Google is now selling audiobooks on Play Store, available on iOS as well

Google today announced that it’s Play Store is now carrying audiobooks in addition to existing content such as apps, movies, music, TV shows and electronic ebooks.

Audiobooks on Play Stare are available today in 45 countries and in nine languages.

To celebrate the launch, Google is offering deep discounts on many audiobooks, like “Ready Player One” ($6.99), “Fire and Fury” ($8.99) and “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” ($7.77). To entice customers, they’re even offering 50 percent off your first audiobook purchase.

You can also get a free preview of the audiobook to make sure you’re hooked by the story and enjoy listening to the narrator’s voice.

Audiobooks can be bought without a subscription.

Audiobooks are available through the dedicated Google Play Books app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, and on the web as well, and can be shared with the same Family Library rules that apply to other media content Google sells.

The company today refreshed its Play Books app for iOS with support for audiobooks and iPhone X resolution. To be sure, the app lacks the option to buy audiobooks: you have to do that on the web, then launch the Play Books app to enjoy your purchase.

It syncs your place across devices, allowing you to pick up where you left off on iOS, other mobile platforms or the web. Some of the noteworthy features include the ability to listen to books at up to 2x speed and set a sleep timer for falling asleep at night.

Audiobooks also work globally with Google Assistant on Android (support for Google Assistant on iOS is coming down the road), Google Home and other smart speakers that support Assistant, but only in English to start.

Google explains:

Enjoy your audiobook with your Google Assistant. Just say “Ok Google, read my book” to listen to your favorite audiobook hands free with the Google Assistant on your phone or speaker, like Google Home. Try “Ok Google, who is the author?” if you need a refresher, or “Ok Google, stop playing in 20 minutes” to set a timer for bedtime reading.

Google Assistant on Android Auto in the US will get support for audiobooks, but not at launch.

Grab Google’s Play Books app for iPhone and iPad for free from App Store.