooks have been out for US subscribers since September but are now available in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

“Users can buy and listen to a catalog of more than 300,000 audiobook titles,” Spotify explained.

“Whether it’s snuggling up on a rainy afternoon or listening on the go, there’s something for everyone.”

You can find the audiobooks on Spotify alongside music and podcasts as a section in your library.

They also appear in search if you already know what you’re looking for.

And there will also be audio book recommendations in the home section of the app.

Audiobook recommendations are currently made by the Spotify editorial team – but at some point algorithms can also make suggestions.

Listeners purchase books on a one-time purchase basis.

And it is possible to preview the content for free before purchasing.

The full list of books exceeds 300,000 and includes titles by Michelle Obama and Sally Rooney.

It also includes Harry Potter star Tom Felton’s new memoir Beyond The Wang, as well as soccer legend Alex Scott’s autobiography How (Not) To Be Strong.

Unfortunately, there is a massive catch that will inevitably leave users frustrated.

It is currently not possible to purchase audiobooks directly from the app.

If you try to listen to an audiobook that you don’t own, a pop-up will appear saying, “Would you like to listen? You cannot buy audiobooks in the app.

“We know it’s not ideal.”

Spotify doesn’t even link to a website to buy the audiobook.

Instead, you have to manually navigate to the Spotify website in a web browser.

It’s probably an attempt to avoid charging Apple and Google for in-app transactions.

There is no timeline as to when (or if) this will change.

The best tips and hacks for phones and gadgets

Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find these secret features in social media apps? We’ve got you covered…

Get the latest news about WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other tech gadgets here.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science Team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk