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 ]
Project Gutenberg's AI audiobook project is yet another instance of AI encroaching on the book industry. But how do the audiobooks sound? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-11-22 11:36:00 UTC ]
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An excerpt from Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright Check out the audiobook edition of this excerpt, read by award-winning actress Chloë Sevigny, from Simon & Schuster Audio. Simon & Schuster Audio · ALICE SADIE CELINE Audiobook Excerpt – Chapter 1 AliceFRIDAY Opening night... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-11-20 12:05:00 UTC ]
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“Going Infinite” may have missed the big takeaway, but it offers at least one undeniable pleasure: deep access. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-11-17 14:25:02 UTC ]
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Not unlike the 'Storytel Originals' effort to create new audiobook content in some markets, France's Vivlio is starting a 'Stories' platform. The post France’s Vivlio, 10 Years Old, Launches New Ebook Service appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-11-16 22:07:48 UTC ]
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After a series of delays, Hogwarts Legacy is now available for the Nintendo Switch console. The wizardly game was released in February for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions following in May. The Switch version was also expected during the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-14 19:21:59 UTC ]
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The Sonos Beam has been our top pick for compact soundbars for a while now. It offers a lot in a small package and the second-gen version also supports more immersive Dolby Atmos audio. The Beam doesn’t have any upfiring drivers though, so the impact of that spatial... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-09 18:30:45 UTC ]
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In addition to music and podcasts, Spotify has recently been working to cement its presence in the audiobook space. Today, the company announced Premium users in the US will be able to stream 15 hours of free audiobook content monthly as a part of their subscription.... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-08 19:20:00 UTC ]
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A little over a month after launching in the U.K. and Australia, Spotify's new streaming audiobook service is now available the U.S., meaning that tens of millions of Spotify premium subscribers now have access to a catalog of more than 200,000 audiobook titles—including titles from all the Big... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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For a limited time, Amazon is offering an Audible deal on its audiobook subscription with a price of up to 60% off the normal subscription cost. You can cancel at any time during the discounted period and not be committed to a longer subscription. With the discounted Audible... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-11-02 15:59:38 UTC ]
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Amazon's self-publishing arm has begun a beta test on technology allowing KDP authors to produce audiobook versions of their e-books using virtual voice narration. The audiobooks will be available wherever Audible titles are sold. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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"I gagged when it was revealed who Justin Timberlake was throwing on a blaccent for." Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2023-10-28 12:00:26 UTC ]
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Publisher to double dividend after demand grows for books by Sarah J Maas and Samantha ShannonBusiness live – latest updatesThe book publisher Bloomsbury has hit record profits in the first half of the year thanks in part to a boom in fantasy fiction driven by the American author Sarah J Maas,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-26 07:50:43 UTC ]
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Documentary tells story of David Holmes who sustained a spinal injury during filming of The Deathly Hallows: Part 1Daniel Radcliffe has teamed up with his Harry Potter stunt double, who became paralysed after an on-set accident, for an HBO documentary.David Holmes worked closely with Radcliffe... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-25 14:32:27 UTC ]
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Michelle Obama will perform the digital audiobook edition of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, coming October 31! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-25 11:45:24 UTC ]
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The actor Michelle Williams reads the audiobook version of the recently liberated pop star’s memoir, “The Woman in Me.” Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-10-24 21:32:55 UTC ]
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In her essay for PW, author Dhonielle Clayton reflects on the perils of publishing a diverse magic school series in the shadow of Harry Potter and its creator. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Britney Spears said that 'reliving everything' in her memoir, 'The Woman in Me,' has been 'heart-wrenching,' so she's only recording an intro for the audiobook. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-10-13 17:27:42 UTC ]
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The industry body says the music giant’s move to make more than 150,000 titles available has not been discussed with authors and may compete with salesThe Society of Authors (SoA) has said it is “deeply concerned” about Spotify’s new audiobook provision. The industry body cited “the devastating... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-10-11 15:40:05 UTC ]
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It’s both strange and enlightening to move through the world with an author’s voice filling your ears. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2023-10-11 10:00:00 UTC ]
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From Hamlet to The Princess Bride to audiobook narration, here are the bookish roles Mandy Patinkin has taken on in his storied career. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-10-10 10:32:00 UTC ]
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