Audiobooks have dominated the top of the literary charts in March at the expense of e-books, with 12 times higher numbers than digital books, according to Voxa’s internal research, the first Romanian streaming platform for audiobooks and e-books.
“Audio is by far the most accessed format from our platform. Voxa users’ preference for audiobooks indicates that time is precious, and most people choose to listen to their favorite books when doing other activities. This is not a surprise. We live in the century of speed and we are used to doing multi-tasking and, at the same time, taking advantage of every available moment to do what we like “, said Cătălin Meșter, CEO, Voxa.
The top hits in March are mainly personal development titles, with the most sought-after titles being “Think Like a Monk”, “The Silent Patient”, “The Cafe on the Edge of the World”, “Surrounded by Idiots” and “The Courage to Be Disliked”.
Also, with the outbreak of the conflict, there has been an increase in access to titles related to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, or Russia. One of the e-books that recently entered the Voxa portfolio, “We Need to Talk About Putin” quickly entered as one of the most accessed books in digital format. Also, during this period, other titles directly related to the war were accessed, such as: “Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West”; “Putin’s Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia’s Information War Against the World”; “The Russians are coming!” or “Russian Political Discourse”.
“We clearly see an appetite for personal development audiobooks among Voxa users. This is a sign that people want to progress, and books remain a real source that can help you along the way. At the same time, as is always the case, the current situation is changing the direction of attention and interest of people in general. We have noticed how titles related in one way or another to the conflict in Ukraine have attracted interest in our app”, the CEO of Voxa commented.
Voxa users are within the 25-45 age group and are primarily technology and book lovers. The platform provides tens of thousands of books in e-book and audiobook format, both in Romanian and English, with unlimited access, but also as book summaries. Four months after its launch, Voxa has reached 41,000 users, 15,000 audiobooks and e-books, and 35 partner publishing houses.
The price for a standard Voxa subscription, which includes unlimited access, is 48 lei. The application can be tested for free for a week.