June 2021 News Roundup

In the 1800's, a personal listening device was imagined.

THE AUDIO PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE AUDIOBOOK MARKET FOUND ANOTHER YEAR OF DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES INCREASES AS WELL AS A PROFOUND SHIFT IN LISTENING HABITS.

Despite concerns early in the pandemic that the plunge in commuting would lead to a drop in sales, the APA found that sales from the 27 companies that report results to the APA sales survey increased 12%, to $1.3. [Source: Publishers Weekly]

APA CITES 12-PERCENT 2020 US AUDIOBOOK REVENUE GROWTH

More than 71,000 audiobooks were published in the United States, up 39 percent over 2019. [Source: Publishing Perspectives]

AUDIOBOOK NEW TITLES SOAR 39% IN 2020

Results of Edison Research's 957 online interviews in January/February 2021. [Source: Voiceover Extra]

SLATE REPORTS ON CASTING IN AUDIOBOOKS

The audiobook industry is collectively squirming through the debate on representation and casting. [Source: Slate]

UNCANNY PREDICTIONS ABOUT AUDIOBOOKS..

In 1889, a professor from the University of Minnesota imagined the use of "whispering machines"...a little miniature phonograph that would be tucked away in people's hats, and then connected to the people's ears. [Source: ABC.net]