APA RESEARCH FACTS

• Publisher receipts in 2023 totaled 2 billion dollars, continuing the trend of year-on-year growth.

• 2023: Per 2024 consumer data, more than half of the US population 18+ has now listened to an audiobook.

• Audiobooks are becoming more mainstream. Thirty-eight percent of American adults listened to an audiobook in the last year, up from the 35% reported in 2023. This rise signals an increase in overall consumption as well. Of the most avid audiobook listeners, those who have listened to an audiobook in the last year, the average audiobooks consumed was 6.8 titles in the year, up from 6.3 in 2023. Of the broader group of those who had ever listened to an audiobook, the average was 4.8 audiobooks listened to in the last year, up from the 4.0 averaged in 2023.

• Children’s audiobook listening remains strong, with 53% percent of audiobook listeners with children saying their kids also listen to audiobooks. According to 77% of these parents, a key benefit of audiobooks is giving their children a break from screens.

• Subscriptions to audiobook services continue to grow, with 63% of those who listened in the last year currently subscribing to at least one service. This percentage is up from the 62% reported in 2023.

• Current audiobook consumers also rely on digital library apps, with 46% of them saying they’ve borrowed a digital audiobook from a library in the last year.

• Piracy is also a concern for the industry. 47% of those who listened to an audiobook in the last year say they got an audiobook for free through YouTube or another file sharing website.

• Fiction, at 64% of sales revenue, is the top category for the third consecutive year. Top genres are General Fiction (21%), Science Fiction/Fantasy (14%), and Romance (11%).

• The fastest growing genres are History/Biography/Memoir (22% growth), Health & Fitness (20% growth), Religious/Faith-based (17% growth), and Romance (14% growth).

*These statistics are based on the sales survey conducted for the APA by the independent research firm Toluna Harris Interactive and on the consumer behavior survey conducted by Edison Research – both surveys completed in Spring 2024.

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