In March the audiobook community put on the glitz at the 2026 Audie Awards while a panel at the London Book Fair proposed an end to the “audiobook/not reading” debate. Spotify and Audible continue to roll out new offerings including “charts”, “read-along” and new subscription options. The Washington Post, techbuzz.ai, neowin.net and androidpolice.com weigh in on the pros and cons. Former Wondery exec takes on a slate of programs at Audible, The Spoken Word podcast kicks off a new season, ElevenLabs expands its catalog and AI takes center stage at Parix Audio Day in Madrid. Charge your earbuds to immerse yourself in Shakespeare’s sonnets, an Adjoa Andoh narration of Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi and a jazzy adaptation of the famous O. Henry story, A Retrieved Reformation.

Love is in the air for audiobooks this month with the announcement of the 2026 Audies finalists, a Grammy for the Dalai Lama, an Odyssey Award of Excellence for Live Oak Media and free access to Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series including, Heated Rivalry. Spotify and Audible launch new features to synchronize listening with print, which if engaged simultaneously could make you a speed reader. Or better yet, listen and learn in your sleep. There’s news of growth for Libro.FM, Storytel and BookBeat, and diversification for ElevenLabs. Breeze through some practical considerations of AI audiobooks then grab a cuppa for yet another ‘do audiobooks count as reading’ debate, inspired by Queen Camilla’s reading (and listening) initiative in Scotland.

Take a look back at the best audiobooks, stories and growth categories of 2025 and then turn the page to see what 2026 plots to deliver; paper to audio transitions, voicechat for audiobooks, a new Arabic digital library, video marketing for audiobooks, a children’s literature focus for the Spanish language market and Audiofile Magazine hands over the reins to Kirkus. The plot thickens; audiobooks outpace tv, outsell hardcovers and help you to live longer. A New Delhi book fair booth draws a crowd for voice cloning and Rwanda reports a preference for audiobooks. Don Katz reminisces in interview and Rob Reiner’s A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever returns to the bestsellers charts. Dreaming of Spring? Bathe yourself in the sound of wildflowers with an innovative coffee table photographers’ audiobook.

The holidays are a busy time that can interrupt our audiobook listening. Use the new Spotify AI recap feature to reload your memory. Spotify has also been busy expanding into new regions and released Wrapped, a compilation of listener data. Audiobooks are credited with helping children learn to read. SOVAS award nominees are announced and Louise Brealey speaks about her efforts in accent work that earned her a spot on the Speakies shortlist. Voices, including Kristen Bell, Brian Cox and others are resurrected to their surprise by Fox News Audio and Judy Garland returns for the ElevenLabs The Wonderful Wizard of Oz project. In an AI dense month of articles, ElevenLabs is again in the news with star studded licensing deals, and Spines gets into the cloning business. If you’re traveling this holiday season, you might just find an audiobook link under your pillow.

This month, as leaves magically blanket the earth with color, Harry Potter fans are cozying up to the new Audible full-cast release. And yet, there is other news. Tami Simon remains with Sounds True after Macmillan acquisition. Narrator and educator Elizabeth Wiley passes the torch to her students. Audible captures live theatre in audiobook format. Librarians are frustrated with licensing. And in regional news; an audiobook summary app in Somalia, angel investors show support for UK-based startup Xigxag, NYU collaborates to offer publisher training in Sharjah, UAE and audiobooks have surpassed ebooks in the Mexican market.