Audiobook sales returned to a double-digit growth rate in 2024, increasing 13% over 2023, according to the just-released Audio Publishers Association Sales Survey. After a number of years of sales growing at a rate of at least 10% annually, sales rose 9% in 2023. Last year, total sales from the APA members who supply data increased to $2.22 billion; the bump was driven, unsurprisingly, by digital audio, which had a 14% sales increase and accounted for 99% of revenue. The sales survey, conducted by Toluna Harris Interactive, incorporates data from publishers including Audible, Hachette Audio, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster, among others.
In tandem with the release of the sales figures, the APA published highlights from its 2025 consumer survey, conducted by Edison Research. The survey of some 1,700 Americans 18 or older found that 51% have listened to an audiobook. One reason why use of audiobooks remains popular is a troubling one—an increase in piracy. The survey found that 35% of audiobook listeners have listened to an audiobook on YouTube, up from 27% in 2023. The majority of audiobooks on YouTube are pirated copies and available for free, which was one of the top reasons consumers cited using the site. The APA said it is working on solutions to stem piracy.
The use of YouTube also reflects another finding of the survey—the growing importance of accessibility. Seventy-two percent of respondents said it is important that audiobooks are available on their preferred listening platform and 63% value access through their library app.
As usual, general fiction accounted for the largest share of revenue by genre with sales up 16% over 2023. Sales in the romance category jumped 30% in the year, while sales of science fiction/fantasy rose 21%. Both categories saw big gains in print sales last year, reflecting the continued popularity of romantasy. Audiobook sales have traditionally been much higher in the adult segments than in the children’s categories, but the report found that sales in the children’s/young adult segment rose 26% last year.
In a finding that will likely affect how sales of audiobooks fare in the future, the consumer survey said the number of non-listeners who said that are interested in listening to an audiobook rose to 38% from 32% in 2023. And 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.
