Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment in publishing.

Not eBooks. Not print. Audiobooks.

In 2024, the U.S. audiobook market grew 22.5% year-over-year to $2.4 billion in revenue. Over the past five years, the category has grown 78.1%. Globally, audiobooks exceeded $1 billion for the first time in 2024.

To put this in perspective: eBooks grew 1.5% last year. Print grew roughly 1-3%. Audiobooks grew more than ten times faster than eBooks.

Yet when most authors think about their book launch, audiobooks are an afterthought—a nice-to-have if budget allows, not a core part of the strategy.

This is a mistake.

Here's why audiobooks matter, how the economics work, and what you should actually do about them.

The Data: Why Audiobooks Are Different

Growth That's Undeniable

• 2024 U.S. Revenue: $2.4 billion (up 22.5% year-over-year)
• Five-Year Growth: +78.1% from 2020 to 2024
• Global Market: Exceeded $1 billion in 2024 (first time)
• Share of Trade Revenue: 10.4% of total U.S. book publishing revenue
• Growth Rate: Projected to continue at double-digit rates through 2027

To illustrate scale: audiobook revenue now rivals eBook revenue ($2.1 billion), and both are growing. But audiobooks are growing 15X faster.

Why This Matters

Publishing is a mature industry. Most categories grow 1-5% annually. Double-digit growth is rare. Audiobooks are the exception.

When an industry segment grows this fast, it's usually because:

1. Consumer demand is real and expanding (not just temporary trend)
2. Business models are working (publishers and platforms are profitable)
3. Adoption is accelerating (more people using the format each year)

All three are true for audiobooks.

Who's Listening (And How That Changes Strategy)

Understanding who listens to audiobooks is critical because audiobook listeners are different from print readers.

Audiobook Consumer Profile

• Primary use: Commuting, exercising, cooking, or other multitasking activities
• Age: Strong across 18-55, with growth in older audiences
• Gender: Roughly even split, slight female majority in some categories
• Income: Skews higher-income (audiobook subscriptions are regular purchases)
• Format preference: Fiction and narrative nonfiction more popular than dense reference material
• Discovery: Recommendations, platform algorithms, and social media (especially BookTok video recommendations that lead to audiobook purchases)

What This Means

Audiobook listeners are often people who wouldn't otherwise buy your book—not because they don't want to read, but because they need content while doing other things.

A business professional who listens to audiobooks during a 45-minute commute might consume 2-3 books per month. That same person might buy one physical book every six months.

Audiobooks expand your addressable market, not just your revenue per existing customer.

The Economics: Why Audiobooks Matter More Than You Think

Here's something most authors don't realize: audiobooks have better profit potential than eBooks, and often better potential than print.

Why Audiobooks Work Economically

Print books require printing, warehousing, and physical distribution. Once printed, there's waste if books don't sell.

eBooks have lower upfront investment but lower price points, and compete heavily on Amazon where discounting is common.

Audiobooks have clean digital economics: no waste, higher price points, and a growing listener base actively seeking new content.

The business model is simpler. The demand is growing. The format is sticky (listeners stay with platforms and listen regularly).

The Narrator Question: Why It Matters More Than You Think

If you're going to produce an audiobook, narrator quality is critical.

Why Narration Matters

An audiobook is not just your book read aloud. The narrator's voice becomes inseparable from your book's brand.

• A great narrator can elevate weak material
• A poor narrator can sink strong material
• Listener reviews often focus on narrator performance as much as book content

On Audible and other platforms, audiobook descriptions prominently feature the narrator's name. Listeners will check: "Who narrated this?"

If you've heard James Marsters narrate a fantasy book or Cassandra Campbell narrate a literary novel, you know the difference a great narrator makes.

Narrator Selection

You have options:

Professional Narrators

• Union members (SAG-AFTRA)
• Experienced voice actors with extensive credits
• Higher quality, more experienced
• Best for: General fiction, business books, any book where narration quality is critical

Emerging Narrators

• Non-union voice actors building their portfolio
• Still professional quality, newer to the industry
• Often eager to build their voice acting resume
• Best for: Genre fiction, niche books

AI Narration

• Platforms like Google Play Books and Amazon are offering AI narration
• Getting better but still noticeably artificial
• Best for: Niche/specialized books where voice quality is less critical

Current reality: Most quality audiobooks use professional or emerging human narrators. AI narration is improving but isn't yet competitive for mainstream books.

Distribution: Where Audiobooks Actually Sell

Unlike print books (which distribute through Ingram, bookstores, wholesalers), audiobooks have simpler, more concentrated distribution:

Primary Platforms

Audible (Amazon's audiobook platform)

• Market share: 60-70% of U.S. audiobook market
• Business model: Subscription + a la carte purchase
• How it works: Authors upload through ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) or publishing services

Apple Books Audiobooks

• Market share: 10-15%
• Growing faster than Audible's share (slight erosion of Audible dominance)
• How it works: Upload through aggregators or direct

Google Play Books Audiobooks

• Market share: 5-10%
• Growing presence but smaller than Apple

Other Platforms (Spotify, Scribd, etc.)

• Smaller individual shares but collectively meaningful
• Growing distribution options

What This Means

If you produce an audiobook, you'll want it on Audible (market dominance is real), but also diversify to Apple and Google to capture additional listeners and reduce platform dependence.

Most authors use aggregators to handle multi-platform distribution, rather than uploading to each platform manually.

The Marketing Angle: Why Audiobooks Feed Your Visibility Strategy

Here's something that often gets overlooked: audiobooks are a marketing tool, not just a revenue stream.

Audiobooks Expand Your Addressable Market

A podcast listener who discovers your audiobook on Audible might then:

• Buy your print book to keep on a shelf
• Follow you on social media
• Attend your author events
• Share your book with their network
• Become a long-term fan

Audiobooks aren't siloed. They feed your broader author platform.

Audiobook Promotion + PR Strategy

When your PR team is pitching you for podcast interviews, audiobook production creates additional angles:

• "New audiobook narrated by [notable narrator]" is a news hook
• Audiobook availability on multiple platforms means more interview tie-ins
• Audible features and recommendations can amplify media coverage

Subscription + Algorithm Benefit

When your audiobook is on Audible's subscription service (which most are), the platform's algorithm recommends it to relevant listeners.

This isn't passive. Audible actively promotes books it thinks will appeal to its subscriber base.

• Professional narration and relevant categories increase visibility
• Listener reviews and listener engagement feed the algorithm
• Series and related books get cross-promoted

The Timeline: When Audiobooks Should Fit Into Your Launch

Most authors think: Publish the book, then produce the audiobook later.

Better strategy: Plan audiobook production alongside book production.

Typical Timeline

• Months 1-3: Manuscript development
• Months 3-4: Editing and design (for print) + audiobook narrator selection
• Months 4-5: Print production + audiobook narration
• Month 5: Print and audiobook launch simultaneously (or within 1-2 weeks)

Why simultaneous launch matters:

1. Media coverage: You can pitch "new book available in print and audio" as one story
2. Momentum: Double format availability = broader reach
3. Listener discovery: Audible algorithms see simultaneous launch as significant
4. Author platform: You can promote one launch across all channels rather than two separate launches

The Author's Role: What You Actually Do

As an author, what's your responsibility with audiobooks?

What You Do:

1. Provide a clean, final manuscript (same as for print)
2. Collaborate on narrator selection (your publisher typically guides this)
3. Promote the audiobook once it's available (social media, podcast mentions, etc.)

What You Don't Do:

• Record the narration yourself (unless you're a professional voice actor)
• Handle distribution (your publisher or aggregator does this)
• Manage Audible technical specifications (handled for you)

Audiobook production is surprisingly hands-off for authors. The real work is narrator selection and promotion.

Why Most Authors Are Missing This Opportunity

If audiobooks are growing at 22.5% annually and have strong business fundamentals, why aren't more authors prioritizing them?

Common Misconceptions

"Audiobooks are a luxury add-on."

• Not really. They're a strategic format with strong growth and engaged listeners.
• They should be part of your core launch plan, not an afterthought.

"Only big names succeed with audiobooks."

• False. Most audiobooks are now produced by hybrid and self-published authors.
• Audible's ACX platform made production accessible to indie authors.

"I should wait until my book is already successful to do audio."

• Backwards. Audiobook availability can help make your book successful.
• Early audiobook adoption means more listeners, more reviews, more word-of-mouth.

"I don't have a platform for audio."

• Audiobooks reach people who listen during commutes, workouts, and downtime.
• You don't need a platform—Audible's platform reaches them for you.

Questions Authors Should Ask Now

If you're planning a book launch, consider audiobooks seriously:

1. Does my book work as audio? (Most do. Fiction, memoir, and narrative nonfiction work especially well.)
2. Should audiobook production be part of my launch plan? (Yes, if you want to reach the fastest-growing segment of readers.)
3. Who will help coordinate narrator selection and distribution? (Your publisher should handle this; ask if it's included.)
4. How will I promote the audiobook once it's live? (Podcast mentions, social media, media interviews.)
5. Am I thinking of audiobooks as a core format or a nice-to-have? (Time to shift that thinking.)

The Bigger Picture: Audiobooks Aren't a Side Bet

Audiobooks represent the fastest-growing segment of publishing. They reach an audience that might not buy print. They build long-term listener loyalty. And they amplify your broader author platform.

If you're not including audiobooks in your book strategy, you're leaving significant opportunity on the table.

The authors winning in 2025 understand this: audiobooks aren't optional. They're strategic.

Brown Books' publishing packages include audiobook production and distribution. When you work with us, audiobook strategy is part of your overall launch plan from day one—not an afterthought.