Audible adds new Hindi audiobooks in partnership with Wattpad, the online reading platform

Audible is adding new Hindi audiobooks in partnership with the online reading platform Wattpad. “We are bringing already popular and loved stories on Wattpad to life in the audiobook format, and offering a whole new experience to Wattpad readers as well as other leners,” Shailesh Sawlani, Vice President and Country General Manager, Audible India told indianexpress.com.
Audible is adding popular romance titles from Wattpad, a social media platform where readers can read and write original stories, to its catalogue in India and these stories will be available free of cost. It plans to add more Wattpad hits to its catalogue throughout 2022.
The platform also added new podcast shows as part of the free content. The l includes Pitching Pyaar, Old School Romance and Dil Local 2. It is also adding the Permanent Roommates Season 3 podcast to its catalogue. This will only be available on the Plus catalogue for paying members.
Audible does not reveal India stats but states the platform has about 3.4 billion hours of lening worldwide. Sawlani said India remains one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for Audible. “The number of trials that come on and try a platform or service that’s been continued to be really strong,” he said.
While the Amazon-owned company is aware that the audio category is still in the early stages in India, it hopes to increase awareness for the same.
“How do you expose people and get them to experience the different formats is very important. I think digital subscription payments as a whole is also new. And that’s something that we’re well aware of and prepared to invest in over a period of time,” the Audible VP stressed.
When asked if Audible saw a clash between podcasts and audiobooks, and whether the audience would consume more of the former, Sawlani said that for them audiobooks continue to drive a lion’s share of lening.
“It is too early to say what’s going to emerge as the dominant format. Of course, some podcasts have a dedicated following and get people to keep coming back so as to keep coming back weekly. So that’s an influencing factor. But then, audiobooks tend to offer a deeper, deeper experience that’s very focused on a particular subject or topic,” he pointed out.