Speaking at PARIX Audio Day 2026 in Madrid on 19 February 2026, Duncan Bruce explains how Spotify is attempting to make books part of listeners’ everyday routines. With music, podcasts and audiobooks available in the same application, the platform can introduce books to people who might not actively seek them through a dedicated reading service.
Bruce reports strong audiobook growth on Spotify, particularly among listeners under 35. He presents audio as a way to support reading rather than compete with printed books. Spotify’s partnership with Bookshop.org similarly connects audiobook discovery with physical-book purchases while supporting independent booksellers.
The presentation focuses on Page Match, a feature designed to move readers between a printed book and its audiobook. A reader can scan the page where they stopped, continue from the corresponding point in the audio edition and later locate the correct printed page. Recaps provide personalised reminders when listeners return to a book after an interruption.
These tools seek to remove friction between formats and keep readers connected to a story throughout the day. For authors and publishers, Bruce argues, greater continuity can improve completion, engagement, recommendation and discovery. The future of reading is therefore presented as an integrated experience in which print and audio reinforce one another.
Original title: El libro reinventado: un futuro sin fricciones
