Blog: Audiobooks

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

What will audiobook market growth look like?

Cover image for What will audiobook market growth look like?
Laura Fisher
Key takeaways from this blog: Audiobooks are evolving into something far more than just a listening experience With its integration into the wellness sphere and innovations in immersive audio, the medium is carving out new paths MIDiA examines the evolution of audiobooks and the possibilities ahead for the growth of audiobooks Over the past couple of decades, audiobooks have undergone a quiet metamorphosis.
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Audio creators are the creator economy's unsung heroes

Cover image for Audio creators are the creator economy's unsung heroes
Rutger Rosenborg
Key insights from this blog: MIDiA's latest audio report, ' The audio creator opportunity ' , argues that brands and platforms can no longer afford to neglect audio creators Audio creators are a fast-growing force in the creator economy, driving demand for better tools and marketing They are more likely to run their work as a business and invest heavily in creator tools, presenting a clear opportunity for tailored solutions With most tools designed for video and music, companies that develop end-to-end platforms for audio creation can unlock a valuable market and empower this expanding community The creator economy is evolving rapidly, and while TikTok influencers and YouTubers often steal the spotlight, there is a fast-growing creator segment that brands and platforms can no longer ignore: audio creators.
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Spotify’s embrace of AI-generated audio is a blessing and curse for authors

Cover image for Spotify’s embrace of AI-generated audio is a blessing and curse for authors
Rutger Rosenborg
As we covered in August 2024, the future of AI-generated audiobooks is here. Up until this month, however, streaming platforms themselves had yet to fully embrace AI audiobook narration. Now, Spotify has announced their support for ElevenLabs ’ AI-generated audiobook content, paving the way for end-to-end audiobook generation that could capture audiences who demonstrate no clear preference between AI- and human-generated content.
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What got you here won’t get you there: how Spotify built a new business

Cover image for What got you here won’t get you there: how Spotify built a new business
Mark Mulligan
Since its inception, Spotify has been, and continues to be, the streaming music market’s lightning rod. This is due to its continued ability to maintain leading market share and the fact it is the only leading global DSP that is independent and therefore has to focus place more focus on commercial sustainability than peers owned by global tech superpowers.
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The future of AI-generated audiobooks is here

Cover image for The future of AI-generated audiobooks is here
Rutger Rosenborg
In March, on the heels of a Danish man becoming the first person convicted of streaming fraud, MIDiA explained how AI could soon enable a golden age of audio piracy . Coupled with the fact that book publishers have been reporting that AI-generated books are being published under their names or oddly similar ones on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, there are big implications for audiobooks.
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What Audible’s new royalty model means for its audiobook battle with Spotify

Cover image for What Audible’s new royalty model means for its audiobook battle with Spotify
Rutger Rosenborg
In early July, Audible’s blog broke the news that the company was introducing a new royalty model for audiobooks. Previously, according to Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman , Audible would do a “buyout”, paying a publisher an upfront fee to have their book on the service rather than distributing royalties according to titles or hours listened.
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The countdown begins for audiobooks on Spotify

Cover image for The countdown begins for audiobooks on Spotify
Rutger Rosenborg
As Spotify rolls out music-like features for audiobooks, the company still finds itself at odds with the music business, courting one publishing industry while ruffling the feathers of another. So far, Spotify’s publisher dilemma is only intensifying, making it all the more interesting that the company is introducing audiobook countdown pages — effectively album pre-saves but for audiobooks — in the midst of it all.
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Audio is not enough: Why audio platforms and creators are betting on video

Cover image for Audio is not enough: Why audio platforms and creators are betting on video
Rutger Rosenborg
Video may have killed the radio star, but digital audio platforms and creators increasingly see video as a beneficial supplement to podcasts and audiobooks. From ghost podcasts filmed for social media advertising to podcasts following in the footsteps of TV and film and Amazon opening the IP tap for its Audible to Prime Video pipeline , video crossing over to audio — and vice versa — is a trend that will only continue.
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