Audiobook Revenue Increases by Double Digits for the 11th Year

Per 2023 consumer data, more than half of the US population 18+ has now listened to an audiobook

June 1, New York, NY – Publishers’ audiobook revenue grew 10% in 2022 to $1.8 billion, which marks the eleventh straight year of double-digit growth, according to the Audio Publishers Association’s Sales Survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

Additionally, Edison Research conducted the Audio Publishers Association's 2023 Consumer Survey and found that the size of the audiobook listening market has grown in the last year, with the majority of U.S. adults (53%) saying they have listened to an audiobook, which is up from 45% in 2022. This translates to nearly 140 million Americans who have ever tried the medium.

Other key statistics from the two surveys:

• The majority of audiobook listeners are young, with 57% being between the ages of 18 and 44, significantly higher than the 49% of the U.S. population that falls within the same age range.

• Audiobook listeners today closely match the U.S. population, with 29% of audiobook listeners identifying as either African-American or Hispanic, compared to 27% of the U.S. population, suggesting increased diversity among listeners

• As audiobook listeners’ lives return to their pre-pandemic routines, so has their audiobook consumption. For those who listened in the last year the average number of audiobooks listened to has returned to the pre-pandemic number of 6.3 down from 6.9 in 2022.

• One area that has not receded to pre-pandemic levels is the number of parents who have children listening to audiobooks. 56% percent of audiobook listeners with children say their kids listen to audiobooks. This number, while down from the 61% measured in 2022, is still significantly higher than the 35% reported in the pre-pandemic study of 2020.

• By category, audiobooks for children had the fastest rate of growth in 2022 (+41%), but remain a small component of the total market (3%). Similarly, non-English language titles are expanding rapidly (+37%) but are still just 4% of the total market.

• Fiction (64%) has increased as a proportion of total sales for the second consecutive year. The fastest growing genres are Humor, Non-Fiction, and Romance; however, Fiction and Science Fiction/Fantasy remain the two largest genres overall.

How the APA Consumer Study Was Conducted

The study is a national survey of Americans ages 18 and older who have ever listened to a complete audiobook. Edison Research completed 1000 online interviews in February 2023. The data was weighted to the audiobook market, as measured by The Infinite Dial, a nationally representative survey of the American media landscape conducted by Edison Research, Amazon Music, Wondery, and ART19.

How the APA Sales Study Was Conducted

This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Audio Publishers Association to gather industry sales data, publisher sales by various formats and genres. This is a national survey of Audio Publishers Association members who publish audiobooks. 28 publishers provided data, including Audible, Inc., Blackstone, Brilliance Audio, Hachette Audio, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Podium Publishing, Recorded Books, and Simon & Schuster.

Access to this and other data prepared for the industry are available to members of the association.

The study is a national survey of Americans ages 18 and older who have ever listened to a complete audiobook. Edison Research completed 1000 online interviews in February 2023. The data was weighted to the audiobook market, as measured by The Infinite Dial, a nationally representative survey of the American media landscape conducted by Edison Research, Amazon Music, Wondery, and ART19.

How the APA Consumer Study Was Conducted

The study is a national survey of Americans ages 18 and older who have ever listened to a complete audiobook. Edison Research completed 1000 online interviews in February 2023. The data was weighted to the audiobook market, as measured by The Infinite Dial, a nationally representative survey of the American media landscape conducted by Edison Research, Amazon Music, Wondery, and ART19.

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About the Audio Publishers Association

Formed in 1986, the Audio Publishers Association (APA) is a not-for-profit trade association that advocates the common, collective business interests of audio publishers. The APA serves as a networking, educational, and information forum for its members; delivers programs, services, and awards that serve the common business interests for its members; and promotes policies and activities that accelerate audiobook awareness and industry growth.

About Edison Research

Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information in over 50 countries for clients including AMC Theatres, Amazon, Apple, The Brookings Institute, Facebook, The Gates Foundation, Google, the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau, Oracle, Pandora, The Pew Research Center, Samsung, Spotify, and SiriusXM Radio. The national tracking study The Infinite Dial® and the syndicated Share of Ear® are two of their most widely cited studies in the audio space. Edison is also the leading podcast research company in the world and has conducted research for NPR, Slate, ESPN, PodcastOne, WNYC Studios, and many more companies in the podcasting space.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a full-service, digital consultative custom market research agency that combines sector expertise with award-winning research design. Expert in all areas of research design, implementation, analysis, and reporting, Harris Interactive has particular strengths in customer experience, brand and new product development.

For media inquiries and questions about the industry please contact APA Headquarters, press@audiopub.org