The news comes from Spotify, which is experimenting with a new feature capable of transforming written articles into audio content that can be listened to directly on the platform. At first glance, this may seem like a natural evolution of its podcast offering. In reality, it opens up a much broader reflection on our relationship with information.
If an article has to become audio content to reach its audience, does it really mean that we are stopping reading?
Information isn’t decreasing, it’s changing shape
For years, people have discussed the decline of reading and the growing difficulty of keeping people’s attention. Books, newspapers, and in-depth articles seem to be struggling more and more to find space in our daily lives, while podcasts, audiobooks, and short videos continue to grow.
But perhaps the right question is not whether people are reading less.
The real question is: how do people get informed today?
Access to information has never been easier. Every day, we are exposed to an enormous amount of content: news, newsletters, videos, social networks, podcasts, streaming platforms, and artificial intelligence tools. Information is not lacking. Attention has become a scarce resource.
The attention economy
We live in what many scholars call the “attention economy.” In a context where content is practically infinite, the real value lies not in producing information, but in capturing people’s time.
Today, an article does not compete only with other articles.
It competes with a smartphone notification, an Instagram Reel, a group chat, a TV series, or a podcast listened to during the commute to work.
For this reason, platforms are rethinking how content is distributed. The goal is not to replace reading, but to adapt to new consumption habits.
Audio represents a concrete response to this transformation. It allows people to stay informed while driving, exercising, or carrying out other daily activities. The content remains the same, but the way it is consumed changes.
Are we really reading less?
The common perception suggests yes, but the phenomenon is more complex.
Today, we read constantly: messages, emails, posts, notifications, online articles, and digital content of all kinds. What seems to be decreasing is the time devoted to deep, focused reading.
Long-form reading requires undivided attention, a resource that is increasingly difficult to find in a daily life characterized by constant interruptions.
This is precisely where tools such as audio articles find their place. They do not necessarily replace reading; rather, they seek to make use of moments in the day that would otherwise go unused from an informational perspective.
An opportunity or a risk?
This transformation brings obvious opportunities. Making content accessible through multiple formats means reaching different audiences and adapting to people’s needs.
At the same time, an important cultural question emerges.
Reading and listening are not identical experiences. Reading encourages concentration, reflection, and deeper understanding. Listening is often more immediate and flexible, but it may occur while attention is divided among multiple activities.
The challenge of the coming years will therefore be to find a balance between accessibility and depth, between speed and comprehension.
The future of information is multi-format
Spotify’s experiment reflects a trend that goes far beyond the world of audio. People are not necessarily abandoning information; they are changing the way they consume it.
For media organizations, companies, and professionals, this means rethinking content through an increasingly multi-format approach. An article can become a podcast, a newsletter can turn into a video, and a research report can be summarized into interactive content.
The point is not to choose between text, audio, or video.
The point is to understand where people’s attention is today and how to create content that generates value regardless of the format.
Because perhaps we are not stopping reading.
We are simply learning to stay informed in a different way.
