August/September 2026 News Roundup

Summer transmuted into Autumn but the leaves aren’t the only changelings. Industry shifts include the private equity purchase of Podium, RBMedia’s acquisition of a fiction publisher, and the combination of two of Sweden’s leading subscription services. AkooBooks Audio in Ghana is figuring out what a sustainable African digital publishing ecosystem can look like. Market data suggests that the audiobook industry is morphing as podcasts and audiobooks overlap. And speaking of metamorphosis… AI cloning controversy is heating up in France, the UK, and Hollywood. But some things stay the same, like great audiobooks and their narrators who feed your earbuds. Just tap your heels together and if you have the right footwear… you might find your way home.

General News

Podcasts and Audiobooks Can Morph the Industry

Podcasts and audiobooks share significant listener overlap. While some view them as competitors, market data suggests synergy, with engagement in one often spurring interest in the other, however, formats often blur, with many podcasts essentially serialized audiobooks. [Source: forbes.com]

What Audible Learned from their Popup Audiobook Store

The biggest takeaway: “removing friction and allowing more engagement and allowing more of an opportunity for personalization, so that they have the opportunity to go to what’s interesting to them, but to sample and to try.” [Source: variety.com]

These library cards could save you hundreds every year

A $38–$50 library card can replace several subscriptions, including ebooks, audiobooks, movies, magazines, and online courses. [Source: consumeraffairs.com]

Immersive sound, famous voices make movies for your ears

Readers are increasingly looking for immersive audiobook experiences, with music, sound effects or full-cast narration. [Source: usatoday.com]

How Audiologists are Detecting Hearing Loss in Children Through Audiobooks

Audiobooks will help researchers understand how the auditory system processes speech and whether this can be used as a biomarker for hearing dysfunction. [Source: cla.umn.edu]

The business of audiobooks

Podium Entertainment Acquired by Private Equity Firms

Podium Entertainment has been sold to private equity firms Flexpoint Ford and Shamrock Capital in a deal the Wall Street Journal reports at more than $400 million. [Source: publishersweekly.com]

RBmedia Acquires U.K. Indie Boldwood Books

Boldwood Books, which primarily publishes commercial genre fiction, will now function as a publishing division under the RBMedia umbrella. [Source: publishersweekly.com]

Ingram’s Covered Launches for Booksellers and Librarians

Ingram Content Group officially launched Covered—its new platform for digital catalogs, review copies, and ordering—for all booksellers, librarians, and industry professionals, following a publisher-only beta that has been running for several weeks. Audiobooks soon to come. [Source: publishersweekly.com]

SPECific markets

‘Who Gets to Listen. Whose Stories Are Available:’ The African Audiobook Market

Ama Dadson, CEO and Founder of AkooBooks Audio in Ghana, shares the personal story which prompted her to start her company, insight into the African audiobook market(s), how they are scaling up the market quickly, and opportunities for international publishers and audiences. [Source: publishingperspectives.com]

Audible Brings More European Audio Into English

European translations are set to reach nearly a quarter of Audible’s U.K. English Originals slate by year-end, more than double their 2025 share. [Source: publishingperspectives.com]

Spiracle to relaunch with more than 70k audiobooks and focus on 'discovery and curation'

Spiracle Audiobooks will launch Spiracle 2.0 in September 2026, an audiobook platform and new app, which the founders say will include a “fully extended” catalog. [Source: thebookseller.com]

Bookwire, Dutch Distributor CB (Centraal Boekhuis) Announce ‘Strategic Partnership’

Reps said the landmark collaboration combines CB’s “deep understanding of the Dutch publishing market” with Bookwire’s “international technology expertise and global distribution capabilities.” [Source: publishingperspectives.com]

SWEDEN: Audiobook Competition Intensifies

Bonnier Books, Owner of BookBeat, Acquires Nextory. The proposed deal would combine two of Sweden’s leading subscription platforms. [Source: publishingperspectives.com]

Sweden: Audiobook listening remains flat despite increased access

"The supply and the potential audience have grown sharply, but so far, we are not seeing a corresponding shift in either paying households or actual consumption" commented Fredrik Liljeqvist, Head of Analysis at Mediavision. [Source: advanced-television.com]

Artificial intelligence News

Denis Podalydès voice clone case

A French court orders Google to help identify the suspected YouTube channel owner. The public interest in the case lies precisely in the still-open question: how do you prove the origin of a synthetic voice? [Source: ecostylia.com]

Who is Narrating the Future? AI and the Audiobook Market

A new white paper released by Frankfurter Buchmesse and produced by Dosdoce.com shows the audio industry’s increasing adoption of AI, but still with some reservations. [Source: publishingperspectives.com]

More Than 80 British Actors Demand UK Law Against AI Voice Cloning

The campaign was started by performer Peter Caulfield and audiobook narrator Alice Sockett, and it has been aimed at Prime Minister Andy Burnham with an open letter and a petition on the government's own website. [Source: startupfortune.com]

They have a lot to say about AI

Hollywood’s voice actors worry that it’s taking their jobs, and they’re fighting back. [Source: enewspaper.latimes.com]

FEED YOUR EARPODS

Blackstone Publishing to Release Audiobook of “Huckleberry Jim” During Banned Books Week

“Huckleberry Jim is a sharp, darkly funny, and deeply relevant novel that takes on race, identity, and the stories America tells about itself,” added Anne Fonteneau, Chief Sales Officer at Blackstone. [Source: einpresswire.com]

This Phantom of the Opera Sequel Audiobook Will Feature Tons of Broadway Favorites

Jordan Donica, Sierra Boggess, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and more will play roles in Erin A. Craig's follow-up to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. [Source: playbill.com]

Dual and Duet Narration Done Right

The audiobooks that bring stories to life with two voices. [Source: blog.libro.fm]

The Shards Audiobook Sees 1,100% Listening Increase on Spotify After TV Show Premiere

Other books in Ellis’ catalog have also seen a surge in listeners. [Source: people.com]

Interviews & Podcasts

Megan Tusing on the Art of Audiobook Narration

Lauren Reding, author of The Killer in the House, interviews its narrator, Megan Tusing. [Source: crimereads.com]

SOMETHING OUT OF THE BOOTH

Hinge Turned Awkward Dating Talks Into an Audiobook. It’s a Marketing Play for Gen-Z

The dating app’s latest campaign expansion follows five real couples navigating tricky conversations. [Source: inc.com]

Pan Macmillan & Spotify Launch Audiobooks for Your Feet

Tapping a phone against the new HYPHNT Nova trainer opens an InvestiGators audiobook on Spotify. [Source: audiobookrush.com]