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 ]
The deals are flying fast and furious this Prime Day, and there's plenty to be had from within Amazon's own ecosystem. Right now, you can snag three months of an Audible Premium Plus subscription for just a dollar a month. It's not quite as good a discount as it was earlier this year (free!),... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-08 19:11:31 UTC ]
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The main event of the global book publishing calendar is upon us, and this year’s professional program will feature a strong slate of panels and conversations about such issues as AI, the booming international audiobook market, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Plus: Meta’s AI scrapes the UK, Google digitizes your passport, Chrome syncs your tabs everywhere, and (have you heard?) Apple announces some new iPhones. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-09-14 14:30:00 UTC ]
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The inaugural International Summit of Audio Publishers held September 10 in New York City drew 137 participants who discussed current market conditions, the impact of AI, and what is coming next for the booming industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Translating image to sound is a difficult task, but a necessary one for some readers. The team behind the audiobook adaptation of Darrin Bell's acclaimed 2023 graphic novel 'The Talk' explains how it's done. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Jarit has been promoted from head of ACX and North America publisher partnerships to global head of publisher and partner relations at Audible, overseeing the audio company’s global acquisitions strategy through its Audiobook Creation Exchange. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-09-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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While you can do pretty much anything on your phone or tablet, sometimes having a dedicated device is the way to go. Opting for an ereader can help reduce eye strain compared with looking at a smartphone screen for hours on end. The battery will last longer too, and you won't have notifications... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-09-03 14:56:49 UTC ]
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A good performance by PRH US, higher audiobook sales, and contributions from recently acquired companies led to a 13% increase in profits on an 8.5% sales gain at the world's largest trade publisher. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The longtime president and publisher of Penguin Random House Audio Group in the U.S. will join the company’s global executive committee and add its global audiobook program to her purview. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Spotify Audiobooks has partnered with W. W. Norton to produce and release the audiobook of Richard Powers' new novel 'Playground,' to be published in September 24. Spotify Audiobooks has been producing 10-15 titles monthly. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Audio has opened the application process for the fifth session of its narrator mentorship program, which aims to increase diversity and inclusion within the audiobook industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-08-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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I’m an audiobook evangelist. I rarely go more than a few days without listening to one, and I’ll blast through two or three in a single road trip. But audiobooks are expensive and their prices don’t seem to be moving downwards like their printed counterparts. So, if you want to score a... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-08-12 15:12:55 UTC ]
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New mysteries and thrillers out this week, as well as multi-cast audiobook mysteries to check out. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-08-02 15:15:00 UTC ]
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What is, hands down, the best sci-fi and fantasy audiobook you've ever listened to? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-07-24 15:00:00 UTC ]
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Podium, a renowned audiobook publisher best known for sci-fi and fantasy, has significantly broadened its digital library and the opportunities available to writers. Now a full-service publisher that distributes books in all formats, Podium Entertainment is preparing to launch its inaugural... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Love audiobooks? There are plenty of worthy Audible competitors out there. You just need to know where to look. While Amazon-owned Audible dominates the audiobook market, it’s far from the only player in town. Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2024-07-14 04:30:00 UTC ]
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The acquisition of Dreamscape Media by RBMedia brings together two companies being called 'highly complementary' in the audiobook space. The post Audiobooks: RBMedia’s Acquisition of Dreamscape Media appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-07-11 16:39:41 UTC ]
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The pending acquisition of Dreamscape will add more than 7,000 titles to RBmedia's catalog, giving the audiobook publishing giant more depth in such genres as mystery/thriller and romance. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime Day is later this month, and the retailer has been promoting the big sale with additional discounts with early Prime Day deals. Right now, members of Amazon Prime can snag three months of an Audible Premium Plus subscription for free. This deal runs through July 31. After the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-07-02 20:42:45 UTC ]
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Music artists say the bundle is ‘cheating’ the royalties system while authors have concerns about how streaming will affect how they’re paid and rights over their workAudio streaming giant Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio platforms, entered the audiobook market last October, offering... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-07-02 03:23:25 UTC ]
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