If you thought Big Tech’s dreadful year of layoffs would be confined to 2023, you’re (sadly) mistaken. Audible laid off around five percent of its employees on Thursday, which Variety reports is “just over 100 staffers.” The cuts in the audiobook division are part of parent company Amazon’s most recent round of layoffs, also affecting Prime Video, MGM, and Twitch. “We did not take this route without considerable thought,” Audible CEO Bob Carrigan reportedly said in an audio memo delivered to staff. “But getting leaner and more efficient is the way we will need to operate now — and in the foreseeable future — in order to continue delivering best-in-class audio storytelling to our customers around the world.” For those keeping score, “leaner and more efficient” echoes the language in numerous recent Big Tech layoff announcements. Variations of “In these uncertain times...” have also been popular. Carrigan ironically began by talking about Audible's strong performance last year. “I want to acknowledge the strong year we had in 2023, in which we delivered amazing listening experiences for our customers thanks to outstanding collaboration with creators and partners,” he reportedly said. “Our business is in good shape, and that is because of the hard work of each and every one of you.” The CEO extolled how much the company values its workers. “A big part of what makes working at Audible so special is our many talented and dedicated employees who bring their passion to work each... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-01-11 22:00:11 UTC ]
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... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-30 18:54:46 UTC ]
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The winners of 2023 Audie Awards were announced this week. The award honors the best audiobook performances in 26 categories. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-30 17:36:40 UTC ]
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The ebook and audiobook distributor Bookwire opens its presence in a seventh country, looking to the United States for new business. The post Germany’s Bookwire Announces Opening a United States Subsidiary appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-30 16:58:12 UTC ]
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At the Audio Publishers Association's first in-person Audie Awards ceremony since 2020, Viola Davis's 'Finding Me' took home the prize for Audiobook of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In this in-depth BookBeat review, let’s find out what makes this service better than Scribd for English-language audiobook listeners. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-24 10:33:00 UTC ]
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Blackstone Publishing has built a backlist of about 800 print and 950 e-book titles since it released its first books in those formats in 2016. The goal now, company president Anthony Goff said, is to continue to ramp up production across all formats. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The recipes in foodie audiobooks add that something extra and deserve to be heard by audiobook listeners. Here's why. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-03-22 10:36:00 UTC ]
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The Norwegian developer of bespoke audiobook platforms, Beat Technology, is creating a new service, 'Volume,' for Poland's Sonia Draga. The post Poland’s Draga Group Announces an Audiobook Platform appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-13 18:04:35 UTC ]
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The vertical TikTok-style video feed has invaded a lot of the apps we use on a daily basis and now it's officially coming to one more. After announcing a beta test last year, Spotify will begin rolling out a new design for the Home section of its mobile app with a "more visual, dynamic" look.... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-08 18:33:59 UTC ]
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The German Audiobook Prize opens the Lit.Cologne festival with new 2023 honors in seven categories including 'Best Radio Play.' The post The German Audiobook Prize Names Its 2023 Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-01 12:52:23 UTC ]
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Celebrate your love of audiobooks with these cute audiobook-themed shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, mugs, stickers, and more!- Gia R. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-28 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Spotify is waving goodbye to its heart icon. The company is combining the icon, which enables you to quickly save music to your library, with the "add to playlist" prompt under a single plus button.The plus button works a little differently on Spotify than it does on Apple Music, where tapping... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-02-27 18:15:00 UTC ]
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What’s the best audiobook service? In this Scribd vs Audible rundown, let’s break down their features, pricing, pros and cons, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-23 11:39:00 UTC ]
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Audiobook subscription company Storytel cites a 22-percent increase year over year, at 3.2 billion Swedish kronor. The post Storytel Touts Q4 Results in a ‘Truly Remarkable Year’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-02-17 13:56:54 UTC ]
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Looking for a great new audiobook to put in your ears? Check out the new audiobooks Libro.fm users are most excited to listen to. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-02-16 11:30:00 UTC ]
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After a backlash, Spotify paused an arrangement that allowed Apple to train machine learning models on some audiobook files. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-02-14 16:03:54 UTC ]
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Viola Davis, one of the best actors of her generation, achieved EGOT status last night at the Grammys when she went home with the hardware for Best Audiobook (Narration and Storytelling), for reading her own memoir, Finding Me. (EGOT is when someone has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-02-06 15:16:55 UTC ]
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Viola Davis won a Grammy Award Sunday for the recording of her memoir, Finding Me. She has previously won an Emmy, Oscar and two Tony awards. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2023-02-05 22:33:19 UTC ]
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The former president's $49.8 million lawsuit alleges that Woodward and Simon & Schuster breached his copyright interests by publishing an audiobook based on interviews recorded for Woodward’s 2021 book 'Rage.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
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First week of the controversial memoir’s sales breaks official UK records reports Nielsen, Guinness World Records and WaterstonesPrince Harry’s Spare has sold almost half a million copies in the UK in its first week on sale, making it the fastest-selling nonfiction book since records... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-17 16:13:57 UTC ]
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