Audiobook Sales Grow to $2.22 Billion Dollars According to Audio Publishers Association (APA) Annual Survey Data

From the Audio Publishers Association:

The Audio Publishers Association Sales Survey, conducted by Toluna, shows a return to double digit growth for the industry with an increase in audiobook sales revenue to $2.22 billion in 2024, 13% over the previous year. Sales increases continue to be driven by digital audiobooks, which accounted for 99% of revenue in 2024 and grew year over year by 14%.

The Audio Publishers Association 2025 Consumer Survey, conducted by Edison Research, found 51% of Americans aged 18 and older, an estimated 134 million people, have listened to an audiobook. There is a notable increase in interest among non-listeners: 38% say they are interested in audiobooks, up from 32% last year, with the number of those very interested nearly doubling from 10% to 18%.

Piracy continues to be a concern, and the Audio Publishers Association is actively working on this issue, noting from the Edison data that 35% of Audiobook Listeners have listened to an audiobook on YouTube, up from 27% in 2023. One of the top reasons  (76%) for using YouTube was cited as no cost for the products, which are largely pirated.

Other key insights from the 2025 research:

• A growing share of listeners cite accessibility as a key factor in audiobook consumption: 72% say it’s important that audiobooks are available on their preferred listening platform and 63% value access through their library app.
• General Fiction accounts for the largest share of revenue by genre and grew by 16% over 2023 revenue. Science Fiction / Fantasy, Romance, and General Non-Fiction make up the remaining top genres by revenue.
• The largest year-on-year increases in genre sales were seen in Romance (+30%), Children’s & YA (+26%), and Science Fiction / Fantasy (+21%).
• The consumption and number of AI-narrated audiobooks has increased, though willingness to try AI-narrated audiobooks dropped year-over-year, from 77% in 2023 to 70% in 2025.

How the APA Consumer Study Was Conducted

In February 2025, Edison Research conducted an online survey of 1,700 U.S. adults aged 18+ on behalf of the Audio Publishers Association. Results were weighted to reflect the national audience composition reported in the Infinite Dial® 2025, conducted by Edison Research, Audacy, Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM Media.

Filed under: Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Data Files, Libraries, News, Video Recordings