Last week, news broke that Amazon is seeking to hire 100 people worldwide for Audible (the audiobook company), which it acquired in 2008. They’ve already recruited well-known talent—everyone from radio and podcast producers to comedians—and now Amazon is really doubling down on original programming.
Even those who don’t follow Amazon closely are likely aware of the company’s larger goals tied to creating and distributing original entertainment. For example, along with Netflix, Amazon was the biggest purchaser of film rights at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and it has developed well-received original TV shows, such as Transparent. Having an exclusive on such high-quality content helps Amazon support its Prime subscription service, which at least 46 million people pay for.
Audible currently costs $14.95/month (which includes one audiobook per month and discounts thereafter), and offers more than 250,000 audio programs. Over the last year, you may have noticed that Audible made a significant investment in mass-market advertising. (You can read more about the campaign here.)
Bottom line: Amazon is well known for making moves when data shows there’s money to be made. Even for the casual industry observer, it’s clear there’s potential in digital audio: the latest Association of American Publishers report showed 31 percent year-on-year growth for audiobooks during the first six months of 2015. (And if you’d like to work for Audible, you can see the job listings here.)
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
