Audiobook Revenue Reaches $2 Billion in Continued Growth

Edison Research's 2024 Consumer Survey for the Audio Publishers Association revealed that 52% of U.S. adults have listened to an audiobook, equating to nearly 137 million Americans who have tried the format.

Key findings from the surveys show that audiobooks are becoming increasingly mainstream. In the last year, 38% of American adults have listened to an audiobook, up from 35% in 2023. Among the most active listeners, those who engaged with audiobooks in the past year consumed an average of 6.8 titles, an increase from 6.3 the previous year. For the broader group of those who had ever listened, the average number of audiobooks consumed in the last year rose to 4.8 from 4.0.

Children’s audiobook usage remains robust, with 53% of parents indicating their children also listen to audiobooks. Moreover, 77% of these parents recognize a key benefit in audiobooks as providing their kids with a break from screen time.

Subscription to audiobook services is on the rise, with 63% of listeners currently subscribed to at least one service, an increase from 62% in 2023. Additionally, reliance on digital library apps is notable; 46% of current consumers have borrowed a digital audiobook from a library in the past year.

Concerns about piracy persist, with 47% of recent listeners admitting to accessing audiobooks for free through platforms like YouTube or other file-sharing sites.

Fiction remains the top-selling category, accounting for 64% of sales revenue, with General Fiction (21%), Science Fiction/Fantasy (14%), and Romance (11%) as the leading genres. The fastest-growing categories include History/Biography/Memoir (22% growth), Health & Fitness (20% growth), Religious/Faith-based (17% growth), and Romance (14% growth).

The consumer study involved a national survey of Americans aged 18 and older who have ever listened to a complete audiobook, with Edison Research conducting 1,061 online interviews in February 2024 and weighting the data to align with the audiobook market as defined by The Infinite Dial.

The Sales Study, also associated with the Audio Publishers Association, was carried out by Toluna Harris Interactive to collect industry sales data, with contributions from 27 audiobook publishers including major names like Audible, Hachette Audio, and Simon & Schuster.