UK audiobook revenue up by almost a third last year

‘Sometimes listening to a story brings an even better experience than reading a book with your eyes,’ said one audiobook listener. Photograph: yipengge/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Whether it’s plugging in to Benedict Cumberbatch reading Austen while doing the washing up or listening to Meryl Streep narrate Nora Ephron’s Heartburn on the way to work, the UK is increasingly getting into audiobooks.

Audiobook revenue generated by UK publishers rose by 31% between 2023 and 2024, with income from audiobooks reaching a record £268m last year, according to the Publishers Association (PA), the body representing UK publishers.