Spotify Takes Audiobooks Global: What It Means for the Thrive Cord Series
On October 7, at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Spotify announced that audiobooks on Spotify are going global. From now through the end of 2026, Spotify is expanding audiobook access from 22 markets to more than 180, which it says will give more than 750 million people around the world the ability to stream or purchase books on Spotify.
For Trevor and me, this news is personal. The Thrive Cord Series audiobooks, in English, Spanish, and Arabic, are available on Spotify. We wrote these books for the listener this expansion is designed to reach: a busy professional who learns best on the move, and ideally in the language they think in.
What Spotify announced
Reach. Audiobook access is expanding from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026, with more than 350,000 titles available to listeners in new markets, including new catalogs in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, and more, spanning over 120 languages.
Audiobooks in Premium. Eligible Premium subscribers receive 12 hours of audiobook listening each month as part of their plan. This option is coming to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway, Peru, and more.
Audiobooks+. Any listener can add Audiobooks+ for extra hours each month, and it is the primary way to access audiobooks in markets across Africa, Asia, and Argentina. Premium Family and Duo members can get 15 hours a month through a recurring add-on, and in November, Student plan users in Ireland, Belgium, Austria, and Finland can add Audiobooks+ as well.
Direct purchase. Listeners who want one specific title can buy it and keep it.
Page Match. Readers can now scan a book’s ISBN barcode and use page numbers to move between print, e-book, and audio. Spotify says more than one million readers have used Page Match since February, and it works in over 30 languages.
Spotify also reported that monthly audiobook listeners grew nearly 40 percent over the past year, that listening hours climbed more than 30 percent, and that Audiobooks+ now has more than one million subscribers. Availability and pricing vary by market.
Owen Smith, Spotify’s VP of Audiobooks, put it simply: “For a lot of people, audiobooks are how they find their way back to reading, on the commute, on a walk, or at the end of a long day. Bringing audiobooks to more than 180 markets means millions more people can discover that, and authors and publishers can reach readers they’ve never been able to reach before.”
Why this matters for the Spanish and Arabic editions
When the Kindle editions were translated into Spanish and Arabic, the goal was to meet readers in their own language. Spotify’s announced market list includes Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru, along with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco. As audiobook access widens, Spanish and Arabic speaking listeners in many of those markets will have a new way to discover books in audio. Availability of any individual title can vary by market.
The Thrive Cord Series on Spotify
Five audiobooks, in three languages, are available on Spotify:
Unlocking the Dream: One Woman's Journey from Doubt to Homeownership (English)
Sarah Malone's journey from doubt about money, credit, and worth to the keys of her own front door.
Thrive in Year One: The New Agent's Guide to Success (English)
The nine strands of the Thrive Cord as a practical playbook for a new agent's first year.
Prospera en el Primer Año: Guía para el Éxito de Nuevos Agentes (Spanish)
Thrive in Year One for Spanish speaking agents.
Desbloqueando el Sueño (Spanish)
Unlocking the Dream, in Spanish.
Thrive in Year One, Arabic Translation: The New Agent's Guide to Success (Arabic)
الازدهار في العام الأول
Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB. No affiliation or endorsement implied.
Each audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. On Spotify, the author credits read Annette DiResta, Brooke Apuakea DiResta, and Trevor Keahi DiResta. You can also search “Thrive Cord” or “Annette DiResta” in the Spotify app.
Prefer print or Kindle
The Thrive Cord Series is published on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions, with the Kindle editions also available in Spanish and Arabic. The Arabic Kindle edition is here. Print editions are carried in the National Association of REALTORS® bookstore and library. See the series on Amazon or visit the NAR bookstore.
The same discipline we bring to every client
Beyond the series, Trevor and I wrote a white paper training program for C.A.R., the California Association of REALTORS®. Writing and teaching sharpen the same skills our clients rely on: preparation, clear counsel, and steady follow through. Whether you are acquiring a private estate in Morgan Hill, a residence in Silicon Valley, or a home in San Francisco, we bring that same discipline to every engagement.
Source: Spotify Newsroom, “Audiobooks on Spotify Are Going Global,” October 7, 2026. Figures, plans, and markets above are as stated by Spotify; availability and pricing vary by market.
A private conversation
If you would like to discuss a purchase or sale, or simply talk books, we would welcome the conversation. Email is the best way to reach us.
Annette DiResta | annette@thedirestagroup.realestate | +1.415.757.7115
Trevor DiResta | sold@thedirestagroup.realestate | 408-710-9082
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