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The Nordic book market presents a significant opportunity for US-based publishers looking to expand their reach and increase sales of English-language digital content. 

This region—comprising Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland—features a highly literate population with a strong appreciation for culture and literature. There is also a solid interest and proficiency in English-language content, making it a promising market for digital book sales. 

Nordic countries consistently rank among the highest globally in reading habits, with surveys indicating that around 80% of the population in Sweden and Finland read books regularly. 

This strong reading culture, combined with high disposable incomes and a societal emphasis on intellectual pursuits, has contributed to the growing consumption of digital books—particularly audiobooks, which have seen remarkable growth thanks to the rise of streaming services. 

Digital Growth: Audiobooks and Streaming Subscriptions 

In 2023, 33.9% of Swedish publishers' revenues came from audio, and 61% of all books purchased in Sweden were in audio format, highlighting the robust demand for audiobooks. 

Denmark and Finland show a similar trend, with audiobooks representing respectively 21,6% and 24.3% of publishers’ revenues.

The subscription model dominates digital consumption, significantly outperforming Ă -la-carte purchases. In both Sweden and Finland, 98% of digital book sales come from subscription services. Additionally, fiction is overwhelmingly preferred over non-fiction, with over 80% of readers in all four Nordic countries choosing fiction.

Thanks to the StreetLib Pro Plan, publishers and indie authors can now easily access this lucrative market by distributing their books on platforms such as Storytel, BookBeat, and Nextory.

Storytel

Available in 25+ countries, Storytel is one of the world’s largest audiobook and ebook subscription services, with over 2.3 million subscribers—of which more than 1.2 million are in the Nordic region alone. 

Founded in 2006 and based in Stockholm, Storytel operates on a subscription-based model, offering unlimited access to a library of over 350,000 audiobooks and ebooks for a monthly fee. 

Storytel adopts a revenue share model, where a percentage of total subscription revenue is allocated to publishers based on the market share of their catalog. The more a publisher’s books are consumed, the greater their earnings.

This platform provides an excellent opportunity to reach an engaged audience while benefiting from a per-hour consumption payment system,  compensating creators based on listener engagement. With features such as audiobook-ebook integration and cross-promotion opportunities, authors can increase visibility and sales across formats.

BookBeat

Launched in 2016 and based in Stockholm, BookBeat is one of Europe’s leading audiobook and ebook streaming services. The platform offers a subscription-based model, allowing users to access a vast library of digital content with different pricing tiers depending on listening hours.

At the end of 2023, BookBeat reported 915,000 paying subscribers, reflecting a 28% increase from the previous year. In 2024, the company achieved a significant milestone by surpassing one million paying users per month as early as September. By the end of the year, BookBeat had 1,064,000 paying subscribers, further solidifying its strong growth trajectory. In Finland alone, BookBeat has over 300,000 users, an impressive figure considering the country’s population of just 5.5 million.

BookBeat follows a common revenue-sharing model for subscriptions. Publishers receive a portion of the platform’s total subscription revenue, with earnings calculated based on the number of listening hours or reading minutes attributed to their catalog. This structure ensures that publishers benefit proportionally from audience engagement with their titles.

To learn more about BookBeat, we recommend this presentation by CEO Niclas Sandin from last October's Frankfurt Buchmesse, where he shared valuable insights into listeners, publishers, and the types of books users love, all backed by 1 billion hours of data.

Nextory

Founded in 2015, Nextory is a major player in the European audiobook and ebook streaming market, with a strong presence in the Nordic region, Spain, and France. The platform has rapidly expanded to additional European markets, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Unlike other platforms, Nextory compensates publishers with a fixed amount per hour of audiobook listening or ebook reading, offering a clear and predictable revenue model.

Nextory’s catalog includes over 1 million books and magazines, making it a key platform for publishers looking to maximize digital distribution.

Conclusion

The Nordic market represents a dynamic and rapidly growing opportunity for US publishers, driven by strong reading habits, a preference for digital content, and the dominance of subscription-based audiobook consumption. With an increasing demand for quality English-language books, now is the perfect time to enter this market.

StreetLib has built strong, long-term partnerships with BookBeat, Nextory, and Storytel, offering publishers a seamless way to tap into these leading Nordic platforms. Through the StreetLib Pro Plan, US publishers can expand their distribution network, access these platforms, and leverage powerful tools designed for professional publishing—ensuring their books reach engaged Nordic readers.

Whether you’re an independent author or a major publisher, StreetLib provides the tools to maximize visibility, increase sales, and establish a strong presence in this high-potential market.

Don’t miss the opportunity to expand into one of the world’s most digitally advanced book markets. Upgrade to the StreetLib Pro Plan to access top Nordic platforms and reach more readers eager for high-quality content!

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Sources & References

The data and insights in this article are based on industry reports, market research and official platform statements and press releases. For further reading, see: