Spotify expands audiobooks to over 180 markets

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0:30explain the same process over and over again to a whole team of editors. If I had Scribe back then, it would have saved me so much time and frustration. Here's how it works. You turn on the extension and go through your process like normal, all while Scribe builds the guide as you go. And while this is happening, don't worry about sensitive information. It's automatically redacted from every screenshot. Plus, anyone following this process can use GuideMe, which is guidance in real time that says where to click every step of the way. Scribe even suggests ways to improve the workflow itself, so it doesn't just help you work faster and more efficiently, it helps you do it better.

1:02To book a personalized enterprise demo, visit scribe.how slash tcdaily. That's s-c-r-i-b-e dot how slash tcdaily. This episode is brought to you by Framer. You know what's absolutely terrifying? A bad website. Or worse, one that doesn't work. Avoid that nightmare and use Framer. Framer is the AI website builder that helps creators, teams, and businesses ship production-ready sites faster than ever while getting every detail right. Prompt, inspect, edit, and publish in one place at a whole new pace. You get a visual canvas, responsive layouts, a built-in CMS, and agents to help bring your vision to life.

1:43No design experience required. I'm thinking about adding a fun little Halloween animation to my website this season. Framer's design tools and agents could help make that idea happen without turning it into a nightmare. See for yourself why thousands are trusting Framer to help build their websites. Learn how you can get more out of your site from a Framer specialist or get started building for free today at framer.com slash fcdaily for 30 % off a Framer Pro annual plan. That's framer.com slash fcdaily. Rules and restrictions may apply. Spotify expands its audiobooks to over 180 markets. I'm Imran Shaikh, and your Daily Crunch featuring three big tech headlines starts right now.

2:24Looks like Apple's working on a new ecosystem of smart home devices via a partnership with LG, Bloomberg has reported. Now the new devices, which include a smart lock, a thermostat, and a doorbell, are designed to integrate with the company's smart home hub, another upcoming product that'll reportedly launch on October 13th. That hub is expected to include a six-inch square display that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. The two companies are also working on a slate of security cameras, including models for indoor and outdoor, as well as a floodlight. The LG devices are expected to be announced, if not formally released, next week too.

3:00TechCrunch reached out to Apple for more info. Interestingly, the devices will reportedly carry the LG brand, despite being developed by both companies. Now, of course, the new products could aptly be read as a swipe at Amazon's smart home offerings which currently include a variety of similar products, including its Ring Home security cameras. Apple has sought to push into new territory with its recent hardware releases. One of those new territories is an expanded smart home presence. Well, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Amazon collects data about you based on what you buy. If you buy a lot of cat litter, Amazon will probably infer that you got cats.

3:37Or if you buy a lot of anti-acne skin products, then Amazon might take a stab you're prone to breakouts. Well, even if we know that Amazon customizes our shopping experiences based on our purchase history, it still comes as a surprise to see all of these personal details laid out in a convenient list, especially when those details get uncomfortably intimate. One Threads user came across the section of her Amazon settings where you can see who the shopping giant thinks you are and alongside more benign assumptions like shops from women's departments and probably owns a shark robot vacuum, she found that Amazon assumes she has flat buttocks.

4:17I stumbled upon a page of assumptions that Amazon has made about me based on my purchases, and I'm literally speechless, an Amazon customer wrote on threads, continuing, I mean, it ain't wrong, but damn, did you have to call me out like that? In less than a day, the post garnered over a million views, including many from users who were curious what their own Amazon profiles might reveal. Well, here's how you can find out. On desktop, you can find this page by hovering over where Amazon says, Hello, your name, in the upper right corner. Then, click Account under the Your Account section. Under the Ordering and Shopping Preferences section, click Your Shopping Preferences.

4:55From here, you can add in information of your own, like your shoe size, interests, and dietary preferences. But we're not here to tell Amazon that it should stop selling you beef jerky since you're a vegetarian. No, we're here to see if Amazon thinks you have flat buttocks. When you scroll to the bottom of the page, no pun intended, you'll see a blue hyperlinked option that says Manage Your Information. Once you click that, you'll see what dirt Amazon has on you. Tech companies know too much about us, and it's jarring to realize just how closely they're paying attention to how we use their platforms.

5:28Now, we live in a world of alarming surveillance, but at least we can find out if Amazon thinks your butt is flat. On Wednesday, Spotify announced that it's expanding audiobook access to over 180 markets worldwide, including regions across Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The rollout is starting today and will continue over the coming months. With this move, more than 750 million users will be able to access audiobooks, allowing Spotify to better compete with both music streaming providers and audiobook apps like Audible. Before this, audiobooks were available primarily in English-speaking markets like the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in Germany.

6:10The audio platform said it has more than 350 ,000 titles for its new markets and has increased its collection to include over 120 languages. With its launch in Spain, users in the country will have access to over 45 ,000 titles in Spanish. As Spotify is working with more than 300 publishers worldwide, including Planeta and Mondadori, to increase the number of titles available in different markets. With a premium subscription, users can listen to 12 hours of audiobooks in eligible countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, Norway, and Peru. People across the world can also purchase an audiobook plus standalone subscription to get access to titles with a 15-hour allowance.

6:51Alternatively, users can buy individual titles directly. Spotify is also adding an Audiobook Plus add-on for student plans in select regions in November. The company said that since its launch last year, Audiobook Plus has gained over 1 million subscribers and has fetched over 100 million in annual recurring revenue for the platform. Spotify said that over the last year, monthly listeners of audiobooks grew by 40 % and listening hours increased by 30%. We now go to the latest in startup business news all in about one minute with our friend, producer Dennis. Thank you, Imran. And a new personal AI assistant has arrived.

7:28Meet Tab, which announced Tuesday that it had officially emerged from stealth at a$300 million valuation. Tab is part of the rising trend of consumer AI assistants like the breakout hit Instinct and Meta's Muse that promise to help people handle everyday tasks like making reservations and booking travel. The product works like this. Users simply text the Tab assistant on iMessage or WhatsApp, whatever they need help with, whether that's ordering groceries or finding presents for a birthday party, and Tab makes it happen. And tech firms are hunting for the user experience that will make an AI personal assistant a must-have product.

8:07Park, a startup founded less than a year ago by serial founder Brett Adcock, is throwing its hat in the ring today with the wide release of Hark Pro. Users can access the service for free with a subscription tier for heavy users. The company sees its mission as building a user interface for AI. The foundation is a model trained specifically for computer use, and that's what HawkPro does. It uses your computer for you. That's perhaps a less ambitious claim than some frontier labs are making, but a little humility goes a long way in winning over users. And folks, that's your Daily Crunch. Today's stories were reported by Lucas Ropek, Amanda Silberling, Ivan Mehta, and more awesome TechCrunch journalists.

8:47We'll see you here tomorrow, same Tech Time, same Crunch channel, and until then, find us at TechCrunch.com.

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