Dirhams & Dollars

Podcasts and audibooks have caught fire in recent years, offering publishers a brand new way to access their audiences. Despite scepticism from some that a return to what is essentially radio would ever be possible following the arrival of the television, and later the internet, the smartphone has enabled people to access audio content from anywhere. Its appeal has been huge: People enjoy listening to documentaries, discussions, comedies, serialised dramas, and all kinds of other genres, all without any visual accompaniment. This trend has yet to hit the Middle East, however, and on today's podcast we talk to the country manager for Storytel, one of the world's fastest growing audiobook platforms, about what it will take to make audio a success in the region, and how long before it truly catches on.