The digital publishing landscape is evolving at a pace beyond recognition. Long-established practices now sit alongside digital innovation, as authors, readers and publishers attempt to navigate a terrain defined by technology. Meanwhile, companies like Amazon and Spotify are reshaping publishing itself, and the boundary between print, digital and audio continues to erode with each passing day.
Since the legal enforcement of the European Accessibility Act, demand for accessibility checking tools has grown. This year alone, there has been a significant increase in the number of free tools available.
For example, PubCoder is digital publishing software with built-in accessibility tools that support Ace by DAISY validation, removing ambiguity around what the legislation requires for compliance.
At the end of 2025, Amazon announced that it is introducing Kindle Translate, although it is currently being tested in its beta version, an AI-powered translation service that makes it easier for Kindle Direct Publishing authors to share their ebooks with readers in multiple languages. With less than 5% of titles on Amazon.com available in more than one language, Kindle Translate creates opportunities for authors to reach new audiences and earn more.
In 2026, select KDP authors will be able to translate titles between English and Spanish, and from German to English. Within a few days, authors can publish fully formatted translations of their books. All translations are set to be automatically evaluated for accuracy before publication, and authors can choose whether to preview or automatically publish completed translations.
Earlier this year, Spotify announced Page Match, a first-of-its-kind feature that allows readers to switch between a print book or ebook and its audiobook counterpart with a quick scan of their mobile phone camera.
Page Match will be available within the Spotify app in all markets where Spotify audiobooks are offered, starting with the English-language titles in its 500,000-strong library.
In 2026, Amazon is due to release the 3rd generation Kindle Scribe, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, and Kindle Scribe without Frontlight. These will feature an increased e-paper size screen with high PPI, optimising reader experience.
The Kindle Scribe also includes features such as paper-like screen texture, as well as allowing readers to view and edit PDF files, freehand draw, make notes, highlight text, and use new AI tools – making it the most advanced and expensive Kindle on the market to date.
Libraries around the world continued to break new digital lending records. Through the OverDrive Libby app and Sora, readers borrowed more than 820 million digital titles worldwide in 2025, marking a 10.9% year-over-year increase.
As the need for flexible, on-demand access to books and media continued to grow, libraries expanded their digital collections.
In 2026, rumours are circulating about changes to the pricing structure for digital book lending, linked to the renewal of library licences.
The metered access of audiobooks and ebooks available to libraries is capped at a fixed number of checkouts. Multiple users can borrow the title concurrently until all checkouts are used. Licence renewal costs depend on the number of checkouts allocated to a title.
Proposed changes to the 2026 pricing structure aim to allow US librarians to negotiate digital book prices in the same way they currently negotiate print prices, often paying less than the RRP.
Every year, libraries spend more and more of their budget feeding the beast that is ebooks to meet their patrons’ demands, and yet we still have wait lists of over six months long to get that book that you want – Good e-Reader
Unveiled by Singapore's National Library Board in collaboration with Snap Inc. at the Augmented World Expo 2025, AR reading glasses are set for release in 2026. The library system has developed an experience that uses glasses to overlay real-time audio and visual effects onto physical books. The glasses scan text as readers move through the pages, using machine learning to trigger ambient soundscapes, music and visual elements that correspond to the story's mood and action.
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology applied when publishing an ebook that controls how readers can access their purchased content. For example, Amazon has previously applied DRM to titles listed for sale, limiting them to Kindle apps and devices only.
This year, Amazon has launched the option for select authors to list ebooks as DRM-free.
This loosened restriction will give readers additional flexibility to enjoy their purchased content across a wider range of devices and applications by providing downloadable EPUB and PDF files. Amazon has confirmed that authors and publishers who submit DRM-free ebooks will not see reduced royalty rates, and that the payment structure remains unchanged regardless of their choice.
Specifically, the option is coming to Amazon’s ebook self-publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing, where authors can put out their ebooks without a publisher. DRM-free versions of books will not be available for titles from major publishers yet.
With the ever-growing prevalence of AI, 2026 may see the industry adopt the technology more widely to improve sustainability. AI tools and automation can prevent surplus and minimise waste, manage inventory, and optimise shipping routes.
AI-powered editing and layout software can prevent errors from slipping through the production net – errors that would have previously resulted in paper waste and costly additional print runs. Automated inventory management capabilities ensure that print runs are closely aligned with actual demand, reducing unnecessary stockpiling. AI can also optimise supply chains, helping to reduce carbon emissions.
From European Accessibility Act checking tools to AR reading glasses, digital publishing remains a hot topic in global and local industry news. Despite these advancements, the industry will undoubtedly face challenges as it continues to adapt to an evolving technological landscape.
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