Audible Like Audiobook App Development: A Quick Guide

We are witnessing a modern world where time is limited, and people are constantly moving. Many users interested in reading books are looking for a way to easily access their favorite books’ content.

Audiobooks are an emerging option where users can access the recorded version of the book by downloading them to their devices or streaming across different audiobook platforms.

Audiobooks are one of the markets now expanding quickly and have the potential to be successful.

The global market size of audiobooks was valued at $1.7B in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 24.7% between the forecast period of 2023 to 2030.

Developing audiobook apps like Audible or other popular platforms offers a profitable opportunity to tap into the fast-growing digital media and entertainment market. 

Explore the development steps, must-have features, and the working of the audiobook platform to create your app starting from scratch. 

What Is An AudioBook App?

An audiobook app is a digital platform designed for listening to books in audio format. It provides users a convenient way to access and enjoy a wide range of literary works, including novels, non-fiction, self-help books, and more, through their mobile devices or computers.

With an audiobook app, users can browse through a vast library of titles and genres, often categorized for easy navigation. They can search for specific books or authors, explore popular recommendations, or discover new releases. Once a book is selected, the app allows users to listen to the audio version of the book, which is typically narrated by professional voice actors or the authors themselves.

These apps often offer features that enhance the listening experience, such as adjustable playback speed, bookmarks, and sleep timers. Users can customize their preferences, such as choosing between different narrators or adjusting the audio quality to suit their preferences.

Audiobook apps also provide the convenience of offline listening, where users can download their chosen books and enjoy them without an internet connection. Some apps may offer subscription models, allowing users to access a certain number of books per month, while others may provide individual book purchases or a combination of both options.

How AudioBook App  Works?

An audiobook app provides a platform for users to access and listen to audio versions of books. Here’s a general overview of how these apps typically operate:

1. Library and Catalog

Audiobook apps have a vast library of books available for users. The books may be categorized by genre, author, popularity, or other criteria, making it easier for users to browse and discover new titles.

2. User Interface

The app offers a user-friendly interface that allows users to navigate through the library, search for specific books or authors, and access their personal account settings. The interface may also include features like recommendations, curated lists, and reviews to assist users in finding books they may enjoy.

3. Audio Playback

When a user selects a book, the app provides an audio player interface that allows them to control the playback. This includes options to play, pause, rewind, or fast-forward through the audio. Some apps also offer features like adjusting the playback speed, setting bookmarks, or adding notes.

4. Narration and Quality

The audiobooks in these apps are typically narrated by professional voice actors or the authors themselves. The quality of the narration can greatly influence the listening experience. Some apps allow users to choose between different narrators or offer audio samples to help users decide which version they prefer.

5. Download and Offline Listening

Audiobook apps often provide the option to download books for offline listening. This allows users to save their selected books to their device so they can enjoy them without an internet connection, such as while traveling or in areas with poor network coverage.

6. Subscription and Purchasing

Audiobook apps may offer different pricing models. Some apps provide a subscription service where users pay a monthly fee to access a certain number of books. Others offer individual book purchases or a combination of both options. The pricing structure may vary depending on the app and the specific book.

7. Synchronization

Many audiobook apps offer synchronization across devices. This means that users can start 

listening to a book on one device, such as a smartphone, and then seamlessly continue from where they left off on another device, such as a tablet or computer.

8. Additional Features 

Audiobook apps often include additional features to enhance the user experience. These can include personalized recommendations based on reading history, social sharing options, sleep timers, and adjustable settings for audio quality and narration speed.

Top 5 AudioBook Mobile Applications

Explore the best audiobook mobile applications available to get ideas about features and functionalities and implement them into your audiobook app.

1. Audible

Audible, owned by Amazon, is one of the most popular audiobook services. Users can purchase audiobooks through subscription packages and can get discounts for exclusive titles, audio events, book series, etc. 

Moreover, the recommended tools on the platform offer genres like comedy, original shows, and other audio-based channels.

Founded in	1995
Available on	Android, iOS, Fire OS, macOS & Windows, web browser
Developed by	Don Katz
App downloads	100M+
App ratings	4.6
Headquarters	New Jersey, US

2. Scribd

The platform offers a user-friendly experience to its app users. Anyone can easily utilize this audio streaming platform by listening to their favorite libraries available on the app. Every audiobook that users listen to includes a mention of the author and narrator, one of its most notable features.

Founded in	2007
Available on	Android, iOS, Fire OS, macOS & Windows
Developed by	Trip Adler, Tikhon Bernstam, Jared Friedman
App downloads	100M+
App ratings	4.6
Headquarters	California, US

3. Kobo Books

The platform was founded in September 2017 and offers a great range of audiobooks to their platforms. The platform has a slider that helps users navigate the book, making it user and touch-friendly.

Users of Kobo’s audiobook subscription services can sign up for an account with a minimal minimum purchase and get access to the most recent audiobook specials. 

Founded in	2009
Available on	Android & iOS
Developed by	Michael Serbinis
App downloads	10M+
App ratings	4.3
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario

4. Barnes & Noble Nook

Nook audiobook facilitates their users with more than 50,000 titles across the application. Interestingly, the platform doesn’t offer any subscription services to its users.

Moreover, users can use this platform to purchase individual books and, download them to their devices and access them through the app.

Founded in	2007
Available on	Android & iOS
Developed by	Barnes & Noble Nook
App downloads	10M+
App ratings	4.0
Headquarters	New York, US

5. Google Play Books

Google introduced its audiobook streaming platform in January 2018 at the Play Store. The platform becomes the center of Ebook  listening apps with a wide range of digital content which can be smoothly synced across all devices connected with Google accounts. 

Also, users can effortlessly catch up with available content via offline mode for accessing them across multiple categories such as textbooks, audiobooks, comic books, e-books, etc.

Founded in	2018
Available on	Android, iOS & Web browser
Developed by	Google
App downloads	1B+
App ratings	4.7
Headquarters	California, US

Must-Have Features For AudioBook Mobile Applications

Here is the list of must-have features that you must implement to your audiobook app to provide an enhancing experience to your app users.

1. Audiobook Streaming

Accessing a huge number of audiobooks needs too much device storage. Therefore consider the audiobook streaming option to give your users the flexibility to access a wide range of audiobook records on your platform.

2. Audiobook Downloading

Along with Audible streaming, you can allow users to download their favorite audiobooks on their devices. This option is great for app users who want to access their favorite downloaded audiobooks in case of unsteady internet connections.

3. Voice Assistance

Implementing voice and common features will give more flexibility for users to operate your platform and can serve as USP for your app.

4. Search Recommendations

Help your app users explore audiobooks relevant to their interests on your platform by enabling search recommendations. The feature will keep your audiobooks sorted so that user can search their desired generous for audiobooks.

5. CMS Integration

Content Management system or CMS is an enhanced way to categorize the content on your platform properly. The feature will enable you to create multiple genres and categories for facilitating different kinds of audiobooks for your app users.

6. Multiple Payment Options

Enable your app users to purchase their favorite audiobooks with their preferred payment methods by integrating popular payment options such as crypto wallets. credit/debit cards, online banking, etc., to your platform. 

7. Book Catalog

Offer quick access to the store where users can purchase or lend books. We recommended offering some version of sorting in the catalog by tags, categories, length, genre, rating, and other parameters.

8. User Library

The users can access the books they have bought from your platform. For example, the Audible app has implemented a personal library logo on the bottom panel between the bookstores and the home button. 

9. Background Playing

The feature is crucial for users who want to perform other tasks and listen to their favorite audiobooks in the background. By enabling the functionality of playing media files in the background, users can do something else with their devices or turn off the screen and perform other tasks.

Steps To Develop AudioBook Mobile Application

A well-planned app development process is an important way to deliver an app best. Follow the steps to ensure your audiobook app development process is heading correctly.

1. Start By Making Your Idea Clear

Hiring an app development company is a great way to determine whether your idea is applicable. You can explain to them your idea and details of your app. You can validate your idea by figuring out the factors given below.

A. What unique value proposition is your app’s selling point?

Offering a unique value proposition to your app users is an enhanced way to stand out your app among the competition. There are two possible approaches for offering unique value propositions such as.

By focusing on functionality such as features, stunning visuals, and so on and offering unique content, you can offer content for specific genres or books by certain categories of authors or narrators.

Or a good development team can help you polish your idea by suggesting some unique values you can offer to your users.

B. What genres of audiobooks will you focus on?

There are different kinds of genres available you can add to your audiobook app, such as children’s books, funny, social fiction, etc. Consider adding books from different kinds of genres to attract users that are interested in different kinds of genres.

C. Do you want to develop a mobile app or a web-based platform?

Building a web platform is usually cheaper, and it’s possible to stream audio content in a browser, though background playback will be impossible.

Analyze the intent of your target audience to decide whether you should go for a web-based or mobile-based audiobook platform.

If you want to target both platforms, consider adopting hybrid app development, where you can publish your app to multiple platforms, such as mobile apps and websites.

D. Where are you going to get the content for your app?

Identify the sources that can help you prepare the content for your audiobook app. 

There are many ways to gather content for your apps, such as creating a marketplace where buyers can purchase audiobooks from the right holders or buy order books from the right holders and stream them in your app. 

E. Who are your main competitors?

Audible is an ambitious idea where you can get inspiration regarding their features, USPs, etc. However, this blog has also discussed other alternatives that can help you explore more ideas for your platform.

Exploring the features and functionalities of all your competitors is a great way to develop ideas you should implement in your app.

2. Find And Work With Audiobook App Developers 

After validating your app idea, it is time to partner with a reliable team to help you develop an app similar to Audible. The several given below factor will help you to identify the reliability of a particular app development company.

• Language differences
• Expertise in audio streaming technologies
• Quality of communication
• Time differences

Read more:

How to Outsource Mobile App Development Company in 2023

3. Validate Your Idea

The company you have employed for your project will help you validate your app ideas by performing deeper market and competitor analysis.

4. Launch Marketing Campaigns

You can launch your marketing campaign after the initial launch of your application. Moreover, Pre-launch marketing is another way to build brand recognition and expand app users when you launch your app in the market.

Consider the following factors to channel your marketing campaigns.

• Social media marketing
• Influencer marketing
• A well-crafted landing page
• Video ads in other applications via app stores

5. Launch An Audiobook App MVP

MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product, the simplest and earlier version of your app that you can safely distribute among your potential users. The MVP version of the app consists of only a few selected features to make your app ready to launch.

An MVP version of the app fulfills the following purposes.

• Determining market fit and evaluating demand
• Increasing brand recognition
• Possibly earning some early revenue
• To adapt future development stages, repair faults, and prioritize features, honest input is gathered.
• Data from an MVP (as well as the MVP itself) may be used to gauge your marketing effort’s effectiveness and attract investors.

6. Analyze Performance

Analyzing the app’s performance and marketing campaign’s performance is crucial to identifying your project’s success. Extracting data during the analysis will help you adjust your development and marketing efforts for the best outcome. 

Unit economics calculations are one of the best ways to assess performance, which can help you with insight into potential profits and help you understand the crucial changes that need to be done. 

Conclusion 

Developing an audiobook app presents an exciting opportunity to type into the growing digital entertainment market. There are enormous advantages to developing an audiobook app. The app facilitates their users with the flexibility to access a vast library of audiobooks. 

However, you can focus on the following considerations during the development process: efficient streaming capabilities, user-friendly interfaces, personalized recommendations, and robust security measures to streamline the development process.

The app can enhance the overall user experience, making it user easier to navigate, manage and search their favorite audible collections.

Therefore, it becomes essential to partner with a company that can help you, from market research to publishing your audiobook app to your preferred platform. 

Partner with Idea Usher, a leading mobile app development company with over decades of experience creating mobile apps across different industries. Our team has excelled in converting ideas into applications. 

We understand the importance of creating an audiobook app that stands out from the competition. Therefore our team works closely with our clients to know their requirements and design an app tailored to their specific requirements.

So, if you’re seeking an organization to help you develop an audiobook app, look no further than IdeaUsher. 

Contact Idea Usher 

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

(+1)732 962 4560

(+91)859 140 7140

FAQ

Q. Is there another app similar to Audible?

A. Kobo Books, Scribd, Google Play Books and Barnes & Noble Nook are some apps similar to Audible.

Q. What is the audiobook market forecast?

A. Audiobook market size was valued at 5 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 25% between the forecasting period of 2023 to 2032.

Q. Who is the target audience for audiobooks?

A. The target audiences for audiobooks are kids and adults. whereas,  the major regional audiobook markets are North America, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.