RBmedia has an agreement to acquire audiobook publisher Dreamscape Media, which includes Dreamscape Publishing and Dreamscape Select. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. Dreamscape produces and distributes audiobooks in 60 countries, and also provides services to self-published authors looking to create audiobooks. Founded in 2010, Dreamscape has a catalog of over 7,000 audiobooks. The company said previously it had sales of $30 million in 2023, up from $23.5 million in 2022. RBmedia ceo Michael Paull said in a release, “The acquisition of Dreamscape will give RBmedia additional depth in key genres and enable us […]
Audio
Spotify Drops Audiobooks From New, Lowest-Priced Tier
In keeping with plans announced in March, Spotify has increased its prices in the US, with the premium tier, which includes 15 hours of audiobooks per month, now costing $11.99. They have also introduced a new Basic plan for $10.99, without any audiobooks. Back in March, they debuted an Audiobook Access Tier for $9.99, which gets listeners 15 hours of books monthly, and music with ads.
Self-Published Author Sues Amazon Over Audiobook Monopoly
Romance author Christine DeMaio, who writes as CD Reiss, has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Amazon, claiming that the retail giant’s dominance in audiobook sales eliminates competition and leads to supracompetitive pricing for self-published authors. The suit is filed by class-action law firm Hagens Berman, which was the first to bring the ebook price fixing suit against publishers and Apple in 2011. (Since then, less successfully, the firm has filed suits against Amazon and the large trade publishers over the retailer’s ebook monopoly.) The filing states that Amazon, through the Audible ACX program, charges independent authors a fee […]
Reese’s Book Club to Pair with Apple
The NYT profiles Reese’s Book Club as the initiative nears its 100th pick, to be announced in September. In the club’s most powerful early days it drew some criticism and resentment from indie booksellers and others over an exclusive promotional arrangement with Audible (which ended quietly in early 2021). The very end of the NYT piece offers the news that “this month, Reese’s Book Club will unveil an exclusive audio partnership with Apple, allowing readers to find all the picks in one place on the Apple Books app.”
KDP Virtual Voice Beta Has Produced Over 40,000 Audible Titles
A recent report from Bloomberg noted that Amazon’s beta program allowing invited KDP authors to produce audiobooks using synthetic machine narration has resulted in over 40,000 “virtual voice” audiobooks available through Audible so far. All of the titles are clearly labelled and introduced as having been created by “computer-generated narration for audiobooks.” At least some customers have asked Audible to provide a search filter that would omit the virtual voice titles. An Audible spokesperson writes to Bloomberg, “During the beta we are learning more about what our customers want as we continue to innovate on their behalf.” That person reports that […]
Harper to Create AI Audioboooks of Some Foreign Language Titles
Harper Collins will create AI audiobooks of select foreign language backlist titles, working with text-to-speech software company ElevenLabs. “The agreement will lead to the production of audio versions of select deep backlist series books that would not otherwise have been created.” ElevenLabs’ interface can create an audiobook in about an hour that will, according to Harper, “reflect the emotion, intonation, and pacing of the written word in audio, delivering a high-quality experience that sounds human,” the Bookseller reports. A release from ElevenLabs states that “HarperCollins will continue to devote time and resources to voice actor-led productions which are intrinsic to […]