The e-book market in Russia has returned to growth

For the first time since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the digital book market in Russia returned to its previous growth rate: in the third quarter it increased by 31%, amounting to 3.3 billion rubles. The main incentives were the active consumption of content within subscription services, the development of the audiobook and samizdat segments, according to market participants. Analysts add that the trend is also influenced by the continuing rise in price of printed books.

General Director of the Liters Group of Companies (develops Liters, MyBook, Liters: Samizdat) Sergei Anuriev told Kommersant that the digital book market in the third quarter grew by 31% year-on-year, to 3.3 billion rubles. Thus, the segment returned to the growth rates that were observed before the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the top manager explained. At the end of the year, Mr. Anuriev expects a general increase in the market by 13–15%, to 12.5 billion rubles.

The main points of development for the market remain the subscription format, audio books and samizdat, noted Sergey Anuriev.

According to him, the share of samizdat in the digital book segment is now 36% (46% in text digital books, 12% in audiobooks). This segment in the third quarter grew by 37%, to 1.2 billion rubles, Mr. Anuriev said. At the end of the first half of the year, the samizdat market in Russia exceeded 2 billion rubles, an increase of 30% (see Kommersant on August 3).

According to the results of the third quarter, the audiobook segment grew by 37%, to 994 million rubles, “audiobooks now occupy a 44% share of subscriptions,” the top manager specified. Liters Group of Companies showed revenue growth of 26% in July-September.

At the end of 2022, the digital book market did not show growth for the first time; sales remained at the level of 2021 – 11 billion rubles, said Oleg Novikov, president of the Eksmo-AST publishing group, in February at an industry conference.

The main reason, experts and market participants explained, was problems with payments in the App Store and Google Play that arose after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions. In addition, one of the major market participants, the audio and e-book service Storytel, announced the cessation of business in Russia. From October 1, 2022, the application stopped working in the country.

“Bookmate” more than doubled its revenue in the third quarter compared to the second quarter, a representative of the service clarified (entered the Yandex Plus subscription in December 2022). According to him, the growth was ensured by an increase in the number of subscribers and the release of new bestsellers.

Among the most popular books are “Journey to Eleusis” by Victor Pelevin, “Everything will end, but you won’t” by Olga Primachenko, and “Atomic Heart. Background to “Enterprise 3826” by Harald Horf.

Thus, Mr. Pelevin’s new novel (released exclusively on the subscription service on September 29) was read and listened to by more than 100 thousand subscribers in three weeks, Bookmate says. Stroki (part of MTS) declined to comment.

Ridero increased revenue by more than 35% in the third quarter, notes the holding’s executive director Evelina Logunova. She estimates that the digital book market itself increased from July to September by at least 20% year-on-year.

The service adds that readers have begun to more actively use new platforms for purchasing books: “If previously the main preference was given to literally several platforms, now there are more and more options for obtaining the content of interest.” In addition, readers “go into new ecosystems that are convenient for them,” Ms. Logunova notes.

Now the subscription format accounts for about 22% of the digital book market, clarifies Sergei Anuriev. In the third quarter, he said, the figure grew by 4% year on year: “We estimate the share of our subscriptions on the market at 50%, a significant part of the market is accounted for by subscriptions of mobile operators under the Liters and MyBook brands.”

A Kommersant source on the media market believes that sales of e-books will continue to grow.

The main crisis after the departure of major players and problems with payments has already been passed; the continuing rise in price of printed books has a positive effect – “between Pelevin’s novel in printed format for 1 thousand rubles. and the same work in digital format for 500 rubles. the user in most cases will prefer the second option,” he believes.

Yulia Yurasova