YouTube Considers Audiobooks for Premium Subscribers in 2027

YouTube is considering adding audiobooks to YouTube Premium in 2027, potentially expanding existing subscriptions with a monthly title to keep and a rotating listening library.

The company has reportedly held discussions with book publishers in recent months. Google/Alphabet had not publicly commented on the possible expansion at the time of writing.

Proposed audiobook access

The proposed offering would give Premium subscribers audiobook access through their current subscriptions. Features under consideration include:

• One audiobook per month for subscribers to keep permanently.
• An “all-you-can-listen” library with a rotating selection of titles.
• Listening tools, including bookmarks.

The launch would reportedly coincide with action against unauthorized audiobooks available on YouTube.

Earlier in October, Spotify announced its own audiobook expansion and disclosed “more than one million Audiobooks+ subscribers” and approximately $100 million in annual recurring revenue.

Bundling and video formats

The possible expansion comes during the Phonorecords V rate-setting proceedings. Whether adding audiobooks to Premium would substantially change the calculations used for subscription bundles remains unclear.

YouTube already hosts “video audiobooks,” which pair narration with animation, on-screen text or both. Some of these uploads have attracted sizable audiences.

Spotify has also included visual elements in certain audiobooks for years.