Audiobook and Ebook Subscriptions in Japan
Japan — Books, for consumers. Niche: Audiobook and Ebook Subscription.
Data from the week of 19 Oct 2026, refreshed every two weeks.
Our call
out of 100
We have not checked this against App Store search in Japan yet, so we won’t call it. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
At a glance
- Demand
- Low, against you
- 50,197 ratings
- Revenue
- Medium, neither for nor against you
- 3 top-grossing
- Competition
- Low, in your favour
- 0 established in Japan
- Leading apps
- Fair, neither for nor against you
- 4.4★ average
How the score of 45 is made
score out of 100
- Demand32
50,158 ratings in the US and UK, 39 in Japan
- Revenue49
3 of the top 4 on a top-grossing chart in the last 30 days; 0 paid
- Room locally100
0 established apps in Japan (75+ ratings, scaled to the market’s size)
- Language gap50
Not checked in local search yet — counted as neutral (50) at most
- Incumbent weakness7
4.4 stars on average; 0 of 4 not updated in a year
- AI gap30
4 of the top 4 not built around AI
- Momentum—
History building since 19 Oct 2026 — counted as neutral (50) for now
Why this is an opening
Demand exists for book subscriptions in Japan, but international leaders are tailored to other regions. Local apps have only 39 ratings in this market for the top product. A dedicated solution designed for local readers can capture the market.
What people in Japan see
Not yet checked against local App Store search. Checks run every day, highest-scoring openings first.
How strong the competition is
The leading apps in this niche
The niche’s apps available in Japan, ranked by their share of ratings here and in the United States and United Kingdom; stars in Japan where it has them.
| App | Ratings in Japan | Ratings US + UK | Stars | Japanese | Last update | AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wehear - Audiobooks & Stories | 23 | 42,573 | 4.5 | No | Sept 2026 | No AI |
| Абук: електронні й аудіокниги | 9 | 715 | 4.4 | No | Oct 2026 | No AI |
| Audioteka | 7 | 4,311 | 5 | No | Oct 2026 | No AI |
See all competitors, complaint themes and history.Get 30 days — €19 →
Is demand growing
New ratings each week in Japan, added up over the leading apps. A rating count only grows, so a week’s rise is the people who rated that week.
- Last 4 weeks
- 4 weeks before
- Earlier
Members see the weekly trend.
Show as a table
| Week | New ratings |
|---|---|
| Members | — |
What users complain about
Too few low-star reviews to group into complaints yet.
If you build it
The smallest app that answers what users complain about and what the leaders leave out. Each feature says where it comes from.
- What apps here chargethe leading apps' in-app prices, once we have read themMembers
See what is here.Get 30 days — €19 →
What would kill this
Up to three things that would end this opening, each tied to the data.Get 30 days — €19 →
The same niche in other markets
- This market
- Other markets
✓ checked against local App Store search. Other markets are named for members.
Show as a table
| Market | Score | Checked against local search |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 65 | Not yet |
| Members | 57 | Not yet |
| Members | 56 | Not yet |
| Members | 56 | Not yet |
| Members | 54 | Not yet |
| Members | 53 | Not yet |
| Members | 51 | Not yet |
| Members | 51 | Not yet |
| Members | 50 | Not yet |
| Members | 49 | Not yet |
| Members | 48 | Not yet |
| Members | 47 | Not yet |
| Members | 46 | Not yet |
| Members | 46 | Not yet |
| Members | 45 | Not yet |
| Japan | 45 | Not yet |
| Members | 44 | Not yet |
| Members | 44 | Not yet |
| Members | 43 | Not yet |
| Members | 41 | Not yet |
| Members | 30 | Not yet |
| Members | 0 | Not yet |
| Members | 0 | Not yet |
| Members | 0 | Not yet |
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Scored 2026-10-26 with score version 4. How the score works. Store data only: we do not estimate revenue or downloads.