Canadians continued to be enamoured with digital audiobooks and ebooks. In 2019, 5% of book purchases were for audiobooks, which is up from 3.6% in 2018. Meanwhile, hardcovers accounted for 24% of purchases, which is down from 25.9% in 2018. Meanwhile paperbacks account for 49% of all book purchases and ebooks continue to grow at 17%.Digital audiobook sales are likely … [Read more...] about Audiobooks and ebooks continue to grow in Canada
Audiobook News
Audible Captions now has a resolution
Audible Captions was a new system where audiobooks would play text, so you could follow along. This is similar to the Youtube system where it plays text, if you have a video muted. Youtube is also launching the same system for their Youtube Music platform. As soon as Audible announced Captions, all of the major publishers filed a lawsuit, saying that it would cannibalize their … [Read more...] about Audible Captions now has a resolution
London Book Fair unveils new Audiobook Summit
Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment in digital publishing. All of the major publishers are very bullish about the format and they are expanding their divisions, producing more content and investing in studio production. In the UK, the London Book Fair has announced they launching the first ever Audio HQ summit. Open to all LBF attendees, the summit will feature insight, … [Read more...] about London Book Fair unveils new Audiobook Summit
Looking for a new audiobook? Check out the Audie Award Finalists
The 25th annual Audie Awards put the spotlight on the best audiobooks from major publishers and self-published authors. The shortlist from a myriad of genres, serves as a recommendation engine for people looking to discover new audiobooks.“It's been an awesome year for audiobooks, with not just a huge boost in popularity but also a substantial increase in the variety and … [Read more...] about Looking for a new audiobook? Check out the Audie Award Finalists
Audiobooks are booming in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom audiobooks are on the rise. New Research by Harris Interactive found that in 2019 15% of Brits listened to an audiobook, while print remains the most dominant force with 77% of the population have read one in the past year. In 2019 audiobook sales increased by 43% and generated £69 million.The average audiobook users are affluent men, aged between 18 … [Read more...] about Audiobooks are booming in the United Kingdom
Marvel is getting bullish about original audiobooks
Marvel and Dreamscape Media announced a deal last year that would turn many of their most popular graphic novels into audiobooks. Over 35 different titles have been converted over into audio and another 10 are planned for 2020.Titles that are currently available include X-Men: Days of Future Past, narrated by Richard Rohan; the first two volumes of Ms. Marvel, narrated by … [Read more...] about Marvel is getting bullish about original audiobooks
Audible has reached a settlement with major publishers for Captions program
Audible Captions was a program that was announced last summer. The system would basically use the existing app and playback an audiobook, while it would be transcribed into text. This is similar to Youtube playing back a video and captions being turned on, so you don't have to have the volume playing, to understand what is going on. As soon as Audible announced it, major … [Read more...] about Audible has reached a settlement with major publishers for Captions program
Don Katz is no longer the CEO of Audible
Don Katz founded Audible in 1995 and turned it from a scrappy startup to the biggest audiobook retailer in the world. He sold the business to Amazon in 2008 for $300 million and remained the outspoken CEO, but it is time for a change. Starting on January the 2nd, media and publishing veteran Bob Carrigan will be the new CEO.Carrigan most recently was executive chairman of … [Read more...] about Don Katz is no longer the CEO of Audible
Amazon Echo devices can now play Apple and Spotify Podcasts
If you have an Amazon Echo product, you can already play audiobooks from Audible, but now you can play podcasts from Apple and Spotify. While you could ask Alexa to play a podcast, by default it would stream the latest episode of a show from TuneIn, and navigating beyond was abysmal and good luck trying to find a 3rd party skill.Apple currently has over 800,000 podcasts … [Read more...] about Amazon Echo devices can now play Apple and Spotify Podcasts
Is an Audiobook Cafe a Dream or a Nightmare?
The world of books is a source of inspiration for several aspects of the entertainment industry and beyond. This includes the leisure and dining sectors too, such as restaurants and cafés. Japan is notorious for the most ingenious venues designed after popular books, manga, and genres in general. For example, Alice’s Fantasy Restaurant in Shinjuku offers the ultimate Alice in … [Read more...] about Is an Audiobook Cafe a Dream or a Nightmare?
2 Polish publishers launch Inverso, an audiobook and ebook store
Two of the largest Polish publishers have just launched an online bookstore that sells audiobooks, ebooks and print titles. Prószyński i S-ka and Czarna Owca have just unveiled Inverso, which gives Polish readers a chance to buy all of the titles they are offering, with minimal friction.Prószyński publishes popular Polish writers, including Katarzyna Puzyńska, Maria … [Read more...] about 2 Polish publishers launch Inverso, an audiobook and ebook store
September was a great month for audiobooks, ebooks and print sales
This past September was a great month for books. Overall publisher revenue for the month was $1.54 billion, an increase of 8.4% as compared to September of 2018. Total sales in 2019 so far were $11.4 billion, an increase of 4.0% over the same period last year.Paper formats once again dominated Trade, accounting for $588.1 million, or 75.2% of the category’s $782.2 million … [Read more...] about September was a great month for audiobooks, ebooks and print sales
