Audiobook publishing continues to grow, making it one of the most exciting segments to watch in book publishing. In 2014, the Audiobook Publisher's Association reported that its members grew sales revenue by 10.9% collectively to $376.6 million. Technology, in particular mobile devices, is a huge proponent of that growth, wrote APA director Michele Cobb in an article for Book Business. In order to amplify the audiobook boom, she added, publishers must continue to partner with new technology that makes the purchase and listening process as easy as possible.
Michele Cobb
Dan Eldridge is a journalist and guidebook author based in Philadelphia's historic Old City district, where he and his partner own and operate Kaya Aerial Yoga, the city's only aerial yoga studio. A longtime cultural reporter, Eldridge also writes about small business and entrepreneurship, travel, and the publishing industry. Follow him on Twitter at @YoungPioneers.
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.
I always refer to audio publishers as digital pioneers. Long before the rise of the ebook we sat in stuffy conference rooms and discussed the importance of good metadata and the best methods for file transfers or website downloads or digital sampling. With the turning of the 20th century and the introduction of this funky little device called the iPod the audiobook world was revolutionized
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As Ralph Lazaro VP of digital products at Findaway World aptly pointed out during a panel session yesterday at the Digital Book World Conference, the conversation around digital publishing tends to get hijacked by ebooks. It's easy to forget that audiobooks should be part of the digital discussion.
The Audiobook Creation Exchange, or ACX, is already having a significant effect on the manner in which the industry does business, largely by offering publishers both large and small easier access to the means of production.
Audio publishers are moving way beyond their core audience to capture sales to both libraries and consumers. In June, Random House Audio Group launched an online/radio/print ad campaign that reinforces what librarians already know: you don't have to be a commuter or road-tripper to listen. Working out? Knitting? Ironing? The campaign website, TryAudiobooks.com, even features a "personal audiobook assistant" that can match how long your project will take to titles of similar length. The ad campaign caught the attention of the New York Times.
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