Alphabet's (GOOG) YouTube is in discussions to launch an audiobook feature, according to WSJ

A large platform owner extending into an adjacent media category follows a familiar playbook: monetise the existing audience and creator base rather than build distribution from scratch, which is how prior expansions into podcasts, music and short-form video were sequenced. Discussions-stage reporting of this kind has historically been low-signal for the equity, since the gap between talks, launch and any revenue contribution is long, and the numbers involved tend to be immaterial against group advertising and subscription totals. The more useful distinction is between a paid subscription feature, which would sit inside the existing premium bundle and lift that recurring revenue line, and an ad-supported or storefront model, which spreads economics thinner. The counterparties worth noting are the audiobook incumbents and publishers, since licensing terms have been the binding constraint in past attempts by large platforms to enter rights-heavy categories. Follow-ons to watch are confirmation of deal structure with publishers, any pricing signal relative to the incumbent subscription tiers, and whether management frames it on the next earnings call as a retention play for the premium tier or a standalone revenue line. Until then it reads as strategic positioning rather than a near-term earnings event.