Since Spotify Premium launched audiobooks in 2023, there’s been significant growth. The number of English-language audiobooks available has nearly tripled to over 400,000 titles.
In the US, UK and Australia, the number of audiobook listeners and listening hours increased by over 30% year-over-year. Following the launch in France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg last year, those countries have seen an average monthly growth of 12% in audiobook listeners.
Much of this growth comes from people trying audiobooks for the first time, which Spotify believes is positively impacting the overall publishing industry. A recent survey from the Audiobook Publishers Association showed that audiobook sales grew by 13% in 2024, with nearly all revenue coming from digital audiobooks.
Publishing partners are also experiencing growth, and they’re crediting Spotify as a major factor:
- Bloomsbury (U.K. publisher) reported a 57% increase in audio sales for their 2025 fiscal year, partly due to their new partnership with Spotify.
- Lagardere (French publisher) noted a 38% rise in digital audio sales in their 2024 financial report, driven by their new collaboration with Spotify.
- HarperCollins (U.S. publisher) saw audiobook sales jump 13% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the previous year, with their parent company, News Corp, highlighting Spotify’s entry into the market as a key reason.
Spotify aims to continue this momentum by getting even more people into audiobooks. They plan to do this by constantly improving the experience for authors, publishers, and listeners. So far, they’ve been doing this by:
- Growing their audiobook catalog.
- Expanding into new countries and languages.
- Investing in audiobook production for emerging markets.
- Offering support and resources for independent authors.
- Forming partnerships with major publishers.
- Making it easier to discover and enjoy audiobooks.
- Connecting authors and publishers through industry events.