YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has reportedly held talks with publishers in recent months about launching an audiobook feature. The offering could be ready as early as next year and may be included with YouTube Premium.
The move would put YouTube in direct competition with established audiobook services, primarily Amazon’s Audible and Spotify. Publishing executives are reportedly open to the idea, which could help them reach YouTube’s large user base and create a new revenue stream. It could also offer an alternative to unauthorized audio versions of books already on the platform.