Tag: audiobook

Author Colleen Hoover Takes Us on a Journey With a Playlist Inspired by Her New Book, ‘It Starts With Us’

October 18, 2022

graphic art depiction of the cover of "it starts with us" by colleen hoover

You can’t pin author Colleen Hoover to a specific genre. The Texas native is responsible for both suspense thrillers like Verity and heart-wrenching romances like Reminders of Him. Readers never quite know what story will unfold through the pages. In 2016, Colleen published It Ends With Us, a romance novel that introduced readers to the lives of Lily, Ryle, and Atlas. Fans followed Lily’s journey of love and loss, from Maine to Massachusetts. Now, six years later, her story continues.

Photo credit: Chad Griffiths

Colleen wasn’t planning to write a sequel to the best-selling book, but requests from readers made her realize she wasn’t quite done. And today, fans can get their hands on the next installment of the story: It Starts With Us. As a bonus, Colleen created a Spotify playlist that incorporates songs that stuck with her as she worked on the novel and built onto the lives of Lily and Atlas. For the Record had a chance to chat with Colleen about her work, her playlist, and audiobooks.

Do you listen to music while writing? Does it help you get into a certain mindset?

I actually can’t listen to anything at all while I’m writing. In fact, if there’s any noise, even the sound of a clock, I have to remove the batteries. Yet music is what inspires books and characters for me, and gets me into the mood to write. And yes, I definitely have to listen to songs that I feel fit with the story. For example, “Bride & Groom” by The Airborne Toxic Event was a big one for me when I would pump myself up to write All Your Perfects. 

Is the music you listened to for It Starts With Us the same as It Ends With Us?

I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to music. If I want to get into a certain mood, I use music for that. And for me, I’m almost always searching for sad music. 

How did you approach picking the songs on this playlist?

After writing It Ends With Us, I had a lot of readers who would send me songs that remind them of the book. I almost always go listen to the song to see how they interpret the book and the characters. A lot of those songs have stuck with me, so I chose them. Some songs I chose because they are common recommendations, like several of Taylor Swift’s songs. 

Can you tell us about a few of the songs and what they mean to you or your characters?

“She Dreams of Boston” by Erick Baker was actually written specifically for Lily. Erick and I met because I had reached out to him years ago regarding his music and hopefully collaborating on something. He was on board immediately and wrote such a perfect song for Lily’s character. 

As for Atlas, I feel like “All For A Woman” by The Airborne Toxic Event is a good fit for him. He just has so much love for Lily, and that song bleeds heartache. 

I’d go back to X Ambassadors for Ryle’s character. The song “HISTORY” is my anthem for Lily to Ryle. I imagine him hearing it and being full of guilt and regret, but knowing there’s nothing he can do to get her back. 

Can you share how The Avett Brothers inspired you to write?

I found their music at a time when I felt lost inspirationally. I had young kids; I worked full time; I was in college. I was going through the motions of being a wife and a mom and an employee, and had absolutely no time for myself. I think I was losing myself, not because I wasn’t happy—because I was—but because I wasn’t spending time nourishing my artistic side. That’s when I found their music. 

Their lyrics spoke to me, and the passion they had when they played made me jealous. I used to have passion like that, and until I saw them play live, I didn’t realize how much I missed being passionate about life and using my imagination. Their music reignited my love for my hobby, and I think that’s a beautiful thing when one artist’s art can remind another artist how important it is to make time for what feeds your soul. After attending my first concert of theirs, I immediately went home and started writing. I’ll always be grateful to their music for that, and to every artist in any area who continues to create. 

Your new book, It Starts With Us, begins right where It Ends With Us left off. Why did you decide to continue with the story of Lily and Atlas?

I honestly never thought I’d continue with their story. I always received pleas for more It Ends With Us, but I thought that was because people wanted Ryle to be redeemed, and I’ll never go that route. But when more people began to read the book and make videos on social media, I’d watch these videos and see them begging firsthand for more Atlas. I love Atlas, so the requests from readers, combined with a storyline that was slowly beginning to build for him, ultimately sparked an idea that I finally felt would be good enough to create a book out of. I may not have intended to write this sequel, but I couldn’t be more excited that I did. 

If Lily and Atlas had a song, what would it be?

Definitely “If It’s The Beaches” by The Avett Brothers. I feel like Atlas would give Lily the world if he could, and that is such a beautiful love song. It always reminds me of the two of them when I hear it. 

For audiobook lovers, how do you think having someone read aloud your words changes the experience for the listener?

If it’s done right and the reader feels that the voice fits the character, I feel like it gives it an entirely extra dimension. Audiobooks breathe a little more life into the story for me. I’m a huge movie lover. Watching movies is my second-favorite pastime after reading, so for me, audiobooks are a way to bridge the gap and enjoy the best of both worlds.  

What aspect of audiobooks do you like, and when do you turn to them in favor of reading from the page?

I love audiobooks! I do a lot of driving and long road trips, so my favorite time to listen to them is when I’m alone in the car for long stretches of time. It makes the trip go by so quickly, especially when it’s an engrossing story.

 

Let music accompany you along the pages of the upcoming It Starts With Us by listening to Colleen’s playlist below.

Spotify to Acquire Leading Audiobook Platform Findaway

November 11, 2021

In 2019, Spotify announced its ambition to become the world’s leading audio platform with an expansion into podcasting through the acquisitions of Anchor and Gimlet. Since then, Spotify has not only become a leading platform for podcast creators and listeners, but also expanded on the very format of podcasting itself: taking a fixed format and making it a new audio experience. And today we are taking another step in furthering this mission to build the future of audio by announcing that Spotify has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Findaway, a global leader in digital audiobook distribution.

“It’s Spotify’s ambition to be the destination for all things audio both for listeners and creators. The acquisition of Findaway will accelerate Spotify’s presence in the audiobook space and will help us more quickly meet that ambition,” said Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s Chief Research & Development Officer. “We’re excited to combine Findaway’s team, best-in-class technology platform, and robust audiobook catalog with Spotify’s expertise to revolutionize the audiobook space as we did with music and podcasts.”

Findaway works across the entire audiobook ecosystem with a platform and offerings that serve authors, publishers, and consumers of this rapidly growing industry, which is expected to grow from $3.3 billion to $15 billion by 2027. In addition to offering the largest catalog of distributed titles, Findaway has actively worked to democratize audiobooks through leading technology tools available for independent authors to create and bring their stories to life. We plan to build on Findaway’s significant innovation in the space, and we’re going to supercharge its growth, bringing everything Spotify knows around personalization and discovery while also innovating on format, delivery, creator tools, and more.

Together, Spotify and Findaway will accelerate Spotify’s entry into the audiobook space and continue to innovate the industry, working to remove current limitations and unlock better economic tools for creators. Findaway’s technology infrastructure will enable Spotify to quickly scale its audiobook catalog and innovate on the experience for consumers, simultaneously providing new avenues for publishers and authors to reach audiences around the globe.

*Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021 and is subject to regulatory review and approval. 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

We would like to caution you that certain of the above statements represent “forward-looking statements” as defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “will,” “expect,” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding the potential benefits of the acquisition and the anticipated timing of the closing of the acquisition. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include this statement for purposes of complying with the safe harbor provisions. Such forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections, including but not limited to the risks as set forth in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof.

Storytel Audiobooks Will Be Available on Spotify Later This Year

May 20, 2021

Just a few weeks ago, we announced the Spotify Open Access Platform, which gives creators with existing subscriber bases the option to deliver paid content to their paid audiences using Spotify. Now, we’re excited to follow with a partnership with Storytel, one of the world’s leading audiobook streaming services. Later in 2021, Storytel subscribers will be able to enjoy Storytel’s library of audiobooks on Spotify by linking the two accounts. 

“It is Spotify’s goal to be the singular platform for all audio: music, podcasts, live conversations, and now via this partnership, audiobooks,” said Courtney Holt, Global Head of Studios, Spotify. “By utilizing the Spotify Open Access Platform, Storytel will be able to deliver its premium audiobooks offering using Spotify’s best-in-class platform, all while retaining direct control over their relationship to their audience.”

“We want everyone to have access to great stories, and today we offer more than 500,000 audiobooks on a global basis across 25 markets,” said Jonas Tellander, founder and CEO, Storytel. “Partnering with Spotify will make amazing audiobook experiences and exciting authorships easier than ever to access for our customers, while we will also be tapping into the opportunity of reaching new audiences who are on Spotify today, but have not yet experienced the magic of audiobooks.”

This partnership illustrates the power of open access as an opportunity for audio creators and providers everywhere to make a home for their content on Spotify while retaining complete control over their business model and a direct relationship with their subscriber base. As we open up the Open Access Platform, listeners will find a greater variety of content available for them to enjoy, all within one app.

Audiobooks are just one form of audio that will be available using Spotify’s Open Access Platform—the possibilities in audio are limitless. Stay tuned for the details on additional partners and widespread access to the program, launching later this year.