audiobooks
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Some Spotify plans are reportedly getting more expensive soon
Here we go again. Spotify is reportedly preparing to make Premium more expensive in some markets, including the US, UK, and Australia.
Spotify's subscriber audiobook credit is coming to Canada and other countries next week
Spotify Premium subscribers in Canada, Ireland and New Zealand will soon get 15 hours of audiobook listening each month at no extra cost. Users in the US, UK and Australia have had access to this perk since late last year.
Spotify rolls out an audiobook-only subscription
Spotify is now offering a subscription tier just for audiobooks. It costs $10 per month and includes the same 15 hours of listening time as a Premium plan.
Audible reportedly lays off over 100 employees
If you thought Big Tech’s dreadful year of layoffs would be confined to 2023, you’re (sadly) mistaken. Audible laid off around five percent of its employees on Thursday, which Variety reports is “just over 100 staffers.”
Audible is now testing ads in your audiobooks for some reason
Amazon-owned Audible has started putting ads in audiobooks, starting with a beta test for certain non-paying members. The ads will pop up in audiobooks, original content and podcasts, with a maximum limit of eight advertisements in a 24-hour period. The company has not indicated if the ads will eventually move to paying members or if an ad-based subscription tier is coming.
Spotify accuses Apple of impeding its fledgling audiobook business
Spotify launched its audiobook business just last month with 300,000 titles, but is now saying that Apple is engaging in "anticompetitive" behavior.
Spotify dives into audiobooks with a library of over 300,000 titles
Spotify adds yet another content option to its audio library, but it's only available in the US for now.
Barnes & Noble is finally offering an audiobook service
Barnes & Noble is launching an audiobook service — and it's arguably years late.
Spotify acquires audiobook platform Findaway
Spotify could soon be home to a lot more audiobooks. The streaming service has acquired audiobook platform Findaway, the companies announced.
Yoto is a podcast and audiobook machine built for kids
Kids can enjoy audiobooks and podcasts too thanks to the child-friendly Yoto Player and its library.
Google Play Books update brings audio narration to kids titles
Google is adding new audio resource tools to children's ebooks on Play Books including a kid-friendly dictionary and a bigger selection of audiobooks.
Waze adds Audible to its built-in audio player
Waze is making it easier to listen to your audiobooks while also using your phone for navigation. The Google subsidiary has added Audible to the list of streaming services you can access through its app’s built-in audio player.
Spotify dabbles in audiobooks by offering nine public-domain works
Spotify’s aggressive move into content beyond music continues today, as the company is testing a small “pilot” of audiobooks on the platform. Specifically, nine classic audiobooks will be available starting today. This isn’t technically the first time Spotify has offered audiobooks, though before it only had a star-studded reading of the first Harry Potter novel.
'Code Switch' from NPR is Apple's podcast of the year
Apple has chimed in with a selection of the most popular podcasts, audiobooks and books people in the US downloaded through its online stores.
Sonos can now stream free audiobooks from your local library
Sonos users can now borrow and stream audiobooks from their local libraries thanks to the free Libby app.
Audible teams with 'The Walking Dead' creators on audio originals
Audible's push into original content now includes a team-up with a company best-known for its comic books and TV shows. The Amazon-owned audiobook service has struck a deal with Skybound, the team behind The Walking Dead, to create multiple Audible originals. The two haven't said what's in the pipeline, but this is a "first look" pact that will give Audible dibs on projects that will only be made available elsewhere if the internet giant passes on them.
AI avatars of Chinese authors could soon narrate audiobooks
The Chinese search engine Sogou isn't stopping at AI news anchors. The company has created "lifelike" avatars of two Chinese authors, and it plans to have them narrate audiobooks in video recordings. According to the BBC, Sogou used AI, text-to-speech technology and video clips from the China Online Literature+ conference to create avatars of authors Yue Guan and Bu Xin Tian Shang Diao Xian Bing.
Siri will play third-party audio apps in iOS 13
In the future, you might be able to ask Siri to play your Spotify music and podcasts. According to MacRumors, iOS 13 and iPadOS will open the SiriKit framework to third-party music, podcast, audiobook and radio apps. So, when it comes to playing DJ, Siri will be able to control more than your Apple Music, Podcast and TV apps -- formerly known as iTunes, RIP.
Marvel is turning some of its best-known comic books into audiobooks
Marvel's interest in digital audio isn't limited to podcasts. The media giant and Dreamscape Media have reached a deal to turn dozens of better-known comic books into audiobooks, including Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men and Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. About two dozen of them are exclusives from Dreamscape, while another 20 haven't been widely available before.
Audible Latino launches with Spanish-language 'Harry Potter'
Audible now has a dedicated platform for Spanish-language audiobooks. It's called Audible Latino, and according to the company, it offers the largest selection of audiobooks in Español for fans in the US. The portal has launched with quite a few titles to choose from, but its crowning glory is definitely Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal aka Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone. It's performed by Puerto Rican actor Carlos Ponce, and it marks the first time the Spanish version of a Harry Potter book has officially been released in digital audio.
