If you haven’t noticed, audiobooks have made a recent and sharp rise in popularity among readers in recent years. In fact, in places like Sweden, more than half of all book sales in 2024 were audiobooks as opposed to print or e-books.[1] According to the Audio Publisher Association, audiobook sales in the U.S. have seen double-digit growth year after year, with global sales following a similar trend.[2] E-books were once seen as the alternative to real books that were prophesied to take over print sales, but we can now see that audiobook sales are ahead of e-books.[3] If we are to investigate this unforeseen trend in publishing, we should look towards what could be the cause of this audiobook proliferation, and what the form’s implications for readers are at large.

Audiobooks have a long, if not popular, history in America. Ever since 1877 when Thomas Edison first recorded “Mary Had A Little Lamb” on the phonograph and thought up to make a publishing house dedicated to recording novels (that went unfulfilled), to 1934 when the Library of Congress established the first talking book library to provide literature to the visually impaired, audiobooks have had humble beginnings.[4] From vinyl LP’s to cassette tapes, audiobooks have been around in varying mediums since the beginning of the technological revolution of the past sixty years. But with the explosion of the internet and the accessibility to electronic audiobook files through Audible or Spotify due to the smartphone’s ubiquity, audiobooks have really been launched into the mainstream.

One speculation in relation to the growth of audiobooks is the concurrent growth of the podcast industry. Many compare the two forms of storytelling and find striking similarities—mainly the spoken word component of both forms—between the two, linking the rise in audiobook sales with the long-term rise we’ve seen in podcast listeners. [5]

Another major component to the audiobook experience to keep in mind is how and where they are consumed, as opposed to e-books and print books. Although it is an individual characteristic whether listening to reading a book helps enhance more information retention, one thing that remains true is that reading takes more attention and does not allow for multitasking like listening to audiobooks does.[6] Like with podcasts, many people report multitasking while listening to audiobooks, such as doing chores like dishwashing, laundry, or driving. Because of the split attention given to the listening material, it’s argued by some that listening to audiobooks doesn’t require the same level of focus that reading a text does and does not lead to retaining information better.[7] Although this may be true for some, audiobooks do level the playing field when it comes to providing access to literature for individuals with learning and physical disabilities like dyslexia, ADD, or visual impairment that makes the typical reading experience difficult or impossible.

Now, the space that might have been held by listening to talk radio or background music during driving and chores has been replaced by the sound of audiobooks. They are essentially deeply personalized radios about subjects an individual finds interesting, and this could be a large reason why audiobooks have seen such a rise in popularity. This reason, along with the new accessibility to audiobooks provided by the popular streaming service, Spotify, all contribute to the large uptick in audiobook listeners in recent years. 

Whether you’re a fan of audiobooks yourself or are instead a print-purist who believes in only reading physical books, it’s worth noting that listening to books is a form of consuming literature that is only rising in popularity and not going away. It’s better to try and take a dip in an audiobook than to try to stem the rising tide of their popularity. You might find you take to listening to certain genres over others, but at least that time spent listening to audiobooks is still time spent consuming literature, as opposed to no exposure to literature at all. Without audiobooks, our current literary and publishing landscape would be devoid of many new listeners and contributors, which is never something a reader wants to see. 

How Does PSG Fit In?

As audiobooks continue to surge in popularity, offering readers a convenient and immersive way to enjoy literature, Publishing Solutions Group is here to help you with finding the right audio talent, recording audio and all things post-production. With our comprehensive audio services, we specialize in transforming your written content into high-quality audio that captivates your audience. 

Ready to get started? Contact us today and discover how we can elevate your content with the power of audio!

[1] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-dX7vSI_J4AihAub3yNaTKHUuiyf2JAN/view?usp=sharing

[2] https://medium.com/@drishtisethi8/the-rise-of-audiobooks-trends-and-predictions-for-2024-0dccbf6155a6

[3] https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/91530-new-report-puts-online-sales-of-books-audio-at-12-13-billion-in-2022.html

[4] https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=book-wars-the-digital-revolution-in-publishing–9781509546787

[5] https://davidtvrdon.medium.com/the-curious-case-of-audiobooks-vs-podcasts-lessons-for-podcasters-9086e9bbcb7e

[6] https://www.listening.com/blog/reading-vs-listening#:~:text=Research%20indicates%20both%20reading%20and,superior%20for%20long%2Dterm%20memory

[7] https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/best-books-audiobooks-reading-literature-a58f5d00

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