Audiobooks Will Be the Next Google Service to Ignore (Premium)

Google is apparently launching audiobook support through its Google Play Books app. For some reason.

The search giant doesn’t really cite usage figures for any of its entertainment services, which include movies and TV shows (Google Play Movies & TV), music (Google Play Music), e-books (Google Play Books), and magazines and newspapers (Google Play Newsstand). You can see that these apps are downloaded frequently—some over a billion times—but they come with Android, and I think these figures are suspect. More to the point, I think actual usage is very low. Like all of you, I don’t know of anyone who is an active user of most of those services. (I do use and enjoy Google Play Music, but that is an ephemeral thing—where you subscribe, not buy—with no real lock-in.)

Put simply, my feeling is that these services are actually under-utilized and unpopular, and are internally an embarrassment for the maker of the world’s most popular personal computing platform.

This is an issue I often point out with Windows: The user base size is what it is—over a billion strong in each case—but this audience isn’t particularly engaged. But the reason for the lack of engagement differs between platforms.

On Windows, the issue is that the PC has evolved into a device that it is solely for work. This has resulted in a less dynamic and interesting market for new apps, not to mention a smaller one. And it means that Windows users aren’t typically browsing the Microsoft Store, or the web, looking for new apps: The age-old legacy apps with which we’re all familiar get the job done.

On Android, we do see a more engaged user base. Just not for Google’s entertainment services. People choose Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and many others over Google Play Movies & TV. They choose Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and others over Google Play Music. And Kindle and Audible over Google Play Books and Newsstand. Google just doesn’t garner the same attention for its wares on Android as, say, Apple often does on iOS.

But then why would they?

I’m an avid reader. But my time spent reading digitally doesn’t involve many Google apps. (The one exception is Google Play News, which is a clean, no-frills news app I only use sometimes.) Because … why would it? My time spent reading also doesn’t involve a single Apple app, for that matter. Instead, I choose the best apps, those apps that are front-ends for the best respective ecosystems.

In my case, that means Kindle for e-books and periodicals. Audible for audiobooks. Pocket for the web articles I’ve saved for later. And The New York Times app, because I apparently enjoy being infuriated by Silicon Valley-centric tech reporting.

I do occasionally browse through the content offerings on Google Play, on both mobile and the web. And I have taken advantage of various content deals, like $1 video rentals on Google Play Movies & TV, because there is no harm in saving money on a one-off movie rental. But I have consistently ignored book-related deals because I have zero need for another place to read things. Google Play Books, for example, has been offering $5 off of an e-book purchase for a few weeks now. There is absolutely no way I would ever take advantage of that. Nor should you.

But they keep trying. And according to various reports, like this one in Android Police, Google is launching audiobook support in Google Play Books in various markets, and is offering 50 percent off the first purchase.

I get it. I understand why Google needs to have a foothold in every part of the entertainment services chain. And I will admit that this move makes a lot more sense than Microsoft’s crazy web-based e-book store in Windows 10. But my God. What a waste of time and effort.

As you may know, Apple also offers e-books and audiobooks through its own content store, iTunes. These are offering I will always avoid, and for many reasons: They are over-priced, especially the audiobooks, and they are locked to Apple’s devices, which is insanity.

Google, at least, makes its content apps available everywhere that makes sense. But I refuse to use second-rate services. And you should too.

So I will continue to watch what Google does here, and I’ll continue browsing through Google’s app and content stores in my bored moments. But spending money there is out of the question. We already have the best audiobook app and service in Audible. And I see no reason to give that up just because Google feels the need to compete with its partners.