Brief
Spotify’s podcast Partner Program is opening in 35 more markets
Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Poland, and Colombia are on the fall list. This is podcast and video money, not a change to audiobook royalties.
Why it matters. Authors who podcast may get a payout path. Authors who only publish audiobooks should not read this as a Spotify Audiobooks rate change.
On 17 September Spotify’s newsroom said the Partner Program is coming to more than 35 new markets this fall, including Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Poland, and Colombia. Eligible shows can earn from video impressions by Premium listeners and from ads on the free tier. Spotify says creators keep their own embedded sponsorship revenue and can still distribute elsewhere. ALLi’s 22 September summary is the indie-trade note; the primary post is Spotify’s.
TechCrunch, describing Spotify’s earlier 2026 eligibility change, says a show can apply with at least three episodes, 2,000 consumption hours, and 1,000 engaged audience members over 30 days. That is a podcast bar. It is not the Spotify for Authors audiobook tool, and it does not move what an audiobook earns. If you podcast, check whether your country is on the newsroom list before you rebuild a show around it. If you do not, leave the announcement alone.