US audiobook sales grows 12%

In the US, an Audio Publishers Association report found audiobook revenue grew 12% to US$1.3 billion (A$1.7 billion) last year, reports Publishing Perspectives.

The result is the ninth year in a row of double-digit growth. The results come from the association’s sales survey. The association said that ‘although listening habits changed in the last year, audiobook listening remained strong and stable despite the pandemic.’

The association’s executive director Michele Cobb told Publishing Perspectives that the industry’s strong year was down to ‘people continuing to discover audiobooks and to realise their importance in allowing children and adults to be informed and entertained while being able to turn away from their screens’.

More than 71,000 audiobooks were published in the US last year, a 39% increase in titles compared to 2019—the highest year-on-year growth since 2015.

Category: International news