A Sound Sensation For the Book Business

What are the chances you’ve listened to an audiobook lately? According to a new survey, about 50-50.

The mainstreaming of audiobooks means important new business growth for book publishers.

Smartphones, smart speakers and Bluetooth connections in cars are all helping drive the sound sensation for the book business. According to the Infinite Dial survey of consumer use of media and technology, 50 percent of Americans over the age of 12 said they listened to an audiobook in 2018, says Michele Cobb, APA executive director. That’s the highest share since the annual survey began in 1998, she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. And for the first time, more listening is now taking place in automobiles than in homes.

“We have really been in a period of amazing growth and amazing pickup of the format for such a long time that it’s very exciting,” Cobb says. “We spent so long really fighting for our place in publishing, it’s been a nice change that we are being recognized for the amount of growth and the amount of excitement that we are generating.

At the APA annual award ceremonies this spring, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi was named Audiobook of the Year, notes Robin Whitten, Audiofile editor and founder.

“The most spectacular thing about this Afro-futurism fantasy is the performance by Bahni Turpin, who is an extraordinary audiobook narrator,” she says. Turpin is able “to immerse herself in this fantasy and then to bring it alive to listeners in a way that was just the best – the best it could ever be.