Digital Publishing Global Market Report 2024

The digital publishing market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $46.48 billion in 2023 to $51.78 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4%. The growth observed in the historical period can be attributed to factors such as the expansion of internet accessibility, the e-book revolution, the proliferation of mobile devices, the implementation of digital rights management (DRM), and the overall shift to online content consumption.

The digital publishing market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $79.6 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3%. The anticipated growth in the forecast period can be attributed to factors such as the utilization of remote work optimization tools, the emergence of collaborative storytelling platforms, the application of blockchain for content authentication, the adoption of sustainable publishing practices, and the use of data analytics for gaining audience insights. Major trends expected in the forecast period include mobile optimization, personalized content delivery, the implementation of subscription and membership models, integration of audio and visual elements, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

The growth of the digital publishing market is fueled by the increasing digitization of books and educational content. The transformation of information into digital formats has led to a shift in learning methods, moving away from traditional printed textbooks towards digital platforms such as e-readers, smartphones, and tablets. Notably, in January 2022, Coursera experienced a significant increase in student registrations for online courses, with 92 million students in 2021, a 29% rise compared to 2020. This trend of digitization in education is expected to persist post-COVID-19, continuing to drive the digital publishing market.

A factor contributing to the market's growth is the increasing adoption of e-books. E-books, or electronic books, provide a digital version of printed books accessible on devices such as e-readers, tablets, and smartphones. The convenience of carrying a vast library of content on electronic devices has led to a surge in e-book sales. In February 2023, online sales of e-books experienced a 5.6% growth, reaching $12.13 billion in total sales, with unit sales rising by 6.6% to 1.12 billion units. The increasing adaptation of e-books is expected to be a significant driver for the digital publishing market.

The market faces challenges from open educational resources and alternative textbook sources. The availability of free or affordable resources online poses a threat to the traditional revenue model of digital publishing. Initiatives such as the Open Educational Resources Initiative, offering cost-effective alternatives to textbooks, and the preference for free online resources impact the revenue generated by digital publishing. This challenge could hinder the market's growth during the forecast period.

The rising use of internet-based set-top boxes for accessing high-quality video and audio content is another trend affecting the digital publishing market. The global android set-top boxes market is expected to reach $695.9 million by 2025. Regulatory decisions, such as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's plan to shut down analog TV transmission by 2023, are driving the adoption of Android set-top boxes with integrated OTT apps. This shift from analog TVs to digital platforms is anticipated to further boost the digital publishing market.

Major players in the digital publishing market are actively developing innovative publishing tools such as Bulletin to broaden their customer base. Bulletin, specifically designed to assist independent writers, offers support in content creation, monetization, and audience growth, providing personalized branding and distribution on Facebook's platforms. Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook), a leading US-based technology company, introduced Bulletin in June 2021. This publishing tool integrates various features, covering content creation, monetization strategies, and audience expansion. As part of Meta's broader initiatives to create a supportive environment for content creators, Bulletin consolidates existing tools and provides dedicated support for high-quality written and audio content, ranging from podcasts to live audio rooms. Creators using Bulletin benefit from a personalized, standalone website under their own branding, allowing customization of their publication's identity with a unique name, logo, and color scheme. Additionally, Bulletin content is eligible for distribution through Facebook News and other discovery channels, simplifying audience discovery and subscription.

In January 2022, OpenWeb, a prominent social engagement platform based in the US, acquired Hive Media Group Inc., a digital publishing and engagement platform company, for an undisclosed amount. This strategic acquisition aligns with OpenWeb's objectives to expand its technological offerings, enhance revenue streams, and strengthen relationships with audiences.

Major companies operating in the digital publishing market report are Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Comcast Corporation, Netflix Inc., Adobe Inc., Aquafadas Inc., Bloomberg L.P, Google Play, RELX Group PLC, Xerox Corporation, Thomson Reuters Corporation, Wolters Kluwer NV, Pearson PLC, Hachette Book Group, John Wiley & Sons Inc., Springer Science+Business Media, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH, Conde Nast International Ltd., McGraw-Hill Education, Dow Jones & Co. Inc., Cengage Learning Inc., Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Oxford University Press, Société des Editions Francis Lefebvre, Quark Software Inc., Pagesuite Pvt. Ltd., Lexware GmbH Co. KG, Magplus Inc., Yudu Ltd. North America was the largest region in the digital publishing market in 2023. Africa is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the digital publishing market report during the forecast period. The regions covered in the digital publishing market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The main types of digital publishing include text content, video content, and audio content. Video content encompasses various formats, such as vlogs, animated GIFs, live videos, recorded presentations, and webinars. The applications for digital publishing include smartphones, laptops, PCs, and other electronic devices. These digital publishing formats find applications across various sectors, including scientific, technical, and medical (STM), legal, and business.

The digital publishing market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides digital publishing market statistics, including digital publishing industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a digital publishing market share, detailed digital publishing market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the digital publishing industry. This digital publishing market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The countries covered in the digital publishing market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The digital publishing market includes revenues earned by entities by providing publishing services for digital content in the form of text, audio and video in the digital platforms such as social media, website and search engine. The digital publishing companies are primarily engaged in the developing of broad range of digital content such as advertising and publishing by periodical advertising, educational content such as journals and medical publishing, informative content such as news, magazine, newsletter publishing and financial magazines. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.