August 2023 News Roundup
This month Edison Research reports on audio usage, library deals are examined and it’s hard to miss the big news at KKR with the sale of RBMedia and purchase of S&S. Further, the news digs into what the acquisitions mean for authors and consumers. Also prominent in the news is a host of A.I. concerns including its effects on creativity, productivity and production. If all of this has you reaching for an otherworldly audiobook or returning to the Barbie movie for a repeat viewing, check out the earpod news. Or sink into a soothing bath with an audiobook before heading to bed to dream.
Share of time consumers spent listening to audio sources
The Edison Research “Share of Ear” graph shows their quarterly update, with all audio usage among Americans age 13+, derived from a detailed one-day diary. [Source: edisonresearch.com]
The audiobook you listen to before bed can shape your dreams
Among a group of people who listened to different audiobooks before bed, researchers could identify what story they heard based on the descriptions of their dreams. [Source: newscientist.com]
FEED YOUR EARPODS
Dreamscape Media brings theatrical approach to a multi-cast production of Dracula
Dreamscape is striving to increase local talent as well as the diversity of its books, authors, and narrators. [Source: toledoblade.com]
Can’t Get Enough of Barbenheimer?
Listen to These Audible Audiobooks & Podcasts Amidst The Fan Frenzy! [Source: technosports.co.in]
BEYOND ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Bilingual Stories on Audio from the Premiere Latino Children’s Theatre
PRH Audio has partnered with NYC’s Teatro SEA, the premiere Latino children’s theatre in the U.S., to publish a collection of 9 bilingual audiobooks this fall. [Source: penguinrandomhouselibrary.com]
the business of audiobooks
Paramount Agrees to Sell Simon & Schuster to KKR, a Private Equity Firm
The deal, for $1.62 billion, will put control of a cultural touchstone in the hands of a financial buyer. [Source: nytimes.com]
KKR to Sell Audiobook Publisher RBmedia
The Wall Street Journal chimes in on the popularity of Audiobooks and spoken content among consumers. [Source: wsj.com]
What the sale of a major American book publisher means for authors, the industry – and you
What happens next is unpredictable. [Source: latimes.com]
the terms that publishers sell audiobooks and ebooks to libraries in 2023
Each publisher has different rates; some books expire after a certain number of loans. [Source: goodereader.com]
A.I.
A.I.’s Inroads in Publishing Touch Off Fear, and Creativity
The technology has the potential to affect nearly every aspect of how books are produced — even the act of writing itself. [Source: nytimes.com]
AI is coming for your audiobooks. You’re right to be worried
Longtime audiobook reviewer Katherine A. Powers offers her perspective on narrator vs bot. [Source: washingtonpost.com]
Making Artificial Intelligence Work for You
Using AI wisely can benefit your platform. [Source: publishersweekly.com]
New Project Uses AI To Turn Project Gutenberg Texts Into Free Audiobooks With Lifelike Voices — In 30 Seconds
A team from Microsoft approached Project Gutenberg about a collaboration to produce thousands of high-quality audiobooks using an AI-driven solution and then give them back to the Project Gutenberg community. [Source: techdirt.com]
How to Find and Listen to AI-Narrated Audiobooks on Apple Books
AI-narrated audiobooks are created to sound as human as possible. [Source: makeuseof.com]
ElevenLabs' AI Voice Generator Can Now Fake Your Voice in 30 Languages
ElevenLabs said its AI voice generator is out of beta, saying it would support video game and audiobook creators with cheap audio. [Source: gizmodo.com]
just for fun
THE IDEAL WAY TO READ IN THE BATH
First, you’ll need to get the water just right. [Source: bookriot.com]