WELT launches audio news experience with Bitmovin
June 9, 2026 08.27 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger

Bitmovin has secured a deployment with Axel Springer, with the German publisher using the video streaming solutions provider’s new Player Web X technology to support audio versions of news articles and an audio-only news channel for its WELT brand.

The agreement sees Axel Springer deploy Player Web X, Bitmovin’s next-generation web player, as part of an expanded digital news offering designed to give consumers additional ways to access WELT content.

According to Bitmovin, the player is being used to support audio readouts of written news articles alongside WELT’s audio-only news channel. The technology combines media playback, vertical video support and advertising capabilities in a lightweight package designed for web-based services.

Player Web X has been built with a modular architecture and structured concurrency, enabling faster page loading, rapid start-up times and seamless switching between content sources. The platform also supports preloading of content and advertising, allowing near-instant transitions between programming and ad breaks.

“By expanding WELT’s digital offering to include lightweight experiences such as audio readouts of news articles, we’re giving consumers even more choice over how they engage with our news content, while at the same time extending our reach and unlocking new revenue potential. For this new audio experience, we needed a player that provides fast video startup, reliability, and doesn’t slow down web page loading speed. Bitmovin’s Player Web X ticks all of these boxes and facilitates monetisation from day one,” said Stephan Zech, Executive Director, BILD Video/TV Business at Axel Springer.

James Varndell, Senior Director of Product Management, Playback at Bitmovin, added: “Viewers and listeners expect the highest quality from the WELT brand. By choosing Bitmovin’s Player Web X to power its new audio experience, Axel Springer is ensuring that the high-quality that its viewers enjoy when watching news video streams, is also extending to the audio streams of its written news content.”

Founded in Austria, Bitmovin provides cloud-based encoding, playback and analytics solutions for streaming media companies and service providers. The company traces its roots to research undertaken at the University of Klagenfurt and is known for developing one of the first commercial adaptive streaming players. Its customer base includes DAZN, BBC, Fox, MBC Group, Astro and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Axel Springer has been expanding its digital subscription and audio strategies across its news brands in recent years, with WELT continuing to broaden its portfolio beyond traditional text and video formats.