Now, books get visual additions too

As podcasts grapple with what visuals means to our audio-first experience, it’s the turn of books. “As part of Spotify’s broader ambition to reimagine audiobooks as a multisensory format, we’ve expanded our Follow-Along feature, which is an immersive experience that syncs time-stamped illustrations, graphics, and media with audio narration. Think of it as bringing the visual richness of a physical book into the digital age.” Or, think of it as the chapter art that is supported in some podcast apps. Anyway, the psychological thriller Culpability, by Bruce Holsinger, is one of the first fiction titles with the product. He calls it a “new frontier in audiobooks”.

Bryan Barletta posts more information about the Podcast Movement and Sounds Profitable merger. Details include the enhancements to Podcast Movement events, including: “James Cridland of Podnews will be Podcast Movement’s first Editorial Director, bringing his immense event experience and highlighting his dedication to supporting creators and the independent nature of podcasting. He will oversee the Creator track at events, with an emphasis on growth, education, and diversity of voices.”

Triton Digital released the Australian Podcast Ranker for May. It appears the ranker no longer lists top publishers and sales houses. In a separate release, ARN’s iHeart claims it reaches over 7mn listeners and 24.7mn downloads - we’d suspect that still means it’s #1.