Audiobooks are quickly becoming more mainstream, and more than half of the population in the United States have listened to at least one. Audiobook revenue grew 9% in 2023 to $2 billion, continuing the year-on-year growth trend according to the Audio Publishers Association’s Sales Survey conducted by Toluna Harris Interactive. However, piracy is becoming a real problem for the industry; 47% of those who listened to an audiobook last year say they got one for free through YouTube or another file-sharing website.
Edison Research, in their 2024. m of media consumption Survey for the Audio Publishers Association found that most U.S. adults (52%) have embraced audiobooks. This figure translates to nearly 149 million Americans who have explored this medium. This widespread acceptance of audiobooks is a reassuring sign for those who have already tried or are considering.
Thirty-eight percent of American adults listened to an audiobook in the last year, up from the 35% reported in 2023. This rise signals an increase in overall consumption as well. Of the most avid audiobook listeners, those who have listened to an audiobook in the last year, the average audiobook consumed was 6.8 titles, up from 6.3 in 2023. Of the broader group of those who had ever listened to an audiobook, the average was 4.8 audiobooks listened to in the last year, up from the 4.0 average in 2023.
Children’s audiobook listening remains strong, with 53% percent of audiobook listeners with children saying their kids also listen to audiobooks. According to 77% of these parents, a key benefit of audiobooks is giving their children a break from screens.
Subscriptions to audiobook services continue to grow, with 63% of those who listened in the last year currently subscribing to at least one service. This percentage is up from the 62% reported in 2023.
Current audiobook consumers also rely on digital library apps, with 46% saying they borrowed a digital audiobook from a library in the last year.
At 64% of sales revenue, fiction is the top category for the third consecutive year. Top genres are General Fiction (21%), Science Fiction/Fantasy (14%), and Romance (11%).
The fastest-growing genres are History/Biography/Memoir (22% growth), Health & Fitness (20% growth), Religious/Faith-based (17% growth), and Romance (14% growth).
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.