You Can Now Buy Audiobooks on Google Play

Google has started selling audiobooks on the Google Play Store. Google is keeping things simple, offering a range of audiobooks at reasonable prices. All of which are one-off purchases, with no need to take out a subscription. In other words, Amazon suddenly has some serious competition.

Audiobooks are becoming increasingly popular these days, probably because the hectic lives we lead leave little time to actually sit down and read a book. You can listen to audiobooks while you’re doing other things, which makes them the perfect medium for busy people.

Buy Audiobooks on the Google Play Store

Starting today, Google has added audiobooks to the Google Play Store. Audiobooks are initially available in 45 countries and nine languages, and they can be enjoyed on Android, iOS, the web, and devices powered by Google Assistant, which includes the Google Home smart speaker.

Audiobooks have their own section on Google Play, and Google pulls no punches by headlining it, “Listen without a subscription”. This is an obvious dig at Amazon, which is pushing Audible subscriptions hard. While you can buy individual audiobooks on Amazon, they can be pricey.

https://twitter.com/Google/status/955857956159021056

Google is offering single audiobooks at what it calls “an affordable price”. You can preview books to make sure they’re going to be your bag, and share them with everyone in your family using Family Library. You can also start listening on one device before switching to another.

The biggest boon is the integration with Google Assistant. This means you can say, “OK Google, read my book,” and it will start playing on your phone or smart speaker. You can even set a timer for bedtime by saying, “OK Google, stop playing in 20 minutes,” allowing you time to fall asleep.

Competition Is Almost Always a Good Thing

Competition is almost always a good thing, as it tends to bring prices down. Which is reason enough to welcome Google to the audiobooks business. But it also helps that Google has made the business of buying audiobooks on Google Play and listening to them on your devices so easy.

Are you a fan of audiobooks? What was the last one you listened to? Do you have an Audible subscription? Or do you source your audiobooks from elsewhere? Can you see yourself buying audiobooks from Google Play in future? Please let us know in the comments below!