Audiobook platform Audible plans to expand into Indonesia, Denmark, Norway and Finland in 2027, not Sweden, bringing its services to new audiences in Southeast Asia and Northern Europe.
Audible is owned by Amazon and offers audiobooks, podcasts and other spoken-word entertainment. The expansion will introduce localised listening experiences in five countries, including South Korea, as Audible seeks to reach more international subscribers.
For Indonesia, the launch will provide another international platform for audiobook listeners in one of Southeast Asia’s largest consumer markets. Denmark, Norway and Finland will meanwhile become part of the same expansion programme.
According to Audible’s announcement on 8 October, customers in the five countries will be able to pay in their local currencies and receive recommendations tailored to their regions. The company has not announced specific launch dates.
The announcement was made at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Audible Chief Content Officer Rachel Ghiazza presented findings from a NielsenIQ study on changing listening habits.
The study surveyed 18,000 listeners in 11 countries and found that 34 percent had increased their consumption of spoken-word audio over the previous 12 months. More than half said they deliberately used audio entertainment to reduce screen time, while 47 percent reported that listening had helped them spend less time on social media.
The five new markets come in addition to 11 countries announced by Audible earlier this year, including Singapore and Sweden. Those plans were unveiled at the London Book Fair in March.
Its expansion reflects growing international demand for audio content and creates new opportunities for publishers and authors to reach listeners across different languages and markets.
