Audiobooks now available on Google Play without a monthly subscription

The Google Play Store is already Android's one-stop-shop for apps, games, movies, TV shows, and e-books, and now the digital marketplace is officially stepping into the world of audiobooks. There was a rumor back in November that this was in the works, but now you can head to the Play Store and start listening to your favorite titles.

Audiobooks will be offered alongside e-books within Google Play Books, and they'll be accessible on Android, iOS, and the web. Even better, if you have a Google Home or another smart speaker that's powered by the Google Assistant, you can just say "Ok, Google, read my book" to start listening right away.

In celebration of audiobooks hitting the Play Store, Google is offering tons of titles for $10 or less and is letting you get your very first audiobook for 50% off. Some of the discounted books include Fire & Fury, The Girl on the Train, 1984, and my personal favorite, Ready Player One.

Unlike services such as Audible, Google Play doesn't require a monthly subscription of any kind in order to purchase and listen to audiobooks. For someone that's been curious about trying out audiobooks but doesn't want to worry about another bill, that's a huge plus.

Audiobooks are available on the Play Store now in 45 countries and nine languages.

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Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.