June is Audiobook Month, and this year we’ll be turning up the volume to celebrate the power of storytelling on the go. From busy commuters to multitasking parents and avid readers who love a good narrator, audiobooks continue to redefine how we consume books.
Here at NetGalley, the numbers continue to tell an exciting story of their own!
📈 Audiobook Engagement at a Glance
Recent site data from NetGalley.com highlights the surge in audiobook interest. Over the past year (from 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025), we’ve seen:
21% growth in Member Interest:257,000 NetGalley members have expressed interest in the audio format as of April 2025.
61% growth in Audio Availability: Publishers added close to 3,000 audiobooks to NetGalley for members to access and send feedback.
57% Feedback Rate: Approved members submitted approximately 13,000 reviews and feedback for audiobooks on average each month.
These figures reflect not just a growing audience but a deeply engaged one, eager to explore and discuss new audio content. Make sure to review these recommended strategies for promoting audiobooks on NetGalley!
During this year’s Audio Publishers Association Conference, the session “Marketing Like You Mean It” (led by Darcy Piedmonte, NetGalley’s Director of Customer Acquisition & Success) emphasized the power of intentional audiobook promotion. Here are a few key insights that align with what we’re seeing at NetGalley:
This year’s Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) reaffirmed what industry professionals have long suspected: the audiobook market is not just healthy—it’s thriving. With digital audio surpassing e-book unit sales in 2025 and maintaining double-digit annual growth, the format’s dominance is clearer than ever. Industry leaders, including Simon & Schuster CEO, Jonathan Karp, underscored the importance of audio in expanding readership and accessibility, particularly for audiences who might not otherwise buy a book.
Audio’s Expanding Role in Publishing
One of the biggest themes of APAC 2025 was how audiobook sales augment rather than cannibalize book sales. In every business track session, publishers emphasized access to new audiences. In fact, audio is driving book acquisitions, according to Chris Lynch (President & Publisher for S&S Audio) in conversation with Karp. Many bestsellers today originated as self-published audiobooks, proving that the format is an entry point for new voices. Publishers are paying close attention to indie creators and original projects designed specifically for audio. Karp noted that “audio is integral to our growth strategy,” with major publishers actively seeking to acquire audio publishers and strengthen their foothold in this growing sector.
Short-form audio also emerged as a key opportunity, with speakers emphasizing that some projects are better suited to spoken-word formats than print. While economic challenges exist—listeners often associate longer audiobooks with greater value—there is enthusiasm for exploring more flexible pricing models to accommodate shorter content.
The AI Debate: Balancing Technology and Human Artistry
A collective groan rippled through the audience when AI narration came up. The tension is clear: while AI offers potential for cost-effective solutions, especially for backlist titles that might not otherwise be produced, it also raises concerns about diminishing the human artistry at the heart of audiobooks. Chris Lynch noted that AI could help bring audiobooks to underserved markets where traditional production wouldn’t be financially viable, but Karp reminded attendees: “You are artisans… essential to the success of audiobooks.”
For international markets, AI-assisted translation and narration could help expand access, but industry leaders emphasized the importance of local voices. Listeners often prefer narrators who match their regional accents and cultural contexts. The balance between AI’s efficiency and human performance remains a crucial industry challenge.
Marketing Like You Mean It
A standout session from the conference was Seizing the Rise of Audiobooks, Marketing Like You Mean It, moderated by NetGalley’s own Darcy Piedmonte, Director of Customer Acquisition & Success. Piedmonte led a dynamic conversation on how publishers can move beyond the fear that audiobooks cannibalize print sales and instead embrace the rapid expansion of audio into new and diverse markets.
Marketing Like You Mean It panel at APAC 2025
Panelists included:
David Walter, Executive Director of Client Development – Books for Circana
Agustina Casal, Director of Digital Sales & Marketing for Ingram Content Group
Samantha Edelson, Vice President of Marketing for Macmillan Audio
Mark Pearson, Co-Founder & CEO of Libro.fm
Jess Kessler, Head of Brand & Content Marketing of Audible, North America
The discussion covered key strategies for innovative and creative audio marketing, including how audiobook marketing continues to evolve alongside digital media consumption. Some of the biggest trends discussed included:
All Boats Rise: When audiobooks do well, all books do well. While print stays remarkably stable over time, new formats add to publishers’ overall sales.
Podcasts & Audiobooks: The impact of podcasts on audiobook sales remains a topic of debate. While some see competition, others view it as an opportunity to inspire nonfiction authors to craft compelling, high-quality content.
Younger Audiences & Genre Growth: The 18-25 demographic is rapidly growing, particularly in nonfiction (well-being) and genre fiction (romance, thriller). The increase in kids’ audiobook consumption also presents a major opportunity, especially through screen-free speaker devices like Yoto and Toniebox.
Fandom Mentality: Readers increasingly engage with books like fans of TV series or movies, wanting content across multiple formats. The success of multicast productions, such as 1984 featuring Cynthia Erivo and Andrew Garfield, exemplifies how casting choices can draw in new audiences.
Gaming Crossovers: Creative marketing strategies are reaching new audiences, for instance the Red Dead Redemption gaming community, with projects like Red Dead’s History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America’s Violent Past (narrated by Roger Clark, the iconic and award-winning full performance-capture actor) that connect books to their interests.
Discoverability & Metadata: Ensuring accurate and refreshed metadata remains critical. Publishers are investing in tools to optimize audiobook discoverability across platforms.
Opportunities for Marketing: Audiobooks offer a multitude of ways for booksellers, narrators, educators, and influencers to bring stories to life through listening.
Global Audiobook Market: What’s Next?
The international audiobook market is evolving rapidly. Emerging markets like France and Brazil are set to accelerate their growth, learning from the U.S. experience.
France is on the verge of becoming a mature market, aided by a booming graphic novel-to-audio pipeline.
The Nordic region remains a leader, with 60% of books consumed in audio format, driving authors to write with audio-first storytelling in mind.
Spain and Latin America are key areas of investment, with publishers focused on translating backlist titles and creating original Spanish-language content.
Local accents matter—listeners in Portugal prefer European Portuguese over Brazilian, and Spanish-speaking listeners are divided among regional dialect preferences.
The German children’s audiobook market is flourishing, bolstered by speaker boxes that have become the third-largest seller of children’s books.
Looking Forward: Challenges & Opportunities
Despite its rapid growth, the audiobook industry faces several challenges:
Marketing & Publicity Struggles: Simply releasing an audiobook isn’t enough—publishers need strong hooks tied to cultural moments to break through the noise. Digital marketing tools, including NetGalley, are making early audiobook promotions easier than ever, allowing for pre-pub reviews and cross-format marketing efforts. As mentioned above, the success of one format is a win for all!
Balancing Format & Content: Publishers must assess whether a story is best suited for an audiobook, a documentary, or another medium. In the case of audiobooks based on graphic novels or manga, producers are closely considering whether the concepts depicted in the art will translate to the audio format and, if so, diving in to create the audiobook.
The First Listen Matters: If a listener’s first audiobook experience is poor—whether due to AI narration or low production quality—they may abandon the format entirely.
Piracy on YouTube: Publishers voiced concerns about unauthorized audiobook uploads that fail to compensate rights holders.
Final Thoughts
Audiobooks are not just surviving—they’re thriving, expanding, and reshaping the publishing landscape. Whether it’s embracing indie voices, exploring new markets, or refining marketing strategies, the industry is adapting to ensure that audio continues to be a powerful storytelling force.
As Karp put it, “A great book is a great book.” The challenge ahead is ensuring that audiences can find, access, and engage with these books—no matter how they choose to read or listen.
It’s been a couple of years since we last answered some of publishers’ burning questions about promoting audiobooks on NetGalley. Now, with even more data to draw upon, we’re excited to share updated recommendations for audiobook publishers!
How early should I add my audiobook to NetGalley?
As early as possible! In most cases, we’ve seen that publishers are uploading their audiobooks to NetGalley within one month of pub date. This makes sense for most audiobooks, where the final file is not available until very close to the release date. However, if you have a highly-anticipated title, consider building extra buffer time into the production schedule to take advantage of a longer pre-pub marketing timeline. This can help you piggy-back the audio format alongside the earliest marketing and publicity efforts for a simultaneous hardcover release.
67.5% of audiobooks are added to NetGalley 30 days or less prior to the pub date.* However, if you have a highly-anticipated title, consider building extra buffer time into the production schedule.
In the chart below, you will see that a small selection of titles were added to NetGalley much earlier than one month pre-pub.
67.5% of audiobooks are added to NetGalley 30 days or less prior to the pub date.
How long should my audiobook be available to NetGalley members?
3-4 months is our recommendation for audiobooks to remain active on NetGalley. Generally, the longer you keep an audiobook active on NetGalley, the more impressions it will receive, and we’ve seen that 90 – 120 days of activity is the sweet spot! Right now we’re seeing that most audiobooks are active on NetGalley for only 2 – 8 weeks but, based on our data, activity continues to grow all the way up to 4 months. Keep your audiobooks active for longer so you don’t miss out on members who discover and request a copy in those additional few weeks!
Audiobooks that are active on NetGalley for 90-120 days receive the most impressions, on average.
Audiobooks that are active on NetGalley for 90-120 days receive the most impressions, on average.
How can I drive more activity for my audiobook on NetGalley?
In addition to the organic interest that’s found on NetGalley, there are a number of ways to drive additional activity:
Widget: The NetGalley Widget is the quickest and easiest way to invite your key contacts to access your titles. Simply include the widget link in your pitch email and use our template language to ensure they have all the information they need to get started right away. This tool is included as part of your NetGalley subscription.
Detailed Activity & Feedback Reports – Use your Detailed Activity and Feedback reports for comp titles to identify key contacts who may be interested in your new title, and invite them to listen using the NetGalley widget. These reports, and more, are available on demand within your account.
NetGalley Promotions – Audiobooks can be included in any NetGalley promotion, from email promotions like newsletters and eBlasts, to on-site promotions like Category or Dashboard Spotlights, Featured Title placement, etc. There are also a number of audio-dedicated promotions available throughout the year. The link above suggests options based on specific goals like gaining overall exposure, introducing a new imprint, or driving activity during a particular time period. You can also view our Media Kit to see more information about open and click rates, editorial calendars, and pricing.
Audiobooks can be included in any NetGalley Promotion!
What should I expect from NetGalley members’ audiobook reviews?
In our article, How to Write an Audiobook Review, we recommend that NetGalley members discuss a number of audio-specific features in addition to commenting on the content of the book. For instance, we ask them to focus on the narration, discuss how the audiobook flows, mention unique elements like music or if it is a full-cast recording, and share a specific recommendation.
Members are highly likely to submit audiobook Feedback on NetGalley and share it widely with their audiences.
The Feedback Rate** for audiobooks is 58%, which continues to be higher, on average, than it is for digital review copies (36%). This means that approved members are highly likely to submit Feedback on NetGalley and share it widely with their audiences. We are thrilled that NetGalley members continue to embrace the audio format.
Kristina Radke is the Vice President of Business Growth and Engagement at NetGalley, a service that helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals, including reviewers, booksellers, librarians, educators, media/journalists, and other book trade professionals. With over 15 years of experience in book marketing, publicity, and client relationships, Kristina joins us on the BookSmarts Podcast to discuss NetGalley’s expansion into the audiobook market, along with trends and strategies for publishers to be aware of when uploading audiobooks to NetGalley.
Data in this podcast is based on audiobooks created on NetGalley.com between July 1 2023 – June 30 2024 unless otherwise noted.
“For audiobooks, the feedback rate is absolutely astounding, we’re seeing about 60% of approved members sending their feedback in after listening to an audiobook.”
Joshua Tallent is an acclaimed teacher and guide on the role of data in publishing, and a vocal advocate for high quality book metadata. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing complex board games, playing Minecraft, and fiddling with his 3D printer.
Help us commemorate Audiobook Month by taking advantage of our special offer for audio publishers. Scroll to the end for details. In the meantime, here are even more reasons to celebrate…
Interest in audiobooks has grown over 40% since this time last year.
NetGalley members love audiobooks!*
Over 212,000 members have expressed interest in the format (about 35% of the total community)
55% increase in requests for audiobooks
10,000+ Reviews & Feedback are submitted monthly, on average
58% Feedback rate for audiobooks (an even higher rate than for DRCs)
41% of members who listen to audiobooks do so daily. 70% listen at least weekly.
*Stats from NetGalley.com annual member survey (Jan 2024) and YTD site activity
Some of the ways NetGalley participates in the audiobook community:
We are proud to work with audiobook publishers to help their books and this format succeed!
Offering a platform for audiobook reviewers to discover, access, and share feedback with publishers and other audiobook fans
We are thrilled that NetGalley is a top source for audiobook discoverability*, ensuring audiobook publishers have direct access to highly engaged book advocates and industry professionals who listen to and review books.
*52% of survey respondents report that they first hear about new audiobooks via NetGalley.
This year’s Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) brought together audiobook-industry leaders to explore the evolving landscape of audio consumption. NetGalley was thrilled to sponsor and speak at this event. Across all sessions, attendees and presenters alike celebrated the continued growth of the audio market.
Darcy Piedmonte speaking at APAC 2024, demonstrating how NetGalley members express enthusiasm for audiobooks “out in the wild.”
Paul Abassi (Bookstat) reminded attendees of the huge growth in audiobook sales in recent years, from over $1.7 billion in 2018 to over $3 billion in 2023. Last year proved a substantial increase across both legacy and newer retailers, including publishers of all sizes and multiple genre categories. Kristen McLain (Circana Entertainment Knowledge Group) positioned audio as a thriving market ripe for further innovation and expansion. Kristen pointed out that audio is the only category growing across all age groups, with some titles selling equal in (or more!) shares than other formats. Further, audiobook consumers are willing and ready to invest in their overall experience.
Laura Ivy (Edison Research) shared that audiobook audiences are continuing to skew younger, supported by APAC’s own Sales & Consumer Data Survey conducted last year, which revealed: “The majority of audiobook listeners are young, with 57% being between the ages of 18 and 44, significantly higher than the 49% of the U.S. population that falls within the same age range.” Kristen McLain added, “Future listeners are living with current listeners!”
Darcy Piedmonte, Senior Sales Manager at NetGalley, joined Eric Barnett (Supporting Cast), Lizzie Breyer Bowman (Lemonada), and moderator Amy Metsch (Spiegel & Grau) on a panel titled, “Audiobooks in the Wild”, to discuss how forward-thinking approaches to audiobook and spoken word programming foster audience engagement and community. The conversation underscored the significance of dynamic content strategies in attracting and retaining listeners. Darcy delved into the thriving audiobook community facilitated by NetGalley, sharing case studies featuring an independently published audiobook side-by-side with a celebrity memoir (spoiler alert: both performed extremely well on NetGalley). She also spoke about NetGalley’s role in fostering interactions between audio publishers and enthusiastic listeners, providing updates about the NetGalley community’s growth and engagement. Be on the lookout for more about this!
A highlight of the event was Malcolm Gladwell’s keynote address emphasizing tremendous opportunities for internet-based audio. Gladwell brought attention to our collective chance to democratize production, highlight on-demand, recursive listening, and revolutionize access with few barriers to entry. However, there are significant limitations standing in the way related to fair- versus limited use, where limited use greatly sacrifices transformative experiences that can enhance listeners’ lives. Gladwell illuminated the downsides in the specific, story-driven way only he can. The audience was convinced: the industry is not currently able to exploit the full potential of the audio medium. However, as industry professionals we can band together for a “Fair Use” movement and coalition. Only then will we harness the power of our creative potential and realize the spoken word future we all want to see.
Lastly, we are thrilled to congratulate this year’s Audie Award Winners! We’re honored that so many of these award-winning audiobooks were available on NetGalley.
