The Spoken World

For audiobook narrator and director Tavia Gilbert, punctuation is more than a set of grammatical rules. Like notations in a musical score, she says, punctuation guides the narrator and, likewise, the reader. Drawing on passages from William Faulkner and Jane Austen Tavia Gilbert shares with Christopher Kenneally how punctuation and pauses steer readers mindfully through the emotional landscape of...

NielsenIQ, the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, has conducted the first national study in Brazil of who reads, who doesn't, and why. “ The Brazilian Digital Reader ” reported a strong digital presence in publishing, especially for audiobooks. Following a presentation at the Frankfurt Book Fair by Luis Gaspar, Research Director with NielsenIQ, The Spoken World’s Christopher Kennea...

As the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair opened 7 October, Spotify shared the latest news and developments in its efforts to bring more books, and more audiobooks, to more people around the world. In a program Wednesday morning, hosted by Christopher Kenneally of The Spoken World, Duncan Bruce,  Director for Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing, outlined announcements on Spotify’s audiobook programming for...

What happens when you take the book out of the audiobook and you produce it, “audio first”? In 2026, a different kind of audiobook is emerging – one that’s not an adaptation from a book. Instead, this new content format goes straight to audiobook. These “audio first” narratives are designed especially for listening, using the full range of audio production possibilities. In a “live podcast” on Lin...

Audiobook listening continues to grow in popularity, yet much of the published book catalog remains unavailable in audio format.  Closing this “catalog gap” will take publishers willing to experiment with AI and providers promising to protect the human role in audiobook production. Elredo Voice aims to develop what it calls a "second audiobook production economy." Milan Kolcun tells Chri...

Full-cast productions with original music and cinematic sound design have long represented the highest end of audiobook production and are usually reserved for bestselling titles. Midsummerr founder Anat Dayagi tells Christopher Kenneally how new technologies may soon change that equation and make immersive audio a realistic possibility for publishers of all sizes.

As audiobooks evolve beyond traditional storytelling, narrators, authors, and producers confront the challenge of making nonfiction work for the ear. Jeanne Bracken, founder of AudiSkills in Madrid, tells Christopher Kenneally why they may find lessons for their crafts in audio learning courses

Skeelo is a leading platform for audiobooks and e-books in Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking nation of 214 million inhabitants that is fast becoming one of the most dynamic audio markets in the world. Camila Leme, Skeelo Content Director, tells Christopher Kenneally how the Brazilian love of podcasts has shaped listener expectations for audiobooks.

Juliana Rueda is an audiobook producer, director, and sound designer and a leading voice in Spain’s audiobook production community. She has helped drive the industry’s growth as publishers invest to reach new audiences, in Spain, across South America, and in the United States. The founder of Miutbooks, based in Barcelona, Juliana Rueda tells Christopher Kenneally why accent and authenticity are bo...

The Spoken World recently presented “The Next Chapter in Audiobooks,” a “live podcast” on LinkedIn. Christopher Kenneally spoke with Robin Whitten, founder of Voices to Know, and Tom Webster, a partner at Sounds Profitable, to learn how changing audience listening habits are shaping what audiobook publishers will produce, and the content that platforms will offer. Shorter listening sessions, short...

Audiobook listening is closely associated with “brand name” platforms, but another driving force in the format’s rising popularity is your public library.  According to the new Audio Publishers Association 2026 Consumer Survey, nearly half of listeners have borrowed audiobooks through a digital library app. On June 23, for a special “live podcast” on LinkedIn, Christopher Kenneally and  The Spoken...

When people listen to audiobooks instead of reading books in print or digital, does reading itself win or lose? Duncan Bruce, Director of Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify, is helping shape how millions of people discover stories through audiobooks. He tells Christopher Kenneally that innovations like PageMatch, which lets readers move seamlessly between page and audio, and Spotify’s...

Adam Fritz, CEO of Pozotron, and Robin Lai with John Marshall Media, tell Christopher Kenneally why audiobook production requires an alignment of AI tools and human expertise. With publishers facing intense financial pressure in audiobook production, they say,  AI-assisted workflows will help to hold down costs and reduce turnaround times. And when producers automate pre-production tasks, they fre...

Audible’s ambitious new “Audible Story House” in New York City’s lower Manhattan is a three-floor “bookless bookstore” that offers a glimpse into the future of audiobook discovery. James Finn, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Brand and Content Marketing, tells Christopher Kenneally that the month-long “pop-up” in the Bowery invites visitors to browse “story tiles,” explore immersive listen...

Recent innovations by audio platform Spotify are makinglistening and reading more appealing to new audiences. At the Parix Audio Day Conference in Madrid earlier thisyear, Spotify executive Duncan Bruce explained how these new tools redefine engagement with books and audiobooks throughout the day.

The success of audiobooks with consumers has already been transformative for bottom lines across the publishing industry. Next, authors, publishers and readers alike can expect to see audiobooks influence the strategic direction of the global book business.  That’s the takeaway from a pair of keynote presentations at the 2026 Parix Audio Day conference in Madrid. Survey data challenges a long-stan...

As audiobook providers expand into new markets, they confront a basic challenge: Building audio catalogs with strong appeal worldwide. At the 2026 Parix Audio Day in Madrid, Christopher Kenneally asked three European publishers and an African-wide platform provider about their global development strategies. They spoke about business models and language investment; battles over rights and licensing...

On Monday, March 30, 2026, 500 attendees for the Audio Publishers Association virtual conference learned about top audiobook industry topics including consumer listening trends; prospects for multicast and other expanded audio formats; and whether diversity in stories and voices remains a goal. The Spoken World’s Christopher Kenneally reports that APA Executive Director Jim Dinegar asked a keynote...

On March 12, 2026, at the London Book Fair, Christopher Kenneally, host of The Spoken World , moderated “The Great Audiobook Debate.” The growing popularity of audiobooks compels all stakeholders in publishing to ask, “What does it mean to be a reader?” Speakers included Marc Boutet, President and co-founder of De Marque; Javier Celaya, Founder & CEO,  Dosdoce.com ; Luis González, Director Gen...

The Spoken World podcast is embarking on a new season for 2026.  Every other Thursday, Season 2 of The Spoken World will feature interviews with top industry figures and analysts from markets around the world sharing insights on the opportunities, challenges, and innovations coming to the audiobook industry, the fastest-growing segment of book publishing.   In this episode, in Madrid, Luis Gonzále...

In the closing days of 2025, Christopher Kenneally, host of The Spoken World , reviews our coverage of the global audiobook industry throughout the year. The Spoken World debuted in March at the London Book Fair. In our first season, we featured interviews and panel presentations from the US Book Show in New York; the Frankfurt Book Fair; and the Parix Audio Day Conference in Madrid.

In 2025, the global audiobook industry saw exciting changes in audiences, products, and markets. The US remains the sales leader with double-digit annual growth, while demand is rising around the world for new languages and new catalog offerings. To close out 2025, Christopher Kenneally spoke with leading audiobooks industry analyst Javier Caleya, founder of  dosdoce.com , for his review of the ye...

The French like a good laugh; Italians love adventure; and Germans want to know whodunit. Those are key findings of the Audible Compass, an annual review of listening habits commissioned last July by the world’s largest audiobook retailer. Audible’s Barbara Knabe tells Christopher Kenneally that mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, and romance are all popular across the European Union. Market difference...

Three audiobook leaders from across Europe shared a stage on the opening day of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 to discuss the latest data and trends in listener behavior as well as the opportunities for publishers to grow readership through the audiobook format. The European audiobook market is growing rapidly, with millions of new listeners discovering the format every year. Looking beyond consumer...

As we complete Season 1 of The Spoken World , host Christopher Kenneally reflects on our global coverage of audiobook events at London Book Fair, PARIX Audio Day and the US Book Show. We look forward to the launch of Season 2 this Fall with our coverage of Frankfurt Book Fair. Check out this infographic that wraps-up our Season 1.