Spotify said on Tuesday it is rolling out narrated articles from top publications, including Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vogue, Variety ​and Vanity Fair, for its audiobook users, as the platform ‌diversifies its content.

The Swedish streaming giant will offer more than 650 long-form magazine articles in the English language to users with access to audiobooks.

• Spotify is bringing in more ​content on its streaming platform to boost user engagement and ​better compete with AI music startups such as Udio ⁠and Suno and larger podcast rivals including YouTube and Netflix.
• Spotify co-CEO ​Alex Norstrom said recently that the company has already captured roughly ​20% of the audiobooks market in the United States.
• The curated collection of narrated articles, produced by Spotify’s in-house Audiobooks team, will be under two hours ​in length, according to the company.
• Spotify said premium subscribers can access ​these articles as part of their monthly audiobooks allowance, while free users have the ‌option ⁠to purchase individual articles for $1.99.
• “By bringing shorter form content into the mix, we’re meeting audiences where they are to help build healthy listening habits, ultimately growing engagement with books over time,” said Colleen ​Prendergast, licensing lead ​at Spotify ⁠Audiobooks.
• Since launching Audiobooks just over two years ago, Spotify has expanded the offering into 22 markets, the ​company said.
• Last week, Spotify announced a deal with Universal ​Music Group (UMG.AS), opens new tab ⁠to let subscribers create AI-generated covers and remixes of tracks by some of the label’s artists.
• Spotify also unveiled “Reserved” through a partnership with Live Nation ⁠Entertainment (LYV.N), opens new tab, ​which lets eligible premium subscribers buy ​up to two tickets to their favorite artists’ concerts before they are offered to the general public ​for sale.