When is a book not a book? When it is performed by a starry cast of hundreds. Except it has always been more complicated than thatNews this week of a 17% hike in the UK’s audiobook sales might seem like a niche business story, but it raises an existential question. What exactly is an audiobook today? Is it a book? Is it a play? Or is it becoming something else entirely? What is clear is that a jostle for market dominance is driving it into new dimensions. The streaming platform Spotify followed its move into podcasting two years ago with the launch of an audiobooks business. Though it has yet to start making its own recordings, last autumn it made a deal for 200,000 audiobooks to be available to its premium users.Not to be outdone, Amazon-owned Audible – accustomed to being the market leader – upped its game, hiring the Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes to record multi-voice versions of the Dickens novels Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, and announcing last month that it had reached an agreement for a recording of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, voiced by more than 100 actors and featuring a “groundbreaking new soundscape”. The new Potter audiobooks, it said, would not usurp but “sit alongside and complement” conventional recordings by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, which Audible also hosts. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-10 17:25:03 UTC ]
Well, it finally happened. After years of waiting and requests, Amazon debuted the $280 Kindle Colorsoft, its first ereader with a color display. The company’s ereaders have dominated this space since the original Kindle came out 17 years ago, but in this case, it feels like Amazon is playing... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 13:15:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you’ve ever tried listening to your favorite playlist only to have it drowned out by chatty commuters, airplane engines or other distracting noises, you might want to consider some headphones with active noise cancelation (ANC). Whether you’re working in a bustling coffee shop, catching a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-30 09:00:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The new cloud-based software platform, founded by Spanish-language audiobook industry veteran Juliana Rueda Gutierrez, offers an audiobook production option that integrates management, recording, and quality control into a single interface. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Move over, Harry Potter! Hotly anticipated adult novels from such authors as Haruki Murakami and Sally Rooney are the latest to get the midnight book release party treatment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Want your house to have extra atmosphere on Halloween? Or maybe you just love Harry Potter and have enough adult money to decorate your home however you wish? Either way, these floating candles are absolutely gorgeous and a perfect addition to any magic-filled room. Right now, you can... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2024-10-25 12:30:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The comedian Jenny Slate reads the audiobook version of “Lifeform,” her new memoir about parenting. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-10-23 09:02:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Super Nintendo World theme park in Orlando is nearly ready for visitors. Universal Orlando Resort just announced that the Mario-friendly attraction will open its doors on May 22, 2025. That gives you over six months to find the perfect Goomba costume to wear on opening day. This is the third... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-17 16:45:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Spotify has expanded its audiobook service to four new non-English speaking markets: France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The localized catalog includes 15,000 titles in French and 15,000 in Dutch and Flemish. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
October Prime Day may have come and gone, but you can still save on Lego sets at the moment. While you may think it's early to think about holiday shopping, these kits make amazing presents — for the young and full-grown adults alike. At Engadget, we're most interested in specific sets from... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-11 14:13:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Another October Prime Day is on the books, but all of the deals haven’t disappeared from Amazon’s site just yet. This year’s Fall Prime Day brought a bunch of discounts on smartphones, speakers, wearables, robot vacuums and more tech, and you can still grab some of the sale prices right now even... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-10 14:00:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
October Prime Day 2024 has given Prime members another opportunity to save one some of our favorite tech and maybe even snag some holiday gifts early and for less. If you checked out Amazon's site yesterday or today, you may have quickly gotten overwhelmed by the volume of deals — we wouldn't... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-09 23:00:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
October Prime Day 2024 is half over but you can still save thanks to a slew of deals across the entirety of Amazon’s online storefront. Props to you if you came prepared with a wishlist of items you hope to buy on sale, because it can be easy to get distracted by the thousands of other deals... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-09 15:14:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Gravity, Children of Men, the best Harry Potter movie—and now a seven-part miniseries? With Disclaimer, director Alfonso Cuarón has set out to conquer TV in the name of cinema. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2024-10-09 10:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
October Prime Day is here, and we're seeing great deals on tech devices — but we also wanted to point out a few choice Lego deals we've had our eye on as well. You could use this as an opportunity to kickstart the holiday shopping season — even if you haven't even thought about the holidays yet,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-08 23:27:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this
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 ]
More news stories like this
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years. We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-07 21:00:14 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With October Prime Day just a few days away, we're starting to see more and more early deals pop up each day. While it might be too early for your liking to think about holiday shopping, you might want to after you check out the latest Prime Day Lego deals. A number of Lego sets from the Super... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-06 14:23:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event is coming up in a few days, so it’s time to start thinking about what you may want to snag at a discount during the sale. Some may shudder at the thought of holiday shopping already, but if you pay the $139 annual fee for Prime, these sale events are a great... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-06 13:12:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With October Prime Day just around the corner, we're starting to see more and more early deals pop up each day. While it might be too early for your liking to think about holiday shopping, you might want to after you check out the latest Prime Day Lego deals. A number of Lego sets from the Super... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-04 14:30:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The real-life dame and on-screen dowager countess, who has died aged 89, earned fame in her 70s and 80s for blockbuster roles. But her early work at the National Theatre marked her out as a talent for the agesDame Maggie Smith’s trophy cabinet reflected her extraordinary achievements across... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-09-27 13:37:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this