APA RESEARCH FACTS

• Publisher receipts in 2025 totaled 2.43 billion dollars, continuing the 15-year trend of year-on-year growth.

• Per 2026 consumer data, 58% of Americans aged 18 and older, an estimated 157 million people, have listened to an audiobook.

• Publishers reported over 750,000 active titles in 2025, a 43% increase from 2024.

• Audiobook listeners averaged 3.8 audiobooks in the last year, and 26% listened to four or more titles.

• Piracy is a growing concern; Edison data reports that 45% of Audiobook Listeners have listened to an audiobook on YouTube, up from 35% in 2024 (audiobooks on YouTube are largely pirated from legitimate copyright holders).

• Audiobooks are valued for being convenient and relaxing; listeners cite the ability to multitask (86%) and to listen on-the-go (84%) as the top benefits. Seven in ten enjoy audiobooks as an alternative to screen time (70%).

• The consumption and number of AI-narrated audiobooks published has increased in 2025, though willingness to try AI-narrated audiobooks dropped year-over-year, from 70% in 2025 to 61% in 2026. Only 16% of Audiobook Listeners have listened to an AI-voiced audiobook, and AI sales revenue amounted to .03% in 2025.

• Sales increases continue to be driven by digital audiobooks, which accounted for 99% of revenue in 2025 and grew year over year by 10%.

• Audiobook listening occurs across various platforms. Among those who listened in the last year, many used multiple sources: 49% purchased directly from websites/apps, 48% listened via a subscription service, 46% borrowed through a digital library app, and 42% used credits from a dedicated audiobook service.

• Fiction accounts for over two thirds (71%) of sales in 2025. Top genres are General Fiction (27%), Science Fiction/Fantasy (13%), Romance (13%), General Non-Fiction (9%), and Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense (9%).

• The fastest growing genres are Romance (30% growth), Children’s & YA (26% growth), and Science Fiction/Fantasy (21% growth).

*These statistics are based on the sales survey conducted for the APA by the independent research firm Toluna and on the consumer behavior survey conducted by Edison Research – both surveys completed in Spring 2026.

For media inquiries and questions about the industry please contact APA’s Executive Director Jim Dinegar.