Is Apple launching an Audiobooks service? A report from the economist suggests just that. For many years now Apple has competed in the ebook space with its iBooks store. The iBooks store launched together with the iPad in early 2010 and has been in direct competition with Amazon’s hugely successful Kindle ecosystem of e-readers and ebooks. As it currently stands Apple does sell Audiobooks a la carte but doesn’t offer a ’streaming’ catalogue akin to something like Netflix but for books. The major player in this space is Audible, owned by Amazon.
Since 2018 the tech giant has shifted its focus to services in addition to its premium hardware and software. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook believes that where hardware, software and services intersect, ‘magical experiences’ for customers are unlocked. And Apple’s recent financial success and booming services segment tend to support that. It comes as no surprise then that Apple would want in on the lucrative Audiobooks service
In the past couple of years Apple has made smaller media bets including Arcade, a subscription gaming package, News+, a publishing bundle, and Fitness+, which offers video aerobics classes. There is talk of an audiobooks service later this year.
The Economist via 9to5 Mac
Although the details are vague at this stage, I think Apple’s entry into this service is a dead cert. It just makes sense considering they already sell Audiobooks. And consumers have quickly adapted to the idea of now ’owning’ their digital goods but instead streaming them. Providing Apple users with a way to do this with Audiobooks without leaving the walled garden of the Apple ecosystem, seems like just the thing Apple would want to do.
Would you be interested in Apple offering a competitor to Audible? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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