“Read more.” Every year it’s one of the more popular New Year’s resolutions. But with all the time spent battling traffic, working out, or picking up groceries, there often doesn’t seem to be a minute to simply sit down with a book.
With audiobooks on Google Play, rolling out today in 45 countries and nine languages, you can turn your time stuck in traffic, on the treadmill, or waiting in line into reading time. Find your next great read at an affordable price, and enjoy it across Android, iOS and the web with Google Play Books, as well as on devices that include the Google Assistant, like Google Home and many others (where available regionally.) Here’s what you need to know:
- Listen without a subscription. On Google Play, you can buy a single audiobook at an affordable price, with no commitments. You can also get a free preview of the book to make sure you’re hooked by the story and enjoy listening to the narrator’s voice.
- 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. For now, the Google Assistant integration with audiobooks is available on Android phones and smart speakers globally in English.
- Weave reading into your day across multiple devices. Start your morning by listening to “Ready Player One” with the Assistant on supported Android phones, and continue listening on your laptop when you have a few moments of downtime during the day. You can pick up where you left off no matter what device you're using, with the Assistant or the Google Play Books app—on Android, iOS, Chromecast, Android Wear, Android Auto or even your laptop.
Now whether you want to dig into a continent-spanning tale with Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Unaccustomed Earth,” learn “Astrophysics For People In A Hurry” from Neil Degrasse Tyson, or kick back with a comedy like Chetan Bhagat’s “One Night At The Call Center,” all you have to do is select and settle into the sounds of your new favorite book.
Posted by Greg Hartrell, Head of Product Management, Google Play Books
