Audiobooks along with other aural forms of digital media such as podcasts or online radio have been making steady inroads in our lives of late. If you need quantitative proof of the trend, here it is. The 2024 Infinite Dial Report for Edison Research has revealed that the percentage of Americans listening to audiobooks has reached an all-time high. The report reveals that more than 38 percent have listened to audiobooks in the past year compared to 35 percent in 2023 and 28 percent in 2022.
The audiobook growth story has been remarkable considering that it marks a decade of double-digit growth in revenue for the audiobook publishers. WordsRated, a research organization conducting data-driven analysis on the publishing industry and referred to by Voices has estimated the industry to grow to around $35 billion in 2030.
Since audiobooks do not require holding on to a book or a device such as an e-reader for ‘reading’, you are always free to pursue something else or just relax while you continue to read. The 2023 Trends Reports revealed most of the listeners – 63 percent, to be specific – preferred to catch up with audiobooks mostly while commuting or traveling. 54 percent said they listen while doing household chores and 44 percent said while relaxing.
Also, with audiobooks now being more readily available than ever, the average time spent listening to audiobooks has witnessed an astounding 106 percent rise since 2017. In fact, audiobooks have emerged as the second most preferred aural experience after music, and ahead of podcasts and online radio. About half of the listeners in the US spend 1-4 hours listening to audiobooks every week while 33 percent said they spend 5-10 hours listening to audiobooks.
Coming to the choice of content, 56 percent said they prefer listening to fiction (mystery and thriller) over non-fiction titles. Sci-Fi and fantasy come in at second with 49 percent popularity while biographies are preferred by 38 percent of listeners. Romance and drama are liked by 36 percent while self-development and business titles are liked by 32 percent and 21 percent respectively.
Another interesting revelation from the survey is the choice of narrators. The majority or 60 percent said they’d listen to an audiobook only if they liked the narrator, with 59 percent saying they stopped listening to an audiobook mid-way since they didn’t like the narrator. In any case, 30 percent said audiobooks offer a more immersive experience compared to reading while 67 percent said they tend to read more with audiobooks compared to actually reading a book.
About AI taking over the narration business, 20 percent said they would only prefer human narrators while 33 percent said they might consider AI narration but would prefer real human narrators. Just 13 percent said they don’t have any qualms about listening to an AI voice reading out the story.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
