Spotify has once again drawn the ire of the music industry. The National Music Publishers' Association has called on the Federal Trade Commission to examine the streaming service's addition of audiobook content into all of its paid subscription plans. According to the group's FTC complaint, Spotify's recent actions are part of "a scheme to increase profits by deceiving consumers and cheating the music royalty system." This requires some backstory. In November 2023, Spotify announced that it would include 15 hours of audiobook content as part of all its Premium subscription plans. A few months later, the company unveiled a new audiobook-only subscription, offering the same number of listening hours for $10 a month. The publishers' organization claims that Spotify's recent price increases are based on offering that extra audiobook content, and that paying customers are automatically being charged for a service they didn't choose and can't opt out of without switching to the free, ad-supported listening experience. And the additional revenue from the higher Premium subscription costs may not go to the music composers. According to the FTC complaint, Spotify will pay about $150 million less in music royalties over the first year of these new bundled Premium plans. The NMPA letter goes so far as to call the new audiobook-only plan "a sham" that "exists solely to allow Spotify to claim that audiobook content is a significantly and independently valuable aspect of its 'bundled'... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-06-12 23:52:55 UTC ]
In 2020, the Audio Publishers Association sales report finds more than 71,000 audiobooks were published in the US, up 39 percent over 2019. The post Audio Publishers Association Cites 12-Percent 2020 US Audiobook Revenue Growth appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-06-01 13:14:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Audio Publishers Association’s annual review of the audiobook market found another year of double-digit sales increases as well as a profound shift in listening habits. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
RBmedia has acquired the audiobook publishing business of McGraw-Hill Professional in a deal that adds about 400 business books to the audio publisher's list, chief content officer Troy Juliar said. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
These awards include recognition for rights professionals, audiobook publishers, bookstores, educational learning resources, and more. The post London Book Fair: The 2021 International Excellence Awards Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-05-10 13:31:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
New figures from the Publishers Association show fiction and audiobooks did particularly well, with value of consumer sales up 7% on 2019 despite bookshop closuresFiction sales in 2020 soared by more than £100m for UK publishers, as readers locked down at home made their escape into books, with... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-26 23:01:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Kids can enjoy audiobooks and podcasts too thanks to the child-friendly Yoto Player and its library. Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2021-04-23 13:00:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In an attempt to take the subject beyond March, this month’s audiobook recommendations shine a light on women’s history, known and unknown, heralded and not. Viewing the glass as half-empty, it’s dispiriting how many of these stories remain untold, forgotten, or misunderstood. But let’s be... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-04-05 08:49:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Have you ever wondered who's responsible for making sure an audiobook matches the print? It's proof listeners! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-04-01 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A new book market report on Finland's book market shows the impact of the pandemic and looks at the bestselling Finnish books of 2020. The post Finland’s 2020 Audiobook Sales Doubled, Ebooks Up 84 Percent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-03-25 16:14:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It’s almost time for The Disability Readathon! Here are few recent #OwnVoices audiobooks by and about disabled people. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-03-23 10:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Audio Publishers Association hosted the 26th annual Audie Awards virtually last night, making them open to the public for the first time. Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke and narrated by Chiwetel Ejiofor, was named Audiobook of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The surge in digital audiobook sales has helped numerous publishers grow in the last few years, and perhaps none have benefitted more than Podium Audio. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Subscription service Scribd adds audiobook titles, opening with 'Black Imagination,' to its newly launched Scribd Audio brand. The post Scribd Announces an Audiobook Production Line, Highlighting Independent Publishers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-03-09 14:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Penguin Random House Audio has launched Ahab, a global online casting platform for voiceover actors in any business. The platform was originally developed as an internal tool for PRH's audiobook producers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Charlotte Ritchie, the star of “Ghosts” and “Feel Good”, will narrate the audiobook of Lia Middleton's debut thriller When They Find Her (Michael Joseph). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-28 22:42:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books is to launch an audiobook partnership with the Daily Mail. It will also feature a retail tie-in with Waterstones, with a campaign fronted by children’s author and actor Ben Miller (pictured). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-24 18:49:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Last March, amid the myriad upheavals and uncertainties that marked early pandemic life, various scientists and public health officials started to model out how many cases and deaths we might be looking at in the long run, and the press, unsurprisingly, took great interest in their work. A team... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-02-23 13:34:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Skyhorse Publishing, the imprint behind director Woody Allen's memoir, is considering suing HBO for sampling its audiobook for a documentary series. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-02-22 22:46:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this
From stickers to mugs and awesome tees, show off your passion for listening with these sweet gifts for audiobook lovers. - Kelly Jensen Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-17 11:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Why do some audiobooks have two versions with different or same narrator? Here’s what to do if undecided on picking an audiobook version. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-02-15 11:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this