What happens when you take the book out of the audiobook and you produce it, “audio first”?

In 2026, a different kind of audiobook is emerging – one that’s not an adaptation from a book. Instead, this new content format goes straight to audiobook. These “audio first” narratives are designed especially for listening, using the full range of audio production possibilities.

In a “live podcast” on LinkedIn, The Spoken World’s Christopher Kenneally discussed this emerging model with publishing and platform executives who have direct experience developing original audio content: Bethany Strout, Manager of Audiobook Licensing and Content Strategy with Spotify; Dan Zitt, Senior Vice President and Deputy Publisher with Penguin Random House Audio; and Aránzazu Núñez Velázquez, who previously headed the Storytel Originals team for Mexico and Latin America.