Digital book revenue in the United States increased for the second time this year in July 2023. Ebook revenues were up 2.3% for the month compared to July 2022 for a total of $83.7 million, and digital audiobooks remained up at 12.1% for July, coming in at $69.5 million in revenue. Physical Audio was up 4.7%, coming in at $1.0 million.On a year-to-date basis, ebook revenues … [Read more...] about ebook revenue increased by up 2.3% in July 2023
Audiobook News
Project Gutenberg is offering audiobooks powered by AI
Project Gutenberg is one of the best places to download royalty-free ebooks in a myriad of popular formats, such as EPUB and MOBI. The company has millions of monthly downloads and is one of the largest. To broaden access to classic literature, Project Gutenberg partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Microsoft to craft a vast collection of audiobooks using … [Read more...] about Project Gutenberg is offering audiobooks powered by AI
Match the Music and Mood With Spotify’s New “Daylist”
Spotify launches out a new playlist - “The Daylist” for all its free and premium users. This unique playlist is constantly updated throughout the day after assessing the music niche and micro-genres you love to listen to.Moreover, it focuses on how your mood in the day transcends, so should your playlist. It's now available for all users in the US, Canada, the U.K., … [Read more...] about Match the Music and Mood With Spotify’s New “Daylist”
Actor Stephen Fry claiming his Harry Potter audiobook narration used to create his voice clone illegally
There has long been speculation about how AI can be a great disruptor when it comes to audiobook production using artificial human voice instead of using the services of real voice artists. All of those fears seem to be proving true after all, what with British actor and author Stephen Fry claiming how his voice has been cloned digitally without him having an inkling of what's … [Read more...] about Actor Stephen Fry claiming his Harry Potter audiobook narration used to create his voice clone illegally
Francisco Partners and H.I.G. Capital join forces to complete acquisition of RBmedia’s audiobook business
In a strategic move to bolster the audiobook industry, Francisco Partners, a prominent global investment firm specializing in technology and media-focused businesses, has announced its collaboration with H.I.G. Capital and RBmedia's management. This dynamic partnership marks a significant development as it finalizes the acquisition of RBmedia from KKR. With this strategic … [Read more...] about Francisco Partners and H.I.G. Capital join forces to complete acquisition of RBmedia’s audiobook business
Spotify To Offer Paying Subscribers Free Audiobook Trial
Spotify, a leading music streaming company, plans to offer a free audiobook bundle to its subscribers in the coming months, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports. The trial will allow Spotify's paid subscribers to listen to up to 20 hours of audiobooks monthly for free. This reflects Spotify's effort to become a leading platform for audiobooks by partnering with big U.S. … [Read more...] about Spotify To Offer Paying Subscribers Free Audiobook Trial
Audiobook or Reading? Science Shows there is no Difference to your Brain
Life can be busy and finding the time to sit and read isn't easy- but that doesn’t mean you have to go without. Now a day’s many of us enjoy our stories in a variety of different ways; books, eBooks, audiobooks or on our cell phones. A great option is to pop in the ear buds, pop on an audiobook, and carry on cooking dinner, exercising, or puttering around the house. However, … [Read more...] about Audiobook or Reading? Science Shows there is no Difference to your Brain
Storytel ties up with Yettel Bulgaria, aiming bigger foothold in the region
Storytel announced it has entered into a partnership with the Bulgarian telecom operator Yettel Bulgaria which will let it have access to the latters more than 3 million active users, the website SeeNews reported. The Swedish audiobook streaming company currently has more thn half a million audioook to offer, many of which are in the Bulgarian language or have been written by … [Read more...] about Storytel ties up with Yettel Bulgaria, aiming bigger foothold in the region
4 Books Worth Listening As Audiobooks
According to Wordsrated, the audiobook market's worth stands at more than $5.3 billion and is projected to reach $35 billion in 2030. It indicates how, besides traditional reading, people are into other forms like audio-reading as well. Although the numbers are less, the graph is definitely an uptick for people interested in audiobooks.While we are at it, it's worth … [Read more...] about 4 Books Worth Listening As Audiobooks
AI is Shaking the Audiobook Industry. Should Human Narrators Be Worried?
In January 2023, Apple Books launched a catalog of AI-narrated audiobooks. Apple describes its “digital narration” feature as a way to make audiobooks more accessible by reducing the cost and complexity of producing them.Similarly, Google’s engineers created “Mary,” which is a generic female, “Archie” for British accent, “Santiago” for Spanish, and 40+ other AI narrators … [Read more...] about AI is Shaking the Audiobook Industry. Should Human Narrators Be Worried?
Kobo Plus subscription in Australia now includes unlimited access to audiobooks as well
Rakuten Kobo has something nice to offer audiobook fans in Australia. The company just announced its all-you-can-read e-book subscription plan will henceforth include unlimited access to audiobooks as well, TechGuide reported. There is the option of a read-only or a listen-only Kobo Plus subscription plan that costs $13.99 per month. Or, there is the combined plan that will let … [Read more...] about Kobo Plus subscription in Australia now includes unlimited access to audiobooks as well
EVgo Drivers Get a Two-Month Free Trial of Audible Premium Plus
Image credit: EVgo Earlier this month, EVgo announced that its users will be able to access two months of Amazon’s Audible Premium Plus for free. EVgo, the country’s largest public fast-charging network for electric vehicles (EVs), has partnered with Audible to curate this limited-period offer.The premium subscription plan provides EVgo customers and PlugShare users with … [Read more...] about EVgo Drivers Get a Two-Month Free Trial of Audible Premium Plus
Pooks.ai Brings Personalized Books For Readers
Image credit: printersdigest Pooks.ai is a new platform that ensures personalized reading and learning experiences for readers. With this, the platform wants to revolutionize the way readers indulge in the literature and absorb the overall information. Pooks.ai provides both e-books and audiobooks with a touch of personalization.Dr. Bo Bennett, an author and well-known … [Read more...] about Pooks.ai Brings Personalized Books For Readers
Can’t Get Over Oppenheimer? These Five Audiobooks Are a Must Listen
Image credit: slate.com Loved the interesting plot of the movie Oppenheimer? We have picked five audiobooks that you must listen to get, if not completely similar, but close vibes of the 2023 classic: #1 American Prometheus Inspiration to the phenomenal movie Oppenheimer itself, American Prometheus, is the biography of the American theoretical physicist J. Robert … [Read more...] about Can’t Get Over Oppenheimer? These Five Audiobooks Are a Must Listen
Audiobooks Are On The Rise! Does That Mean Traditional Reading Is Fading Away?
Books have been our companions since ancient times. It has consistently encouraged valuable knowledge, vocabulary, and cognitive boost in people while also building empathy and creativity. While traditional reading has been widely adopted by people, it seems like audiobooks are giving nip and tuck competition to the same. In fact, the competition is so tough that there is a … [Read more...] about Audiobooks Are On The Rise! Does That Mean Traditional Reading Is Fading Away?
Audible has a 65% market share for Audiobook Sales in the United States
The Amazon Kindle e-readers are the most popular ones in the world, and in the United States, they represent over 80% of all devices sold. Amazon owns Audible, the most dominant audiobook store. Their audiobook market share in the United States was 63.4% as of 2022. Audiobook sales in the United States were $1.8 billion in 2022. $1.01 billion of this figure was generated by … [Read more...] about Audible has a 65% market share for Audiobook Sales in the United States