A short history of audiobooks from PW

[Catlady]

Audiobooks: A Revolution in Format

Advances in digital technology over the past 25 years have fueled an unprecedented surge in audiobook sales and demand, and transformed the audio category in nearly every way, from production through packaging to delivery. This segment of publishing is coming off nine consecutive years of double-digit sales growth, according to data from the Audio Publishers Association. And the Association of American Publishers reports that audio sales grew by 157% between 2015 and 2020. The road to this high point is littered with tangled cassette tapes and cracked jewel cases, and PW has been riding shotgun all along.