Audiobooks Take the Lead: What Everyone’s Listening To in July 2025

Beginner | July 14, 2025

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Audiobooks Are Growing!

Audiobook Bestsellers Are on the Rise

Audiobooks are a very popular way to enjoy stories and learn new things today. In early July 2025, it’s clear that many people are choosing to listen to books instead of reading them. This is exciting news for the publishing world!

A Fast-Growing Market

The audiobook market is getting bigger every year. For example, in 2024, people in the U.S. spent \$2 billion on audiobooks. That’s a 9% increase from the year before! Experts think the global market will grow to \$13.3 billion by 2030. Almost all of these sales (99%) are for digital audiobooks, which means people buy them online or through apps.

Easy Access with Apps

More than half of adults in the U.S. (about 149 million people) have listened to an audiobook at least once. About 38% listened in the past year. Many listeners, 63% of them, use special services like Audible or Spotify to get their audiobooks. It’s so easy to find and listen to books this way!

What Are People Listening To?

Fiction Still Leads

So, what kinds of audiobooks are popular? Stories, or “fiction,” are still the most popular. They make up 64% of all sales. But other types of books are also growing fast. For example, history and memoirs (stories about real people’s lives) grew by 22%. Romance novels also grew by 14%.

A Rise in Nonfiction

Nonfiction audiobooks, which are books about real facts and topics, are doing very well too. They grew by 27.5% in one year! Inside nonfiction, self-help and popular psychology books are the most popular, making up 45% of nonfiction audiobook purchases. People love to learn and improve themselves while they listen.

July’s Top Audiobook Bestsellers

As of July 13, 2025, one of the top audiobook bestsellers on Apple iTunes was “Project Hail Mary (Unabridged)” by Andy Weir. Other popular audiobooks in early July 2025 include “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins, “Never Lie” and “The Teacher” by Freida McFadden, and “Lights Out” by Navessa Allen. New books like “Dolores: My Journey Home” (a biography) and “Edge of Honor” (a mystery) are also becoming popular quickly. Famous storytellers, called narrators, like Julia Whelan and Jessie Mueller, also help make audiobooks popular.

Tech Makes Audiobooks More Fun

New technologies are making audiobooks even better. Things like computer voices (AI narration) and special sounds (immersive soundscapes) are changing how audiobooks are made. This means listeners can enjoy more exciting and realistic experiences.

Vocabulary

growth (noun): An increase in size or amount.
- Example: “The company saw great growth this year.”
revenue (noun): The income that a business gets from its normal business activities.
- Example: “The company’s revenue increased last quarter.”
projected (adjective): Expected to happen in the future.
- Example: “The market is projected to grow a lot by 2030.”
digital (adjective): Using or relating to computer technology.
- Example: “Most audiobook sales are for digital copies.”
subscription (noun): An agreement to receive something regularly by paying money for it.
- Example: “I have a monthly subscription to a music app.”
dominant (adjective): More important, powerful, or successful than others.
- Example: “Fiction is the dominant genre in audiobooks.”
genre (noun): A particular type or style of literature, art, music, or film.
- Example: “My favorite book genre is mystery.”
unabridged (adjective): Not shortened; complete.
- Example: “The unabridged version of the book is very long.”
gaining traction (phrase): Becoming more popular or widely accepted.
- Example: “New audiobook releases are quickly gaining traction.”
immersive (adjective): Seeming to surround the audience, listener, or viewer.
- Example: “The immersive soundscapes make the story feel real.”

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What is the main idea of this article about audiobooks?
How much did U.S. audiobook sales grow in 2024?
What is the most popular type of audiobook genre?
Can you name one bestselling audiobook from July 2025 mentioned in the article?
How do new technologies like AI narration help audiobooks?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

Do you prefer listening to audiobooks or reading physical books? Why?
What kind of books or stories do you usually enjoy?
Have you ever used a subscription service like Audible or Spotify for books?
Where do you like to listen to audiobooks, or where do you think is a good place to listen?
Do you think audiobooks will become even more popular in the future? Why or why not?

Related Idiom

Music to one’s ears

Meaning: Something that someone is pleased to hear.
Example: “Hearing that audiobooks are so popular is music to my ears!”

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This article was inspired by: Yahoo News | July 6, 2025