{
  "id": 19145157,
  "title": "Spotify for textbooks: How Perlego is making academic reading more accessible",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/spotify-for-textbooks-how-perlego-is-making-academic-reading-more",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-09T11:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tech.eu",
    "slug": "tech-eu",
    "url": "https://tech.eu/2026/11/09/spotify-for-textbooks-how-perlego-is-making-academic-reading-more-accessible/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Perlego, a London-based edtech company, aims to make academic reading more accessible through a subscription-based digital library with over 1.5 million books. Founder and CEO Gauthier Van Malderen founded Perlego after experiencing the high cost of textbooks during his studies in Australia, Italy, and the UK. Traditional textbooks were expensive and frequently updated, making it difficult for students to find affordable options.\n\nPerlego addresses these barriers by offering accessibility features such as text-to-speech, adjustable fonts, and reading tools. The Read Aloud feature, powered by AI-generated voices with adjustable reading speeds, is available across more than 95% of Perlego's catalogue. This feature is particularly beneficial for students with disabilities or those who struggle with printed materials, as it provides a more inclusive learning experience.\n\nPerlego also tackles the issue of piracy and limited access by employing a subscription model similar to popular music and film streaming services. Publishers receive royalties based on content consumption, while Perlego shares usage data to help publishers identify opportunities for audio versions of content. This approach not only provides affordable access to academic resources but also supports publishers by generating additional revenue streams.\n\nIn addition to its focus on accessibility, Perlego has introduced AI-powered research tools to help students and academics find relevant sources. The company's research tool leverages semantic search and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to generate answers based on content from Perlego's catalogue, ensuring users can access identifiable source material. By focusing on supporting learning rather than replacing it, Perlego aims to strike a balance between the interests of publishers, academics, and students.\n\nOne example of Perlego's impact can be seen at the University of Leeds, where the platform has helped address gaps in access to reading-list materials. Since partnering with Perlego, students have used the Read Aloud feature 40,871 times and dyslexia-friendly font settings 2,532 times. The platform has also eliminated licensing-related barriers during peak exam periods, and students have opened an average of more than 18 books from Perlego's catalogue. By embracing AI technologies, Perlego and educational institutions can enhance the learning experience and ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.",
  "summary": "Digital learning has made educational resources more widely available, but access remains a challenge for many students, particularly those with disabilities or limited budgets. London-based edtech co...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}