"Spotify Introduces $9.99 Standalone Audiobook Subscription"

Spotify introduces a new audiobook subscription tier for $9.99 a month, offering 15 free listening hours but with ads for music and podcasts, prompting criticism for providing minimal benefits compared to the $10.99 Premium plan. The new tier also lacks additional perks for readers and limits listening hours, with an option to purchase 10 extra hours for $12.99. This move has sparked anger in the publishing industry over compensation, as Spotify's payment model for audiobooks differs from traditional methods, potentially resulting in authors being paid less as readers shift from purchasing books to streaming.