Spotify to offer audiobooks - for a fee - New York Times

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david wales
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Post by david wales »

Spotify Makes a Bet on Audiobooks
The streaming service that transformed the music industry is expanding into audiobooks, and will offer more than 300,000 titles on a pay-per-book model.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/20/books/spotify-audiobooks.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Books

Wonder how long it will take someone to pirate our books for Spotify - or maybe someone already has! :shock:
Peace, David
sjmarky
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Post by sjmarky »

I didn't see any plans for Spotify doing their own production like Audible has with ACX. So unless Findaway decides to accept pirated audiobooks, the pirates will have a harder time. Findaway has a good reputation (although I have never worked with them).
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barleyguy
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Post by barleyguy »

Just a note: You can't pirate a public domain book. Public domain allows for commercial usage, and there are pages of discussion on that point specific to Librivox if you look back on the forums.

That said, interesting news about Spotify offering books. Audiobooks are huge right now. :-)
So that's what an invisible barrier looks like... (Time Bandits)
sjmarky
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Post by sjmarky »

Maybe you don’t quite get what we mean. Yes, a public domain audiobook can’t be “pirated” since it isn’t copyrighted. What we are talking about is people taking LV recordings and selling them on Audible for their financial gain. I’ve had many of my LV recordings sold for profit on Audible, often with a fake narrator name. We call these “pirates,” because they take our work and sell it. Yeah, I know they have the right to use it. Just as I can use Project Gutenberg texts to record commercial audiobooks. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss me off.
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barleyguy
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Post by barleyguy »

I totally get what you mean. Something being public domain explicitly allows someone to use it for financial gain, hence I don't agree with characterizing it as "pirates". When I contribute to Librivox I completely accept the fact that my work will be used for anything that public domain allows, including commercial uses.
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annise
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Post by annise »

Personal opinion
Yes our works are PD, and the apps and things are providing a public service, people who sell them as they are to Audible are legal
But those who carefully remove all identification and make up a new name for people like Mark may be legal but to my mind are immoral, and Mark has every right to say what he thinks of them as have all our other readers to whom this happens.

Anne
sjmarky
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Post by sjmarky »

barleyguy wrote: September 22nd, 2022, 8:21 pm I totally get what you mean. Something being public domain explicitly allows someone to use it for financial gain, hence I don't agree with characterizing it as "pirates". When I contribute to Librivox I completely accept the fact that my work will be used for anything that public domain allows, including commercial uses.
Yeah, I know they can and have the legal right to. I know what public domain means. I also can be pissed off about it, even if I know I don’t have a right to be. And yeah, I know that doesn’t make much sense since I know full well the terms when I record for Librivox. But that’s how I feel.
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barleyguy
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Post by barleyguy »

I respect your self awareness, for real.

As far as people selling Librivox recordings on Audible, my response would likely be to post a review with my honest thoughts on the book and my narration (to get through moderation), then mention that the book and recording are public domain and are legally available for free. I think it's completely justified to provide people with that information.
So that's what an invisible barrier looks like... (Time Bandits)
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