Heard A Good Book Lately? The Continuing Rise of Audiobooks
by Elizabeth Solar
The news of the demise of books is greatly exaggerated. We still have a voracious appetite for reading fiction and non-fiction. We just consume our passions in different ways.
According to a Pew study from January 2020, the rate in which adults still read print books outpaces every other format, but now, one in three of us have also read an e-book in 2021.
Literacy is still alive and well: 75 percent of adults read a book in the last year – at least that’s what they say – across all formats, a number that’s remained stable since 2011.
Although print books are the most popular choice for readers, audiobooks are gaining ground, and enjoyed a dramatic increase during the pandemic. Let’s look at some of the numbers:
In 2020, US revenues for audiobooks hit 1.3 billion dollars, a significant climb from 2018, and part of a trend toward double-digit increases from the early 2010’s.
Taking a deeper dive, in 2020, more than 71 thousand audiobook titles were published in the United States, up from 60,303 in 2019. Without a precise figure for the number of titles published, a reported estimate puts that figure at 39 percent year over year and noted the 2020 figure was the highest on record. This data is according to 26 publishers in 2020, including Hachette Audio, Audible Inc. and HarperCollins.
Growing demand for audiobooks is reflected in the number of audiobook titles published each year, a tenfold increase over last decade, not to mention the steep increase of audiobook listeners from 2019 to 2020, and a greater surge during our two-year Covid hibernation. Previously, there was a growing trend to listen to audiobooks in the car, so it was surprising how many of us are listening at home. Perhaps early on, enough of us became disgusted enough with series like ‘Tiger King’ we decided we’d rather be read to sleep.
While many of us like to cozy up in a big ole’ chair with a print book, there’s a lot to recommend the portability and convenience of audiobooks. Built for commuters and travelers, one can comfortably carry a full library of audiobooks on a phone or tablet. Just remember the earplugs. A plane full of passengers don’t need – nor want – to hear the spoilers of the latest John Grisham novel, or whatever political flavor-of-the-month club tell all has hit the New York Times bestseller list.
A side note I found interesting: A Gallup poll found that 61 percent of those asked did not see a movie in a theatre last year. Film viewership took a hit at home as well, as we binge-watched television series old and new over the ever-increasing streaming outlets available.
If you are missing your favorite film stars, fear not, you can hear them read your favorite stories.
Take an already fantastic book like Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, hire Tom Hanks to narrate it: Perfection. Judith Light performing Alice Hoffman’s The World That We Knew. Transcendent. Ann Dowd reprising her role as Auntie Lydia (of Hulu’s A Handmaid’s Tale Fame. Chilling, thrilling and all together human.
Julia Whelan and Morgan Freeman reading any. Darn. Thing.
Audio and recording is my day job, so excuse the enthusiasm. If you haven’t already done so, listen to an audiobook. True a narrator can make or break the story, so preview a sample before you download. Or perhaps that person, that voice, is not your cup of tea. As much as I love to read a book in print, there is something compelling about oral storytelling. This ‘theatre of the mind’ can provide a thrilling alternative as we journey together through a tale, guided by the human voice and all that voice embodies.
My next post in mid-May, I’ll provide some advantages and benefits listening to audiobooks provide. In the meantime, regardless of format, it’s always time well spent to sink into a really good story.
What are you reading these days? Are you looking, or listening?
