4 years in the past, Spotify’s enterprise was stagnating. Apple had overtaken it as the highest paid music service in the US, losses had been mounting and buyer progress was slowing.

Daniel Ek, the corporate’s chief govt, determined that Spotify wanted to rework from a music service into the every thing retailer for audio. The primary lacking piece was podcasts, a enterprise that has helped enhance advert gross sales.

Now Mr. Ek has set his sights on one other quickly rising medium: audiobooks.

On Tuesday, Spotify stated that it will start providing 15 hours of audiobooks every month as a part of its streaming service for premium subscribers in Britain and Australia. This winter, it should increase the providing to subscribers in the US.

Spotify’s growth into books has the potential to shake up the retail panorama for audiobooks, a fast-growing phase of publishing that has lengthy been dominated by the Amazon-owned audio retailer Audible.

In Mr. Ek’s eyes, Audible’s audiobook dominance is harking back to Apple’s previous management over music and podcasts. Spotify constructed its enterprise by disrupting the music trade with its month-to-month subscription service and podcasts. Mr. Ek stated in an interview that he noticed the potential to do the identical with audiobooks.

“Just like music, one of many large issues is: How do you decrease the friction?” Mr. Ek stated of audiobooks. “How do you allow customers to find superb new audiobooks in a straightforward method?”

Having books on Spotify, which has 220 million premium paying members worldwide, might assist publishers attain an enormous new viewers. Spotify has the instruments to suggest related audiobooks to podcast listeners who’re excited by explicit topics, and to advertise audio titles to Spotify customers who’ve listened to a podcast that includes an writer.

Spotify will even make algorithmic suggestions to customers and share some primary demographic data with publishers, stated David Kaefer, the pinnacle of Spotify’s audiobooks enterprise.

Hachette Ebook Group, whose authors embrace David Sedaris, James Patterson and Donna Tartt, is placing greater than 7,000 books on Spotify.

“I see this as an enormous alternative to be within the firm of Joe Rogan, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé,” stated Ana Maria Alessi, the vice chairman and writer of Hachette Audio.

However there’s additionally concern that Spotify’s plan, which entails experimentation with a brand new enterprise mannequin for e-book gross sales, might upend the profitable and rising audiobook enterprise. Reasonably than pay for every audiobook a buyer begins listening to, the corporate has proposed paying for the period of time that the shopper listens, in line with a evaluate of a writer’s correspondence with brokers, which described the phrases.

The common audiobook lasts seven to 10 hours, Spotify stated, which implies subscribers can take heed to about one and a half books per thirty days, however some common books can run for for much longer. Subscribers can pattern as many books as they need, and heavy customers who need to take heed to extra pays $10.99 for an additional 10 hours of audiobook content material.

Kim Scott, the best-selling writer of “Radical Candor” and a former govt at Google and Apple, is nervous that Spotify’s pay-as-you-listen mannequin might devalue the work that goes into writing a e-book.

The proposal that Spotify has superior is harking back to the best way Apple modified the enterprise mannequin of music gross sales, Ms. Scott stated. Reasonably than shopping for a full album for $10, iTunes customers might purchase particular person songs for 99 cents.

“This isn’t a launch and iterate second for the publishers; it’s a Pandora’s field,” stated Ms. Scott, who had declined when her writer, St. Martin’s Press, requested to incorporate her e-book, “Simply Work,” in Spotify’s streaming service. “Earlier than I did this deal, I’d rent a marketing consultant and ask, ‘Is that this going to usher in new readers or cannibalize present gross sales?’”

A number of publishing brokers shared related considerations however declined to talk on the file due to the sensitivity round ongoing negotiations. The brokers fear that paying publishers for the period of time that individuals take heed to a e-book might eat into profitable à la carte funds and drive different retailers to pursue related fashions.

“Audio has been a significant driver of progress, so having a extra diversified market for audiobooks is an efficient factor,” stated Christy Fletcher, a co-head of the publishing division for United Expertise Company. However she added, “Whereas all of us need to attain as many listeners as potential, there’s a actual threat that this consumption mannequin devalues authors’ work and turns into the norm for all platforms.”

Spotify has struck offers with the 5 greatest publishers in the US in addition to a whole lot of others, together with smaller firms and self-published authors. It would provide a catalog of greater than 150,000 titles to begin. Its agreements with totally different publishing firms differ, and a few publishers are being extra cautious than others. Some large firms like HarperCollins and Penguin Random Home have put their whole audio catalogs in, whereas one other main writer, Macmillan, is beginning with only a fraction of its audiobooks.

Mr. Ek stated he had heard the considerations from authors and publishers however believed that the 15-hour restrict would shield the worth of audio titles whereas drawing in new clients.

“The economics are very favorable to the e-book trade,” he stated. “Everybody acquired on board as a result of they see that finally, for heavy customers, that is going to be a web constructive.”