Amazon-owned Audible has started putting ads in audiobooks, potentially indicating a sea change within the industry. The company says it is “conducting limited testing” on a select user base with the advertisements and that this step is currently reserved for non-paying members, giving them “ad-supported access to a limited set” of titles. For now at least, paying subscribers seem immune to the change.The ads pop up while listening to traditional audiobooks, podcasts and Audible original content. The company says the providers were informed of the change and given the chance to opt out of ads. Audible notes that a maximum of eight ads will play within a 24-hour period, regardless of what you are listening to. That isn’t so bad, but does set a troubling precedent for many ad-averse consumers.As to why this test was taking place at all, the company's help page offers nothing but empty buzzwords. “Audible is dedicated to continuously optimizing how we deliver audio programming to listeners everywhere,” it states. “From time to time, Audible tests new products and services to gain knowledge about the evolving needs of our customers and partners.” Thanks for clarifying!Does this mean an ad-supported subscription tier is forthcoming? Engadget has reached out to Audible for some clarification on this move but has yet to hear back. We will update this post when we do.Customers have long grown-accustomed to paying for audiobooks in exchange for a pure ad-free experience, but maybe... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-03-30 18:54:46 UTC ]
Spotify Premium users in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand will have access to 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening at no extra cost starting on April 9. Subscribers in the US, UK and Australia have had access to this perk for several months. The Premium audiobook catalog now includes more than... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-04-02 18:24:44 UTC ]
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If you’ve ever loved a book so much that you wanted to eat it, or driven your loved ones crazy with puns, The Edible Book Festival might be for you. The festival started in 2000 and has expanded into many, loosely affiliated annual events, all taking place around April 1st. Created by librarian... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-01 14:00:36 UTC ]
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OpenAI just announced that it recently conducted a small-scale preview of a new tool called Voice Engine. This is a voice cloning technology that can mimic any speaker by analyzing a 15-second audio sample. The company says it generates “natural-sounding speech” with “emotive and realistic... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-03-29 19:03:56 UTC ]
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'One hour of listening to an audiobook on Storytel emits 2.3 grams of CO2e,' the Swedish subscription streamer today reports. The post Storytel’s 2023 Report: The Sound of Sustainability appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-28 21:37:15 UTC ]
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A shift of focus on libraries to retail channels and an aggressive acquisition of new titles—including, recently, works by John LeCarré and Jon Fosse—led to nearly $30 million in revenue in 2023, a 39% jump for the Ohio-based audiobook publisher. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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There’s nothing quite like getting into the zone during a run, and for many of us, the right soundtrack is a requirement. Whether you need classic rock, reggaeton or an immersive audiobook to properly settle into your morning jog, you’ll get the best listening experience with a good pair of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-03-20 12:00:44 UTC ]
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When it came time for debut author Brent Underwood to record the audiobook for his book 'Ghost Town Living,' about the California mining town he calls home, he decided to build a makeshift studio in the long-abandoned silver mine at the heart of his story. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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There’s nothing quite like finding six new releases on display in a bookstore – all of which you’ve written, and none of which has your name on itA few years back, a long-held dream of mine came true: a book I wrote became a runaway hit.You’ve probably read the book. You’ve definitely seen the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-03-11 14:00:31 UTC ]
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Amid growing opportunities for audio development, Bookwire’s look at the French market included challenges, as well. (Sponsored) By Eric Dupuy | @duperico ‘A Dynamism for Audio’ hen the Frankfurt-based Bookwire presented its second digital program on the audiobook market in France on Thursday... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-11 09:35:37 UTC ]
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Brandon Sanderson gets Audible to make changes to audiobook royalties, and nine other of the top book-related stories of the day. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-03-06 23:48:49 UTC ]
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At the 29th annual Audies, presented by the Audio Publishers Association and held in Los Angeles on March 4, winners across 27 categories were announced. The night's biggest honor, Audiobook of the Year, went to 'Surrender,' written and narrated by Bono. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Spotify's... interesting pricing plans, it "It" books of March, and more of the day's bookish news: Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-03-01 21:43:16 UTC ]
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Spotify has added another subscription option. This time around, it's offering a plan that has little to do with music. The Audiobooks Access Tier (which is US-only for now) offers 15 hours of audiobook listening each month for $10. You'll have access to Spotify's library of more than 200,000... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-03-01 18:08:29 UTC ]
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In the audiobook oral history “Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of ‘Airplane!,’” a cast of dozens fondly revisits a now-classic film. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-03-01 14:12:30 UTC ]
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Spotify has added a new option that gives users 15 hours to listen to audiobooks for $9.99—a dollar less than a Premium subscription, which offers the same 15 hours per month, plus ad-free music, for $10.99. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Updated terms of service for Spotifiy's indie author audiobook distribution platform Findaway Voices appeared to give Spotify broad powers to reuse content. An outcry forced a revision of terms, but clarification is still needed, say authors and affiliates. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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In Streisand’s new audiobook recording for her chatty, brick-size memoir, “My Name Is Barbra,” the superlative diva adds a little freestyling. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-02-23 12:45:40 UTC ]
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Changes in Spotify's terms of use for its Findaway Voices audiobook product trigger concerns from the Society of Authors in London. The post UK’s Society of Authors: More Clarity in Spotify’s Terms appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-22 15:16:42 UTC ]
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I always imagined, that, given the choice, I would read my own audiobook. I had heard memoirs often sounded best in the author’s throat—something about the familiar tang of the hardship unspooled. But had I written a memoir? A bookseller acquaintance asked me that a year before the publication... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-22 09:54:39 UTC ]
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Job cuts add to costs for streaming service but it gains 10m premium subscribers in fourth quarterSpotify’s push beyond music has tipped the streaming service into the red again, after it acquired the rights to 200,000 audiobooks for premium subscribers, with Prince Harry’s autobiography and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-02-06 15:45:35 UTC ]
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