Audible Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, has launched audible.ca, a dedicated service for Canadians offering more than 300,000 audiobooks, original programs, lectures, comedy and at launch, over 100 new titles from Canadian authors in English and French, as well as other long- and short-form content curated by and for Canadians. The subscription-based service’s landing page includes an endorsement from George Stroumboulopoulos.
The Rebel has unveiled a slate of new programming. It includes Rebel Buzz, hosted by former Breitbart reporter Kristin Tate; Pure Hollywood and Rebel Reel Reviews hosted by Christian film actor Ben Davies; The Rebel Roundup with David Menzies; and Muslim Sense with Raheel Raza. Off the Cuff with John Cardillo focuses on the Blue Lives Matter beat. Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson hosts The Tommy Robinson Show.
Nielsen Music Canada Q3 data shows weekly on-demand audio streaming surpassed the 800 million mark for the first time during the week ending Sept. 14. On-demand audio streams total 27.6 billion so far this year, a nearly 80 per cent increase year-over-year, offset by a 17 per cent decrease in album sales and 19 per cent decrease in digital track sales. While Ed Sheeran’s Divide leads album activity, the biggest song is Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s Despacito, which has boosted streaming of the Latin genre, experiencing a 171 per cent increase over 2016.
