The book market: shrinking or growing?
When asked about the state of the book market, Shaded categorically denied that the sector was shrinking. Despite initial concerns from publishers that digital subscriptions could negatively impact book sales, it turned out that the subscription model actually drives sales. Customers who have access to books through subscription often decide to buy books they have already read or listened to. As a result, their purchases become more informed, and physical copies of books are purchased with greater confidence.
One of the more interesting phenomena that Legimi has noticed is the fact that customers who subscribe are more likely to buy books as gifts, and their home libraries are becoming richer.
Synchronization of e-books and audiobooks – Legimi innovation One of the most innovative solutions introduced by Legimi is the so-called synchrobook, a technology that synchronizes the content of an e-book and an audiobook. Thanks to this, users can read a book on different devices – for example, listen to an audiobook while traveling, and after returning home, smoothly continue reading the e-book. The system automatically synchronizes the place where the user stopped reading, which significantly facilitates the use of different book formats.
Legimi was the first company in the world to introduce such a solution, ahead of tech giants like Amazon. Although the technology is demanding in terms of maintenance, customers and publishers appreciate its advantages.
Legimi on foreign markets
Although Legimi has been very successful in Poland, the company has decided to expand into foreign markets, including Germany. Germany, despite being the largest economy in the European Union, has proven to be a more conservative market technologically. Users there are less inclined to use mobile applications, which means that the development of e-book subscriptions is slower than in Poland. Nevertheless, Legimi sees great potential in educating German users and adapting the offer to their needs.
Cooperation with libraries
Another important area of Legimi’s activity is cooperation with libraries. The company has introduced an innovative program that allows libraries to offer their readers free access to e-books and audiobooks using special library codes. Thanks to this, customers can enjoy access to hundreds of thousands of books, and libraries see an increase in the number of visitors, especially at the beginning of the month, when the codes are made available.
In Poland, more than half of public libraries cooperate with Legimi, which indicates great interest in this model. The benefits are mutual – libraries attract new users, and readers gain easy access to literature in a modern form.
Artificial intelligence in book recommendations Legimi does not stop at previous innovations and is constantly developing its technologies. One of the latest projects is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend books. By analyzing users’ reading preferences, AI is able to precisely suggest books that match their tastes, which significantly increases the accuracy of recommendations. The project is in the testing phase, but the first results are promising – users positively evaluate AI-based recommendations.
The book market, instead of shrinking, is evolving thanks to new technologies and distribution models. Subscriptions, such as those offered by Legimi, are changing the way Poles consume literature – both in digital and paper form. Innovative solutions, such as synchronizing e-books with audiobooks or a recommendation system based on artificial intelligence, are setting new standards in the industry. The future of the book market, both in Poland and abroad, seems bright, and Poles, despite their busy schedules, are increasingly finding time for literature – both in traditional and digital form.
