Last updated: 12 October 2026.
Welcome to the first edition of our weekly Spotify roundup for artists, podcasters and authors. The past fortnight brought a big audiobook expansion, a wider rollout of Music Quiz, early data on holiday listening and Spotify’s first live fan festival.
Audiobooks on Spotify are going global
On 7 October, Spotify announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair that audiobooks will expand from 22 markets to more than 180 by the end of 2026, according to its newsroom. Spotify says the catalogue will include more than 350,000 titles in over 120 languages. Listeners will get access through audiobooks included in eligible Premium plans (12 hours a month), the Audiobooks+ add-on for extra hours, or by buying individual titles, with availability and pricing varying by market.
There are new features too. Page Match lets readers scan a book’s ISBN barcode and move between print, e-book and audio by page number. From November, Student plan users in Ireland, Belgium, Austria and Finland can add Audiobooks+. Spotify also stresses that its audiobook partnerships are non-exclusive, so titles can stay on other platforms.
What it means for creators: for authors and narrators, more markets means more potential listeners without giving up other stores. Check how your publisher or distributor handles Spotify. If you host a podcast about books or learning, the audience moving between formats on one app is worth keeping in mind when you plan episodes.
Music Quiz expands to more than 2,000 artists
Spotify’s Music Quiz, which began earlier this year with a BTS edition, now covers more than 2,000 artists, Spotify says. It mixes trivia, album-art reveals and name-that-song rounds drawn from an artist’s catalogue and career, and listeners can share their scores. It is rolling out gradually from 6 October to Premium users aged 18 and over in markets including the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and Australia, in English at first. To find it, play a track by a participating artist and scroll down in Now Playing.
What it means for creators: Spotify has not said how artists are chosen or whether they can opt in. If you are an artist, check whether a quiz card appears on your tracks. If it does, share it with your fans; a quiz score is an easy, low-effort thing for engaged listeners to post and it nudges people back into your catalogue.
Holiday listening has already started
Spotify’s holiday listening report, published on 1 October, says festive tracks are streamed about 36.2 million times a day on average and that users created more than 100,000 holiday playlists in September alone. The global average start date for holiday listening is 30 October, with the US typically picking up in late October and some markets, such as Barbados, starting at the beginning of the month. Older classics still dominate, but newer songs can chart in the current season.
What it means for creators: if you are planning a seasonal single, cover or podcast episode, the time to prepare is now rather than December. Finish your artwork and metadata early, pitch unreleased music to editors through Spotify for Artists well ahead of release, and line up your own playlist and social posts for the weeks when listening rises.
Spotify announces its first fan festival
Spotify has announced the Spotify Superfans Experience, its first global live fan event, which will take place in São Paulo on 23 and 24 January 2027, the newsroom reports. The first line-up is made up of Brazilian artists and podcasts, and Spotify says the event will serve as a blueprint for future international editions. Ticket sales opened to Premium Superfans on 8 October, with general sales from 13 October.
What it means for creators: Spotify is clearly investing in its most engaged listeners. You do not need a festival to do the same: use Spotify for Artists to see where your most active listeners are, and give them something first, whether that is early access to a release, a behind-the-scenes clip or a thank-you post.
What to do this week
- If you have written or narrated a book, confirm how it is distributed to Spotify and in which markets.
- Check your tracks for a Music Quiz card and share it with fans if one appears.
- Set a release plan for any holiday content and pitch unreleased music well in advance.
- Look at your top listener locations in Spotify for Artists and plan one post for those fans.
Getting heard on Spotify starts with good releases and a steady plan, though a little early momentum can help new music reach its first listeners. If that would help your next release, our Spotify services offer gradual delivery and no password needed.