Summary
- Audible is growing with over 50 million paid subscribers and plans to leverage Amazon Prime Video data for recommendations.
- Users will see audiobook recommendations based on their Prime Video history.
- It’s worth noting that the feature is still under testing and not available to all users, and there are some concerns about a lack of opt-out options.
Amazon owns an umbrella of services, and while many of them are interconnected with each other, many aren’t. Such is was the case with Audible, Amazon’s audiobook and podcast platform for spoken word content. The platform, which has a 63.4% market share in the audiobook publishing category in the United States, is in a growth trend, with over 50 million paid subscribers, according to OnlineDasher. That number is likely to grow further, thanks to a new test that will leverage users’ Amazon Prime Video data.
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Audible users who also use Amazon Prime Video will soon start seeing audiobook recommendations based on their Prime Video viewing history, as shared by TechCrunch. Audible’s Chief Product & Analytics Officer, Andy Tsao, gave the publication a statement on the matter:
There is a natural synergy between TV, movies, and books, and we see that clearly in how our customers engage with content on Audible. We are constantly innovating to deliver on what our customers want and we’re excited about the potential of this feature to help our listeners dive deeper into the stories and worlds they love in other mediums, and to discover new ones as well.
A new discovery page on Audible will house the recommendations in a carousel format, displaying audiobooks connected to users’ Prime Video viewing habits based on factors like genres, authors, storylines, titles, and more. The feature is a welcome addition, considering that Amazon has found a direct correlation between releases of films or TV adaptations on Prime Video with related audiobook material. For example, the daily listening minutes for Lee Child’s works saw an 80% increase following the release of Reacher on Prime Video.
It’s worth noting that the feature is still under testing, and thus, not available to all. According to Amazon, half of all users with both Amazon Prime Video and Audible will see the carousel. It is currently unclear if and when the feature might widely roll out.
No opt-outs available
Considering that the new feature is just a test, users haven’t been offered an opt-in or opt-out option. I can see this becoming an issue for Audible users who prefer cleaner and a less-cluttered UI and app experience, and for those that want to keep their viewing and spoken word content preferences separate.
There’s also a risk of receiving irrelevant Audible recommendations if multiple people use the same Prime Video account under a shared profile, which makes an option to opt-out of the feature all the more necessary.
