There are dozens of companies operating in the digital library space such as Baker & Taylor, Hoopla, LexisNexis, Overdrive, RBDigital, or Zinio. These guys primarily power the audiobook and ebook collections at your local branch. Some of the bigger libraries deal with more than one company, which has a huge impact on the number of titles available. What company does your local … [Read more...] about What Digital Company does your local library deal with?
Audiobooks
Amazon Provides Some Interesting Holiday Statistics on Audiobooks and Ebooks
Every year Amazon pushes out a press release that talks about the top trends of the Christmas season and also what were the most popular items. Many media outlets have talked about how Alexa sales went through the roof this year or what electronics sold the most units. Lost in the shuffle were a number of audiobook, ebook and Amazon Bookstore statistics that go far beyond the … [Read more...] about Amazon Provides Some Interesting Holiday Statistics on Audiobooks and Ebooks
Can we train ourselves to listen to audiobooks at double speed?
Most audiobook players have three different speeds; 1X which is the default, 0.5 half speed and 2x which is double the speed. Companies like Audible have even increased the speed, due to user demand and can listen to an audio title at 3x the normal speed. These are just the normal speeds that most apps support, there are various degrees that can augmented, such as 1.7. Many … [Read more...] about Can we train ourselves to listen to audiobooks at double speed?
Audiobook Sales Increased 27.6% in August 2017
The American Publishers Association just just posted their bookselling results from January to August 2017. Audiobooks had another strong month with revenues up 27.6% in August 2017 compared to August 2016, and was up 30.2% year-to-date. eBooks continued to decline overall compared to August 2016 -7.1%, and are down year-to-date -5.3%. Revenues for print book formats were … [Read more...] about Audiobook Sales Increased 27.6% in August 2017
Global Audiobook Trends and Statistics for 2018
Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment in the digital publishing industry. The United States continues to be the biggest market for the audio format and in 2017; there was over $2.5 billion dollars in sales, which is a slight increase from the $2.1 billion generated in 2016. Michelle Cobb of the Audiobook Publishers Association stated, “26% of the US population has listened … [Read more...] about Global Audiobook Trends and Statistics for 2018
Amazon Kindle Oasis 2 Review – 2017
The second generation Amazon Kindle Oasis is now available and this is the first e-reader larger than six inches since the Amazon Kindle DX, which was released in 2009. This device is also waterproof, dustproof and has Bluetooth to play audiobooks purchased from Audible. I believe that this is the best e-reader Amazon has ever made. Hardware The new Kindle Oasis … [Read more...] about Amazon Kindle Oasis 2 Review – 2017
Audible will soon be available on all Kindle e-Readers
Amazon is preparing a firmware update that will allow users to purchase audiobooks directly from Audible and listen to them on the Kindle. The first generation Kindle Oasis and entry level $79 Kindle will unlock the Bluetooth chip and introduce an audiobook player. These two models do not have a headphone jack but you will be able to hook up a pair of bluetooth headphones or a … [Read more...] about Audible will soon be available on all Kindle e-Readers
UK Publishers are Bullish on Audiobooks
Publishers in the United Kingdom are generating significant revenue when it comes to digital books, but audiobooks still have a long way to go. Just over half of UK publishers have seen growth in revenue from digital sales in the last year and ebooks now account for 33% of total sales. One in four publishers saw the biggest year-on-year growth from audio, many publishers … [Read more...] about UK Publishers are Bullish on Audiobooks
BBC is Launching Interactive Audiobooks for the Amazon Alexa
Audiobooks is a multi-billion dollar industry and many publishers are generating significant revenue from the format. One of the most untapped markets for audio content is the Amazon Alexa and the BBC is hoping to remedy this issue. The BBC has teamed up with Rosina Sound to produce The Inspection Chamber. It’s an interactive audio drama, that harkens back to the glory days … [Read more...] about BBC is Launching Interactive Audiobooks for the Amazon Alexa
Review of the Kobo Audiobook Experience on the iPad
Kobo launched an audiobook subscription service a few weeks ago. You can pay a small monthly fee and get access to one free title. If you want an additional title you can pay the normal price, if you are not a subscribed user, you can still purchase audio content. Recently Kobo revised their iOS app for the iPad and iPhone that incorporates a new audiobook player. They also … [Read more...] about Review of the Kobo Audiobook Experience on the iPad