The Spoken World

Audible’s Bookless Bookstore for Audiobooks

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 listening rooms, and gather around a shared love of audio storytelling.

You Follow the Story Because the Story Can Follow You

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.

Parix Audio Day Keynotes Forecast Audiobook Future

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-standing industry myth that audiobooks compete with books and reading, says Audible’s Barbara Knabe, and independent industry consultant George Walkley details the role of AI in lowering audiobook production costs and ultimately, redefining the listening experience.

Creating a Global Audio Catalog

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; and the role of AI in production, marketing, and distribution. From Paris, Nataly Villena Vega is Head of Editorial at Audiolib, the leading audiobook publisher in France, that is a joint venture of Hachette Livre and Albin Michel. From Berlin, Julia Balogh is a Business Affairs Specialist for Parkum Publishing, which launched in 2025. From Copenhagen, Lasse Korsemann Horne is the Publishing Director of Danish-based Saga Egmont and leads the company’s audiobook expansion. From Accra, Ghana, Ama Dadson is Founder & CEO of AkooBooks Audio, a digital streaming platform for Black/African audiobooks and the spoken word.

News from APAC: What’s Next in Audio?

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 panel, “Who gets a voice on the future of audiobooks?” Four senior US audio publishing executives told him, “Authors and influencers do.”