Audiobooks have certainly picked up attention over the years, and Google is finally jumping on board the idea.
Announced today, Google Play Books now offers support for audiobooks. Google Play Audiobooks is available beginning today in 45 different countries, and it supports nine languages out of the gate. These are subscription-free options, so you will be able to buy individual books as you see fit. To help customers pick up their first title, Google is offering 50% off the purchase of a customer’s first audiobook.
Google is also offering discounts on popular titles like Ready Player One, which is now priced at $6.99, and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, which now costs $7.77. Audiobooks fall under the media that can be shared through Google’s “Family Library” feature, too, so multiple users under the same family designation can enjoy the audiobook if they want on their own time.
The company is also announcing that Google Assistant works with audiobooks as well. Just say, “Okay, Google, read my book,” and the Assistant will start off right were you left off, or start from the beginning if you haven’t started yet. Google Assistant support is only in English for now, and Google says that audiobook support with Assistant is coming soon to Android Auto in the United States.
Google Play Audiobooks supports syncing across devices, so you can pick up where you left off on multiple devices. It also supports reading at 2x speed, and sleep timers. It supports iOS, Android, and the web.
As mentioned above, Google Play Audiobooks is launching today in 45 countries with support of nine languages.