UK audiobook sales growth slows

In the UK, a Nielsen BookData report has found audiobook purchasing growth slowed in the first half of 2022, but sales are still expected to improve, reports the Bookseller.

Nielsen’s Understanding the UK Audiobook Consumer report is based on an online survey of 2000 adults. It found that audiobook sales are expected to total nearly 27 million units this year, valued at around £182m (A$319.3m). This is compared to 26 million units in 2021, 23 million in 2020 and 18 million in 2019. Nielsen first began tracking UK audiobook sales in 2014, recording eight million sales.

According to the survey, a third of audiobook buyers will look for more free audiobook options as a response to the increased cost of living, and a quarter will potentially buy fewer audiobooks. About a fifth of respondents (19%) said they might cancel a subscription, but 11% said they might take a subscription to get better deals.

Report author Jaclyn Swope told the Bookseller that ‘while wariness about the cost of living is impacting buyers according to the survey, I wouldn’t attribute the drop in purchases entirely to that, as the pandemic accelerated the growth—particularly in 2020 compared to 2019 (more than 20%), with further double-digit per cent growth in 2021’.

‘I think it would have slowed this year regardless, given the year didn’t have a lockdown, which was a big factor for increased consumption,’ Swope said.

Category: International news