In-App Purchases Are Changing for Spotify Users on iOS

If you use Spotify to listen to audiobooks on your iPhone, you now have fewer hurdles to clear to purchase and download titles to your device. Apple has approved an update that allows Spotify users to view pricing and buy individual audiobooks as well as add "top-up" listening hours right from the iOS app.

How in-app purchases are changing on iOS

This change is the outcome of a recent court ruling that requires Apple to allow app developers to provide links to external sites outside of the App Store to make purchases. Previously, users had to seek out where to sign up for subscriptions—in an external browser, for example—or potentially pay a premium price to cover the App Store's 15 to 30 percent cut.

In response, Spotify quickly updated its iOS app with links to its various subscription options under the Premium tab, which previously had simply acknowledged that such subscriptions existed and that users could find sign-ups through their web browser.

How to purchase audiobooks on Spotify

With the update, users will now see a Buy button under individual titles in the iOS app and will no longer need to make purchases on Spotify's web player before returning to mobile to listen.

Spotify includes 15 hours of use-it-or-lose-it audiobook listening time with Premium plans and the separate Audiobooks Access subscription—you can now add "top-up" listening hours within the app as well. To manage your listening time on mobile, go to Profile > Settings and privacy > Account > Plan name > Manage audiobook time. Top-ups cost $13 for 10 hours.

Finally, if Spotify isn't your go-to, check out our top picks for audiobook services.

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