Storytel. Spotify. Now Audible. Audio, Text, and the Physical Book Slowly Converge
Audible, Spotify, and Storytel are collapsing the boundaries between audio and text. What it means for rights, royalties, AI — and the reader who never reads.
Feb 19, 2026 | Audiobooks, Digital Audio, ebook subscription services, Print, USA
Audible, Spotify, and Storytel are collapsing the boundaries between audio and text. What it means for rights, royalties, AI — and the reader who never reads.
by Mark Williams | Feb 23, 2026 | AI, Publishing Controversies | 0 |
AI is the publishing industry’s latest scapegoat. But UK author incomes collapsed long before ChatGPT existed. The real villains are hiding in plain sight.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 23, 2026 | Bangladesh, South Asia | 0 |
The Amar Ekushey Boi Mela 2026 is rescheduled again. With fees waived and Ramadan conflicts, we examine the “unmitigated disaster” facing Bangladesh’s publishers.
Read MoreJapan boosts content industry budget to ¥35bn, targeting ¥20tn overseas sales by 2033. New policies address piracy, AI translation and creator working conditions amid global competition.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Caribbean, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago | 0 |
CXC mandates accessible formats in publisher contracts as Caribbean nations implement Marrakesh Treaty. Trinidad leads; Jamaica follows.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Comics, Manga | 0 |
A Pokémon card and a Superman comic have shattered collectibles records, with sales of $16.5m and $15m — what does this mean for the publishing industry?
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Africa, Angola, Awards, Children's Books | 0 |
Angolan publisher Kacimbo Kiela shortlisted for 2026 Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publishers. Second consecutive nomination for Ondjaki’s Luanda-based house.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Arab publishing, IP Rights, MENA publishing, Middle East, Saudi Arabia | 0 |
Saudi Arabia’s new Copyright Law introduces key reforms, including AI exceptions and stricter enforcement, impacting publishers and rights holders in the region’s growing creative industry.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Africa, Book Fairs, India, Rwanda | 0 |
A Rwandan publisher’s firsthand account from Chennai International Book Fair reveals why African literature remains invisible—and what Tamil publishers got right.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Audible, Audiobooks, Digital Audio, Digital subscription | 0 |
What the 2026 Parix Audio Day tells publishers about AI narration, platform access, market development, and why hesitation is the riskiest strategy of all.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 22, 2026 | Book Fairs, India | 0 |
The Guardian’s elitist critique of Indian lit fests ignores that UK festivals like Hay also trade books for pizza and music. A shameful double standard.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 21, 2026 | Book Fairs, Ukraine | 0 |
Ukrainian publisher Ranok announces London and Bologna Book Fair appearances for 2026 following record rights sales of 75 books in H1 2025. Discover their rights catalogue.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 21, 2026 | Book Fairs, Romania | 0 |
Romania signs official agreement as 2028 Frankfurt Book Fair Guest of Honour, with Moldova collaboration and expanded translation programmes.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | Cross-Media, Gaming, Poland | 0 |
Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal partners with Bloober Team to expand horror gaming IPs like Layers of Fear into literature. A strategic move for cross-media licensing.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | Audiobooks, Digital Audio, Digital subscription, Netherlands | 0 |
Dutch poet Lieke Marsman earned just €200 from 500,000 streaming minutes. But is the platform to blame — or the publishing contract upstream of it?
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | Abu Dhabi, Arab publishing, United Arab Emirates | 0 |
Abu Dhabi’s Kalima School Reading Club scales up 2026 programme across government schools, delivering curated Arabic books and author workshops to strengthen youth literacy.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | Europe, Fellowships, North Macedonia | 0 |
The Macedonian Association of Publishers opens applications for the third Skopje Book Fair Fellowship Programme, running 22–24 April 2026. Apply by 10 March.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | AI, Arab publishing, MENA publishing | 0 |
Qirtas App leverages AI to digitise Arabic publishing, unveiled at Web Summit Qatar 2026. Platform aids publishers with automated tools and offers streaming for readers.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 20, 2026 | Theatre | 0 |
George R.R. Martin’s Westeros moves from page to stage at the RSC. What does this tell publishers about IP longevity, adaptation strategy, and literary prestige?
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 19, 2026 | Big Bad Wolf sale, Book Fairs, MENA publishing, Middle East, United Arab Emirates | 0 |
Big Bad Wolf Books returns to Dubai 26 Feb–8 March 2026 with millions of titles from AED 2. Features Sharjah Book Authority partnership and Ramadan “Beyond the Noise” theme.
Read Moreby Mark Williams | Feb 19, 2026 | Cambodia, Libraries, Publishing Brief | 0 |
Cambodian Librarians Association hosts global webinar on space power, AI, and library diplomacy, 22–23 January 2026. Features space warfare expert Paul Szymansk
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