May 2026 News Roundup
Speak like a pirate takes on a whole new meaning on YouTube, where pirated audiobooks, produced using AI, are prolific. AI dominates the news this month featuring ElevenLabs, their ElevenReader, a New York Times report on the AI threat to publishing, and the utilization of an AI Assistant to make audiobook suggestions. A bookless bookstore sounds pirated, but this NYC pop-up from Audible is see-worthy. Check it out as well as the idea of immersive reading, 5 traits of an audiobook listener, as well as remarkable award winning titles from New Zealand, India and Ukraine. Romance fans will not want to miss the recording of the panel of experts at the LA Times Festival of Books. And imagine a book about a serial killer narrated by a… serial killer!
General News
I Went to a Bookless Bookstore. It Made Me Fall in Love With Reading Even More
Audible Story House, a new pop-up in New York City, offers a first-of-its-kind community space for audiobook enthusiasts. [Sources: people.com]
Having trouble focusing on your book? Try immersive reading
Simultaneous listening and reading is picking up steam among online book communities. [Source: npr.org]
Psychologist Says if You Prefer Audiobooks Over Physical Books, You Likely Have These 5 Traits
Plus, whether listening to audiobooks is good for your brain or not. [Source: parade.com]
Standout NZ stories announced in Audiobook of the Year longlist
Fifteen remarkable titles have been selected for the 2026 longlist, spanning literary fiction, memoir, fantasy, sport, nature and self-help. [Source: booksellers.co.nz]
How India’s iconic children’s publisher transformed storytelling
As Karadi Tales turns 30, its founders reflect on the stories, songs and books that became part of countless childhood memories. [Source: thehindu.com]
The business of audiobooks
Bookwire Report Shows Growth—and Opportunity—in the Spanish Language Digital Publishing Sector
The company’s overview of the Spanish-language digital publishing sector points to growth in both ebooks and audiobooks. [Source: publishingperspectives.com]
Specific markets
‘Hovory,’ Ukrainian war call recordings, wins Czech Audiobook of the Year 2025
The narrator’s voice connects individual stories, places them in context, and expands the scope of the messages and conversations. It is a document with the profound power of testimony,” a jury member said. [Source: chytomo.com]
A.I. News
YouTube Is Crawling with Pirated Audiobooks Made Using A.I.
Illegal, synthetically narrated copies of “The Hunger Games,” self-help books and everything in between are increasingly common on the platform. [Source: nytimes.com]
I tested Audible on Claude to get the best audiobook recommendations and they were better than I expected
Reporter Elton Jones says, “Claude surfaced a range of titles I’d never come across before and after looking into them, I immediately added several to my listening queue for the weeks ahead.” [Source: tomsguide.com]
ElevenLabs: A Voice in Publishing
To deploy its voice marketplace and other groundbreaking technology, ElevenLabs offers a suite of products for audiobook producers at every level. [Source: publishersweekly.com]
ElevenReader Lands 200,000 Human-Narrated Titles: $11 Subscription Takes Aim at Audible
ElevenLabs Backs Its AI Platform With Publisher Catalog Deals as Spotify Deepens Its Own Audiobook Push. [Source: techtimes.com]
Interviews & Podcasts
The Sexy Voices Behind Romance: Craft, Fandom, and the Power of Audiobook Narration
Moderator Aaron Spencer was joined by industry veterans Tor Thom, Wesley Siobhan, Angel Pean, Andy Arndt, and JD Jackson to discuss how the genre has transformed. [Source: latimes.com]
The A.I. Threat to Audiobooks
Artificial intelligence has made pirated audiobooks faster to make and harder to detect. Reporter Alexandra Alter tells us about the latest threat to the publishing industry. [Source: nytimes.com]
SOMETHING OUT OF THE BOOTH
Notorious Serial Killer Ed Kemper Narrated Hundreds of Audiobooks From Prison
Kemper ran The Blind Project, a program out of California Medical Facility state prison that created book recordings for the blind. [Source: people.com]