It was never going to be easy for new kid on the Scandinavian audiobook block, Bokus Play. Storytel is far and away the strongest player, both at home and abroad, with BookBeat and Nextory so comfortably in second and third place it seemed like there was no room for a fourth player. Even one with Read More …
Back in May 2018 The New Publishing Standard was the first English-language industry journal to break the news of Storytel’s Latin America plans. Storytel’s Latin American ambitions. Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia for 2019? Since when the Mexico launch has been confirmed as set for end 2018. Storytel confirms Latin America ambitions. Mexico launch this Read More …
Impossible to second-guess why this took so long – the expectation was early 2018 – but Amazon has finally launched a beta version of Audible in India, and it has stuck to its standard model despite an almost year long head start by rival Storytel. Sweden’s Storytel beats Amazon’s Audible to the India audiobook market Read More …
If the Scribd-New York Times subscription bundle made the headlines in the Anglophone world, it is Bookbeat’s deal with Dagen Nyheter that is the big news in Scandinavia. Bookbeat, second player to Storytel in the Nordic audiobook and ebook subscription stakes, has signed a deal with the Swedish digital news service (Dagens Nyheter = Today’s Read More …
Denmark’s digital library service Ereolen has seen the number of ebook titles in its catalogue soar from 18,000 in September 2017 to 29,000 in September 2018. The 65% boost is due to Denmark’s biggest publishers embracing the option rather than lose ground to audiobook and ebook subscription services like Storytel. Denmark’s largest publisher, Gyldendal, returned Read More …
In marked contrast to Storytel’s usual approach of keeping quiet about new launches until everything is ready to go, Storytel’s Asia expansion plans are being announced well in advance. This week comes a Storytel press release confirming Storytel will be launching in Singapore in 2019, with titles in English and Chinese. This will come as no Read More …
This is Storytel’s global reach as we start October 2018: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, India, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Italy, with imminent launches in Bulgaria and Mexico, and a Brazil launch unconfirmed but looking likely. With the exception of Italy, none are countries where Amazon’s Audible is an active Read More …
First, the numbers. Despite adding 100,000 subscribers, Storytel missed its 725,000 target for Q3, averaging just 720,900. But streaming revenue exceeded expectations, coming in at SEK 280 million ($30.8 million), against a forecast of 275.5 million. International subscriptions rose by 78,200 to a total of 384,700 but there is no breakdown offered on which countries Read More …
While US and UK publishers watch the Scandinavian experiment from a safe distance, a mixture of envy and fear in their eyes, Sweden’s BookBeat goes from strength to strength, leaving no doubt that, whatever publishers may feel about the subscription model, consumers love it. Bookbeat’s June, July and August revenue grew 97% compared to 2017, Read More …
Hat tip to Bodour Al Qasimi (@Bodour) for spotting this story before it made my in-tray. I mentioned Jamalon here just a few days ago when looking at the Amman International Book Fair, happening in Jordan right now. As the Amman International Book Fair gets underway, say hello to Jamalon and Yaqut – Jordan’s hidden Read More …
