Press release -
BookBeat Q1 2026: 14 Percent Growth and Record Number of New Users in Germany
The streaming service BookBeat increased its revenue in the first quarter of 2026, corresponding to growth of 14 percent adjusted for currency effects (10 percent unadjusted) compared with the same period last year. All markets reported revenue growth, including the mature Swedish market, which continues to show double-digit growth. The standout highlight of the quarter was Germany, where BookBeat set a new record for the number of new users trying the service.
“Germany is Europe’s largest audiobook market, and the fact that- eight years after our broad launch - we are setting new records in user inflow, despite tougher competition than ever, is a strong sign of our position. We see the same development in Sweden, where we continue to grow at double-digit rates in a mature market with a new global player as a competitor. These are two examples from our ten core markets, all of which showed growth in the first quarter. I am incredibly proud of how the team continues to experiment and find new paths across different marketing channels, which together drive these strong results”, says Niclas Sandin, CEO of BookBeat.
In addition to successful marketing campaigns, BookBeat launched several new features during the quarter, all aimed at making BookBeat the best digital service for books and strengthening long-term user engagement.
Among other things, the presentation of authors and narrators has been enhanced to make it easier to follow and discover more from favorites. The “weekly streak” feature has also been introduced to encourage users to listen to or read books every week. At the beginning of 2026, BookBeat also updated its statistics feature, allowing users to track their listening and reading behavior over time, which contributed to record-high usage of the feature during the first quarter.
“Focus is crucial today to earn a place in users’ everyday lives. In recent years, we have consistently focused on strengthening our position as the leading service for books. This focus, combined with new technological possibilities, allows us to test more, launch more features than ever, and continue to strengthen our position going forward”, concludes Niclas Sandin.
BookBeat is one of Europe’s leading streaming services for audiobooks and e-books, with nearly 1,200,000 paying users. Since its founding in 2015, the company has grown rapidly both in Sweden and internationally. In 2025, revenues amounted to SEK 1.54 billion. The largest markets are Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Poland.
More than 160 people work across the organization, with the headquarters located at Sveavägen 56 in Stockholm. Local offices are based in Karlstad, Helsinki, Berlin, Oslo, and Warsaw. BookBeat is owned by Bonnier Books, which has been creating, refining, and sharing stories for over a hundred years.
