News from APAC: What’s Next in Audio?

Selling Books With Audiobooks on Spotify

When people listen to audiobooks instead of reading books in print or digital, does reading itself win or lose? Duncan Bruce, Director of Audiobook Partnerships and Licensing at Spotify, is helping shape how millions of people discover stories through audiobooks. He tells Christopher Kenneally that innovations like PageMatch, which lets readers move seamlessly between page and audio, and Spotify’s new partnership with Bookshop dot org, are introducing books to wider and younger audiences and even driving renewed interest in physical books.

Spell Check For Audiobooks… and Beyond

Adam Fritz, CEO of Pozotron, and Robin Lai with John Marshall Media, tell Christopher Kenneally why audiobook production requires an alignment of AI tools and human expertise. With publishers facing intense financial pressure in audiobook production, they say,  AI-assisted workflows will help to hold down costs and reduce turnaround times. And when producers automate pre-production tasks, they free up time for creative human work including casting, directing, and storytelling.

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.