Listen, Read, Grow Worldwide: The new Rules of the digital Book Market

The following interview is an extract from the new issue of STRIPES magazine, which you can read in full via the link.

The experts at Zebralution explain where the greatest opportunities for internationalisation lie, how publishers can capitalise on them, and what challenges need to be overcome in the process.

Listen, Read, Grow Worldwide: The new Rules of the digital Book Market

How would you summarize the current state of internationalization in the audiobook and e-book market? What are the most important trends?

Ailish Jung: The market for audiobooks and e-books has opened up massively on a global scale. Whereas the US, Western Europe, and parts of Asia used to dominate, demand is now growing worldwide—often in entirely new markets.

Jessica Barnfield: Markets are developing very differently internationally. The US and Northern Europe are mature subscription markets, while many other regions are price-sensitive, fragmented, or heavily promotion-driven.

Carlos Rojas: In Spanish-speaking countries, the audience for spoken word content has been growing significantly for years. The region is considered particularly dynamic, and digital formats are increasingly being used strategically.

JB: Growth today is driven less by larger catalogs and more by platform consolidation, subscription expansion, and discovery mechanisms. Competitive advantage comes from smart market prioritization and strong DSP relationships.

Mara Hartung: German-language publishers are thinking more confidently about internationalization. Many are now evaluating international audio rights themselves, which allows them to better exploit potential outside of traditional licensing models.

Theresa Soltau: Distribution is no longer a bottleneck today. The key question is: How do we create visibility? Value-added distribution means actively translating content into demand rather than just providing it.

IIn which international markets do you currently see the greatest growth opportunities for audiobooks, audio dramas, and e-books?

AJ: We see great momentum in India, Southeast Asia, Spanish-speaking countries, and Brazil. In Europe, Poland, the Baltic states, and the Balkans are growing particularly fast, often driven by agile local publishers and mobile-first users.

MH: In the e-book sector, international markets remain stable. Growth is primarily driven by the internationalization of existing programs, rather than by new regions.

CR: The audio segment continues to be highly dynamic, especially among young target groups. Regions such as Latin America have a wide reach but lower purchasing power, which is why we are working on market development there with co-productions. The Spanish-speaking markets offer great opportunities: the range of audiobooks is still limited, which creates scope for growth. In addition, print-on-demand enables reach without logistics costs, for example to the 60 million Spanish-speaking people in the US.

JB: The largest growth markets are in Asia, particularly India and China. Regions in North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) are also growing thanks to affordable data packages and local-language content. In Europe, Poland and France stand out as particularly dynamic audio markets.

What particular characteristics and challenges do you encounter in the various regions when distributing digital titles?

AJ: Smartphone usage and price sensitivity dominate many Asian markets. Shorter formats, series, and content in local languages work particularly well there.

MH: Localization goes far beyond translation. Dialects, cultural codes, and genre conventions vary greatly. What works globally still needs local sensitivity.

CR: Listening habits differ significantly. In many Spanish-speaking countries, traffic and long commutes create numerous audio moments. At the same time, a globally distributed audience is waiting for Spanish-language digital content.

JB: Some of the biggest challenges include payment methods, price acceptance, language and script complexity, and fragmented platform landscapes.

What strategic adjustments are needed to achieve success across different media in various countries?

AJ: International distribution works best when publishers think regionally and scale globally. Prices, platforms, formats, and marketing must be adapted to local customs.

TS: Subscription markets require continuous output, while single-purchase markets require precise pricing. Successful localization includes covers, metadata, titles, and descriptions. Local partnerships are essential. International rights only add value when local expertise is taken into account.

CR: The Spanish-speaking world continues to struggle with regional availability gaps, which can be offset digitally. In the audio format, there is also the question of Spanish or Latin American voice talent, depending on the target audience and content.

JB: In mature markets, optimization for dominant DSPs and algorithmic visibility are important. In emerging markets, flexible pricing and strong local players are crucial. Multi-platform strategies are becoming increasingly important

Which marketing measures and channels have proven particularly successful in an internationalized market?

MH: Globally, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are key marketing levers and often more effective than traditional advertising.

TS: In the audio segment, playlists, recommendations, and editorial placements are crucial. The most successful approach is a combination of scalable global strategies and culturally appropriate localization.

JB: International marketing today is platform-native and data-driven. We rely on DSP campaigns, pre-orders, metadata optimization, influencer collaborations, and performance analyses to ensure that measures generate sustainable use.

How is international demand developing for different formats such as e-books, audiobooks, and audio dramas?

MH: E-books remain a stable foundation. In many countries, audiobooks are the entry point into the audio market. In the US and UK, hybrid, dramatized productions with multiple narrators or additional sound design are emerging.

TS: Platforms such as Storytel and BookBeat are investing more heavily in originals and serial formats – mainly in markets with high market penetration. Emerging markets almost always start with classic readings.

JB: Audiobooks are growing faster globally than e-books. Audio increasingly includes audio dramas and episodic fiction. India is a pioneer in this area, while in Europe audiobooks are being integrated into broader subscription ecosystems.

What innovations are particularly relevant for the future of the market? How can publishers and service providers benefit from the change?

AJ: Publishers benefit when they use local content, optimized metadata, and new formats such as serials and cross-media bundles. This strengthens loyalty and creates new revenue models.

TS: Artificial intelligence (AI) is already changing translation, localization, metadata, marketing, and production—and could enable personalized content on demand in the future. This makes strategic curation increasingly relevant.

CR: AI can help expand audio catalogs in emerging markets, but fair models for rights and monetization are needed. The expansion of Spanish-language catalogs without exclusive restrictions remains central.

JB: The big opportunity for publishers lies in building intellectual property that moves fluidly between text, audio, and screen. Formats should be treated as interwoven creative ecosystems rather than standalone products. Building on this, pricing structures are needed that will continue to benefit authors in the future.

What specific recommendations do you give to publishers who want to grow internationally?

AJ: Quite simply: Talk to us—we can help!

MH: Publishers should secure international rights—especially audio rights—as early and comprehensively as possible, approach internationalization strategically rather than opportunistically, and incorporate local expertise. Markets should be consciously prioritized and appropriate content selected. In addition, it is worthwhile to use AI as an efficiency and scaling tool. Those who combine rights, platform mechanics, and demand development will create long-term strategic options for themselves.

CR: At Zebralution, we generally advocate the use of professional narrators—not only because we firmly believe in them, but also because market data shows that listeners respond better to them. We advise publishers considering the use of AI voices to make it dependent on the quantity: when it comes to converting the entire catalog into audio quickly and cost-effectively, AI can be a viable option. However, if the aim is to produce a selection of the best titles to test the segment, it is definitely worth investing in the work of professional producers and actors.

JB: International expansion should be a strategic rollout. Publishers who understand local platform dynamics, pricing realities, and metadata standards—and choose partners who are both operationally reliable and strategically competent—are successful. Long-term relationships beat short-term placements.

Thank you very much for the exchange!