Audiobooks continue to grow well.

Audiobooks have maintained strong growth over the past year and are predicted to continue developing rapidly with the help of technology. Many digital platforms such as Spotify and Audible are focusing heavily on investing in this area.

A recent Deloitte analysis report indicates that 270 million people globally listen to audiobooks every month, a 15% increase year-on-year. Sean McManus, President of Dreamscape Media, commented: “Over the next three years, the audiobook consumption model will gradually shift towards subscription services on digital platforms. With this model, audiobooks will reach a much wider audience.”

Sharing the same view, Amanda D'Acierno, President of Penguin Random House Audio, also stated: “Technological advancements are one of the most powerful drivers of audiobook development. We are focusing on integrating AI into pre-production, post-production, and the publishing process. These developments will enable even more audiobooks to be released.”

In fact, the steady growth in audio content consumption over the past few years has spurred investment and expansion by many streaming platforms. Audible, Spotify, Storytel, Podimo, Nextory, BookBeat, Scribd, YouScribe, Skeelo... are focusing on developing audiobook models. Barbara Knabe, Head of Content Development for Europe at Audible, shared: “The potential of the audiobook industry is enormous. We know that only 3% of e-books have been converted to audiobooks. And when you consider non-English speaking markets, the number of e-books that have been converted to audiobooks is even smaller.”

Accordingly, Audible is pursuing a strategy of investing in the development of audiobooks based on local languages. Specifically, in 2025, Audible invested 4.5 million Euros to expand its Spanish audiobook catalog. In Spain, listeners prefer to hear only their native language, so selecting narrators and using local accents is crucial.

Recently, Audible also began testing AI-powered voiceovers for its Spanish, French, and Italian language categories. Audible's strategy is on track, with a significant increase in membership and listening time. Specifically, Audible recorded a 22% increase in listeners of children's content, while engagement and demand for listening in genres such as romance novels and LitRPGs (literary role-playing games) also increased significantly.

Audible's investment extends beyond expanding local audiobooks to include upgrading the production of recordings. For example, Audible acquired the publishing rights to Will Yamaguchi Dobson's children's novel "The Fortress of Lost Memories" and invested further in its publication.

Will Yamaguchi Dobson said, “They appointed a director, producer, acting director, composer to create the original music, and a sound design team. I don’t know how much it cost, but the production took seven months.” Not to mention, Audible also invested in 17 actors, including many famous voice actors, to create the audiobook for the work. Accordingly, the audiobook version of “The Fortress of Lost Memories” (pictured) was released in October 2025, earlier than the print version which was scheduled to launch in April 2026.

Meanwhile, over the past two years, Spotify has tripled its audiobook catalog to 500,000 titles across 14 markets. Spotify also has special categories dedicated to audiobooks, such as Spotify for Authors and Spotify Premium. Spotify Premium is a timed audiobook listening program.

Audible and Spotify aren't the only publishers that have capitalized on the growing audiobook market and invested in it. Simon & Schuster launched its audiobook platform, Simon Maverick, in the US two years ago and recently expanded to the UK a few weeks ago. Alice Twomey, head of Simon Maverick, said, “The user base is very diverse. With Simon Maverick, we partner with independent authors who already have their own readership. Audiobooks have the potential to attract a larger audience.”

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Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/sach-noi-van-tang-truong-tot-a196593.html