What Publishers Need to Know About the European Accessibility Act
29 August 2024 (Publishers Weekly)
While June 28 is the deadline for new titles to meet the EAA requirements, there is a great deal of debate over whether it applies to backlist titles, since there is a provision that states that services, which includes e-books, existing prior to June 2025 can continue to act in the same manner until June 2030.
Spotify Fights Back on Licensing Body’s Bundling Accusations
29 August 2024 (Bloomberg)
Spotify SA asked a federal judge to nix a federal lawsuit accusing it of improperly bundling audiobooks into its subscription music service to reduce the royalty payments it owes to songwriters and music publishers.
Apple culls 100 Employees from Apple Books and News+ Division
28 August 2024 (Good E-Reader)
Throughout the last few iOS annual updates, Apple Books hasn’t received any essential new features besides a price drop notification on the latest iOS 18 Beta. Apple does not promote the bookstore anymore. This is due to Apple Books losing market share due to the Kindle Store or Audible.
New Bigme Hibreak Phone Released with Color E Ink and Android
22 August 2024 (The Ebook Reader)
Bigme has released a new smartphone called the Bigme Hibreak, and it features a 5.84″ color E Ink screen and it runs Android 11. It’s available to order from Bigme’s Amazon store for $329
ElevenLabs Launches Multi-Language AI Reader App
21 August 2024 (autogpt)
The app, initially launched in June in the U.S. and Canada, now supports 32 languages, breaking down barriers for users across the globe.
You can now read ebooks on your exercise bike, thanks to new Peloton and Amazon partnership
21 August 2024 (tom’s guide)
If you have a Peloton device, you can find your Kindle library in the Entertainment tab at the bottom of the navigation bar on the device’s display.
Korean Ice Cream Media goes for AI digital textbooks
20 August 2024 (Maeil Business Newsletter)
Ice Cream Media plans to use public offering funds to advance Generative AI technology, develop AI digital textbooks, and expand overseas business.
Audiobooks with AI, Amazon wants copyright change
16 August 2024 (City News – AU)
Tech giant Amazon is testing whether it can replace voice actors with AI-generated narrators in audiobooks, to keep pace with technology and publisher demands. “Voice actors are being railroaded into giving up their rights.”
Massive Data Theft Underscores Threats to Students from Downloading Illegal eBooks
15 August 2024 (KTLA)
College students are now specifically being targeted by cybercriminals the Detroit Free Press. An estimated 10 million users who accessed the clone site inadvertently exposed their personal information, including usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
HarperCollins Profits Soared in Fiscal 2024
9 August 2024 (Publishers Weekly)
Gains in the year were led by sales of digital audiobooks and e-books, which offset lower sales of print books. For the year, digital sales represented 23% of consumer revenues, up from 22% in fiscal 2023, according to HC parent company News Corp. While e-book sales were up, audiobooks were the big digital driver, increasing 18% in the year and 28% in the final quarter, helped by sales through Spotify.
Blackstone Publishing and Scribd Announce Strategic Co-Publication Partnership
9 August 2024 (Publishers Weekly)
Blackstone will co-publish titles in collaboration with Everand, overseeing manufacturing and distribution across all formats and markets.
Audible is testing an AI-powered search feature
7 Aug 2024 (TechCrunch)
Starting today, select U.S. customers can interact with “Maven,” Audible’s new personal recommendation expert that surfaces title suggestions based on users’ specific requests. A user can use natural language to enter queries, and Maven will respond by providing tailored recommendations pulled from Audible’s catalog of nearly one million titles. For instance, “I’m looking for an uplifting fiction novel with a female protagonist.”
UK: Spiracle Opens ‘Audiobook in a Card’ for Bookstores
5 August 2024 (The Bookseller)
London’s Spiracle co-publishes independent houses’ audiobooks and sells them to bookstore consumers using in-store cards with QR codes.
