AUDIOBOOKS
Audiobook Sales Jump To $2.22 Billion In 2024,
Pushed By Digital Sales And New Listeners
June 3, 2025

(VOXtra) - Double digit growth in audiobook sales in 2024 - to a whopping $2.22 billion - is reported by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) in its annual Sales Survey.

Conducted for the APA by Toluna, the Sales Survey shows this 13% growth from the previous year to be driven by digital audiobooks, which accounted for 99% of total 2024 revenue. And that's a 14% growth in digital sales over 2023.

Separately, the APA also releasted its 2025 Consumer Survey, conducted by Edison Research, which found that 51% of Americans aged 18 and older, an estimated 134 million people, have listened to an audiobook.

The Consumer Survey also found 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%.

And bad news/good news for audiobook narrators: While the consumption and number of AI-narrated audiobooks has increased, consumer willingness to try AI-narrated audiobooks dropped year-over-year, from 77% in 2023 to 70% in 2025.

Piracy continues to be a concern, though.

The APA says it 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.

CONSUMER SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

The APA reports these additional key highlights from the 2025 Consumer Survey:

• 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%).

CONSUMER SURVEY CONDUCTED IN FEBRUARY

In February 2025, Edison Research conducted an online survey of 1,700 U.S. adults aged 18+ on behalf of the APA. 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.

Access to this and additional industry data is available to APA members.

ABOUT THE APA

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 is also a networking, educational, and information forum for its members; delivering 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.

Among it's notable programs are the annual Audie Awards for audiobook excellence, and the annual APAC conference. 

For more, please visit: www.audiopub.org.

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