audiobook
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Spotify gives Premium subscribers free 15 hours of audiobook listening
Starting on October 4, subscribers in the UK and Australia will get access to a selection of more than 150,000 audiobooks without having to pay extra. US subscribers will also be able to enjoy the new perk sometime later this year.
Apple's new audiobook narration service uses AI voices
It launched a catalogue of audiobooks that use its AI-powered digital voices.
Spotify debuts its first 'bookcast' from Dolly Parton and James Patterson
The format combines audio storytelling with original music and sound elements.
Yoto audio player for kids adds Disney and Pixar books
Two collections of bite-sized stories featuring the likes of 'The Lion King' and 'Toy Story 3' are now available.
Celebs are reading the first Harry Potter novel on Spotify
You can watch videos of the readings on the Wizarding World website too.
What we're listening to: 'The Amulet' and Lewis Capaldi
Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino explains why Michael McDowell’s The Amulet is a murder mystery that’s worth your time on Audible.
Audible will create the only audio version of Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman'
Amazon might not have the streaming video adaptation of The Sandman, but it will have something for fans of Neil Gaiman's well-known graphic novels. Audible has announced that it's working on an "exclusive audio adaptation of The Sandman, with the first instalment due in summer 2020. Gaiman will serve as the narrator in addition to a creative director and executive producer, while Dirk Maggs (who led work on BBC versions of Neverwhere, Stardust and Good Omens) is adapting and directing the novels.
What we're listening to: Sturgill Simpson and 'Chase Darkness with Me'
In this installment of our audio IRL, senior editor Andrew Tarantola's affinity for anime leads him to an unlikely musical discovery. Senior editor Jessica Conditt is addicted to true crime podcasts, but her recommendation is an audiobook with podcast roots.
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.
Your library's audiobook app now supports Apple CarPlay
Digital reading app Libby has for some time allowed bookworms to play its audiobooks through Android Auto. Following an update that arrived today, folks with CarPlay-enabled infotainment systems can listen to the app's books through their setups too.
'Orphan Black' is returning as a ten-episode audiobook series
A little under two years after its five-season run ended on BBC America, Orphan Black is returning with a bang, and probably loads more sound effects. Fiction publishing startup Serial Box is reviving the beloved sci-fi show this summer as a ten-episode audiobook series, with star Tatiana Maslany returning to her Emmy-winning role(s).
Kobo's audiobooks are now accessible through CarPlay
Kobo has been slinging e-books for years now, but it's still pretty new to the whole audiobook craze -- the Canadian company (and Rakuten subsidiary) only added spoken-word content to its catalog about a year ago. Thankfully, Kobo recently made it a little easier to keep listening to Caroline Kepnes' You after you've gotten cozy behind the wheel. Devotees can now listen to their Kobo audiobooks through Apple CarPlay-compatible infotainment systems — just connect the phone to your car, fire up the app, and you're off to the races (so to speak).
Audible returns to Sonos speakers after two-year hiatus
It's taken a while (over two years in fact), but Audible is now available on Sonos again. Following an incompatible update the service was removed in August 2015, much to the annoyance of bibliophiles everywhere, but today it makes its triumphant return -- and support for Alexa is set to follow, too. Just add Audible as a service in the Sonos App, or play directly from the Audible app, to get started.
Amazon Echo now reads your first Audible book for free
Amazon has a new way to reel you into Audible now that smart speakers are a big deal: give you a freebie just by asking. As of this week, anyone who's new to Audible can ask an Echo speaker to read a full audiobook at no cost. You don't have to be picky about your choice of book, either, so you can ask for the hot new novel if that's your preference. Naturally, Amazon is hoping you'll be so enamored that you sign up on the spot -- if you aren't, though, you can at least say that it didn't take much effort to get that free book in the first place.
Audible adds shortcuts to the 'good parts' of romantic audiobooks
Sexy isn't what springs to mind when you think of big data. But, in Audible's case, it's providing a shortcut to the raciest audiobook passages on its service. The Amazon-owned firm is utilizing an algorithm as part of two features tied to its new romance subscription. With it, you can jump straight to the best bits from a novel (including the "hot, hot, hot" part). On top of that, it assigns a "steaminess" score -- ranging from "sweet" to "O-O-OMG" -- to the books, so you know exactly what you're in for. The playful terminology seems fitting for a genre that's as fun as they come.
Scribd adds 30,000 audiobooks to its subscription service
Scribd's e-book subscription service seems to be making some inroads on Amazon's turf, and now the company is looking to take a swipe at Audible's lunch. From today, subscribers will be able to access a library of 30,000 audiobook titles that include big name authors like Suzanne "Hunger Games" Collins, Haruki "Norwegian Wood" Murakami and Cormac "The Road" McCarthy. Fortunately, there's no extra charge despite the bounty of new content, so users will still only be paying their regular $8.99 fee, and is available on Android, Kindle Fire and Nook devices. What about iOS users, you presumably ask? The company's still working on that particular app, but it's scheduled to land "in the coming days."
Audible flaw lets you download free audiobooks using fake accounts (updated)
You expect subscription services to verify your details before granting you access to their content -- that's how they make their money, after all. However, it appears that Audible isn't quite so rigorous. Alan Joseph has revealed a flaw in Amazon's service (verified by Business Insider) that lets you download as many audiobooks as you like using both a fake email address and an equally bogus credit card. Audible only checks your payment details after you grab a book, and you just have to renew your ill-gotten membership to get more credits.
Audible for Android gets design overhaul, improved library management and more
Amazon knows that although a number people prefer (or need, in some cases ) audio over visuals to absorb published works, it's still very important to provide a pleasant experience on the design front. In light of this, the Audible Android app has now been updated with a completely redesigned user interface, bringing along an enhanced navigating experience and an easier, more simplified way to manage your library. Audible listeners will also see a new "chapter-level" progress bar within the player, while other under-the-hood tweaks were made to improve the general performance and stability of the application. You don't have to wait to download version 1.5, as it's available as we speak from the Google Play store.
Audiobooks are not backed up by iCloud, can only be downloaded once
Audiobooks, unlike your other iTunes purchases, cannot be re-downloaded from the store. On a Mac, you can dig into your iTunes folder and move the DRM-protected files to another authorized machine. iOS devices, however, lack a file system that the user can access, so if you never sync with a Mac, you could run into an issue like I did when I had to swap out my iPhone 5. A couple of weeks ago my iPhone 5's power button started acting strange. It appeared to be a mechanical issue, so I went to the Genius Bar at my local store and was told they've seen this happen before (it was likely shearing stress from removing a protective case). Of course, they don't repair iPhones in the store. Instead, they give customers a new piece of hardware then use a backup to bring it back to where you left off with your old one. Since I used iCloud, PhotoStream and my iTunes purchases are available in the cloud, I figured I'd be fine. The only problem was that I had purchased a $24 audiobook via iTunes on my iPhone -- and that doesn't get backed up in any way. Worse, since the rules state you can only download the audiobook once, I would have had to re-purchase the book to download it again. I had bought the book about three days earlier and only listened to a small portion. This was completely unacceptable, so I emailed Apple support. At first, they failed to understand what I was talking about. They thought my download had failed somehow, and suggested I download in iTunes and re-sync, and they would re-enable the download. That seemed fair enough, but the presumption that I had a personal computer to sync with struck me as a bit odd. Didn't Apple say we live in a post-PC world? Also, I don't sync my iPhone with anything. Like a fool, I thought iCloud backup and iTunes in the cloud had me covered. Clearly I was wrong. Once I explained that I didn't sync, the support staff told me they would make it available for download on my iPhone -- but the downloads screen never showed the audiobook. In the end, I wound up buying a nano to sync with, and then Apple refunded my money for the audiobook. An expensive lesson, but a lesson learned. Apple is still addicted to iTunes as a digital hub for all your media. While this was happening I tweeted some progress and a number of people relayed similar issues and frustrations. Apple support seems ready and willing to try to make the downloads available again, although I wish it was automatic, like everything else I encountered during my restoration process (well, not logins -- boy that's a fun way to spend your afternoon). Unfortunately, the rules about audiobooks aren't set by Apple. Still, if this happens to you, reach out to Apple support immediately. Or, better yet, buy your audiobooks somewhere else. This "post-PC" era has yet to begin.
Wolfheart audiobook to include game sounds
Not only will our friend and the king of Stormwind (and my heart) Varian Wrynn be getting his own novel soon, but said novel will also be released as an audiobook. Richard Knaak's Wolfheart will not just be released as a novel, but also as a recording with special effects, in-game sounds and narration. The novel is scheduled to be released Sept. 13, 2011, and the audiobook is expected not long after. Are you excited? I'm excited! I'm actually looking forward to seeing how King Varian and the Worgen, especially their king Genn Greymane, interact in this book. Thanks to BlizzPlanet for the heads up!
