Pocket has just redesigned their flagship app for the iPad and iPhone for the first time since 2012. They have a more minimalist interface with more white space and a tremendous reduction in information density. If you prefer a dark mode or sepia mode, you can also choose that as your app-wide color scheme. Even the … [Read more...]
Audible now available on Apple Watch
Audible is releasing an update to the Audible App that will allow Apple Watch users to enjoy Audible directly from their devices. This is made possible by Apple’s new operating system, watchOS 5. With the new update, watch users can sync Audible books from their libraries to their watches; play Audible books on the go … [Read more...]
You can now listen to Kobo Audiobooks via Apple Carplay
Kobo has just added Apple Carplay integration for their app and it now allows drivers to listen to audiobooks while on the road. The audiobooks have to be downloaded to an iPhone beforehand, they cannot be streamed or downloaded via the infotainment system. Kobo initially launched their audiobook store late last … [Read more...]
Audible Originals now given away for free to paid subscribers
Audible Originals are hit or miss in terms of quality and in the past these audiobooks were only able to be accessed if you spent one of your precious credits. Amazon has augmented their Originals program and will now make six titles available on the first Friday of every month and you can pick two of them to download … [Read more...]
Scribd fixes a bug that lets you read and listen to everything
Scribd made their algorithm more aggressive last month and started to throttle users more stringently. There was a bug in the system that allowed you to bypass the throatting system when a book or audiobook was added to your saved titles list. You could access dozens of titles in your list and have full access to them … [Read more...]
Walmart has a great price match policy for audiobooks and ebooks
Walmart has recently introduced Kobo e-readers in 1,000 of their retail locations in the United States and they are selling audiobook and ebook gift cards inside 3,500 different stores. One thing that is being underreported is that Walmart has a great price match policy when it comes to digital content. If you see … [Read more...]
Audiobook publishers and retailers are trying to go DRM-Free
The audiobook market is dominated by Audible and in the United States they control 90% of the market. Audible sells audiobooks directly, but they also are the largest distributor to Apple iBooks. When Amazon acquired the company back in 2008 for $300 million and at the time they said they were going to phase out DRM … [Read more...]
Harry Potter: A History of Magic is a new original audiobook
Pottermore Publishing is producing an original audiobook that is going to be titled Harry Potter: A History of Magic. This non-fiction audiobook will reveal some of the hidden stories behind real-world magic and explores some of J.K. Rowling’s magical inventions alongside their folkloric, cultural and historical … [Read more...]
Audible Channels is scaling back on original content
Audible Channels launched in 2016 and primarily comprises of podcasts, audio versions of newspapers, comedy shows and tech news. It is free for Amazon Prime Members and Audible subscribers get full access to all of the content. Channels was designed to draw in new users and hopefully become paid monthly subscribers. It … [Read more...]
Stephen King is going to narrate his next audiobook
Stephen King will be narrating an upcoming audiobook called Elevation, which is a novella and has 144 pages. The book marks King’s return to Castle Rock but strikes a different tone described as “a rebuke to our divisive culture” that’s “joyful, uplifting, and tinged with sadness.” He recorded the audio edition at the … [Read more...]
The Canadian audiobook industry is on the rise
Audiobooks are a booming business; the American Association of Publishers reported that the category now out-earns mass-market paperbacks. Many Canadian publishers are now creating audiobooks using narrators and production companies in Toronto and Vancouver. Companies such as Audible and Kobo are also producing … [Read more...]
Ebook sales decline 3% in first four months of 2018
In the first four months of 2018 publishers revenue increased by $172.8 million (+5.5%) compared to the same period in 2017. Downloaded audio continued its significant growth and revenue for eBooks declined slightly. eBook sales generated $358 million dollars and declined by 3.8% and during the same period last year … [Read more...]