
Europe Audiobooks Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034
Description
The Europe audiobooks market reached approximately USD 1.39 Billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.40% between 2025 and 2034, reaching a value of around USD 3.41 Billion by 2034.
Europe Audiobooks Market Growth
The proliferation of smart devices, the burgeoning popularity of audiobooks among regular commuters to pass the time, and the growth of subscription models are some of the crucial drivers for growth of the Europe audiobooks market. Audiobooks offer a great way to make long commutes in many European cities more productive and enjoyable, thus promoting their increased usage.
Europe's rich linguistic diversity presents a multitude of opportunities to the market players and book publishers for the production of audiobooks in several languages. This allows for catering to diverse linguistic groups and serves as a means to promote and celebrate cultural diversity within the region.
Audiobooks are becoming increasingly popular as more and more book titles are being released in this format. Publishers are not only converting printed books into audiobooks but are also putting emphasis on producing content exclusively for audiobooks to cater to the growing niche segment of readers.
Key Trends and Recent Developments
Higer working age population, growing publishing industry, increased smartphone use, and strategic collaborations between key players have increased the Europe audiobooks market value.
January 2024
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been in effect since March 2022. Post its implementation, Spotify users in Europe have been able to purchase audiobooks from its platform. This has allowed Spotify to avoid the 30% in-app purchase fees Apple charged for application installments from its app store. The DMA has made it mandatory for big tech firm to treat their own products and services similar to their competitors.
November 2023
Audible, Amazon’s audiobooks company, had announced EUR 5 million worth of investment in Spain’s audiobooks market. The investment has been used to produce new titles in Spain during 2024. Audible currently holds 80% of the country’s market share, according to Europe audiobooks industry analysis. The company’s own data revealed by Audible Compass 2023 study conducted by Kantar Public suggests that 51% of Spanish population listened to audiobooks regularly in 2023, a 16% rise from 2022.
October 2023
Global music streaming platform Spotify had announced the addition of audiobooks to its platform for premium subscribers in the UK. The section since then has been available free of cost containing 15 hours’ worth of audiobook content per month from a wide catalogue of 150,000 audiobooks. This was followed by Spotify’s announcement of launching audiobooks for premium subscribers in Ireland on April 2nd, 2024. The catalogue by then was expanded to 250,000 audiobooks.
March 2022
Copenhagen-based Saga Egmont, the digital publishing subsidiary of publishing giant Egmont announced its partnership with the United Kingdom’s Head of Zeus—a Bloomsbury publisher, Hachette UK’s Bookouture, Didcot-based Jacaranda in Oxfordshire, and Dublin’s New Island Books. This mega partnership will grant Saga Egmont with exclusive distribution rights over the English language audiobooks it will develop for more than 300 titles collected from the four publishers.
Higher Working Age Population is Fueling Europe’s Audiobooks Demand Growth
Audiobooks have a high preference among Europe’s working population, currently estimated at 75.3% of the total population in the age group of 20-64 years. The reason for the high preference is their flexibility of use as they enable readers to meet their reading needs easily while working, multitasking or travelling during time constraints. As the working age population further grows, the market is expected to witness a huge increase in demand, according to the industry trends and analysis.
Growing Publishing Industry Creates New Europe Audiobooks Market Opportunities
Europe houses some of the largest and most qualitative publishing industries in the world. According to the Federation of European Publishers, the overall revenue generated by the industry during 2022 amounted to EUR 23.9 billion, a rise of 0.3% from the previous year. The largest share was accounted by publishing markets in Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain. As these publishing markets continue to grow, the audiobooks market will witness a rise in production and sale volumes.
Increased Use of Smartphones and Internet Enhancing Audiobooks Access for Users
Audiobooks can be compatibly used in smartphones and other internet-based devices. According to the audiobooks industry statistics in Europe, 96% of adults already had access to smartphones in 2021, whereas 82% had access to the internet during the same period. As the adoption of these devices grow further, the Europe audiobooks industry will witness new opportunities, propelling the market’s growth to new heights.
Use of AI Leading the Europe Audiobooks Market to a Sustainable Future
Strategic collaborations between key market players in Europe are enhancing the industry’s growth by mutual leverage of AI technologies. The objective is to increase the efficiency of audiobooks production, downloads, and use across major European languages. A few AI applications contributing to this objective include AI based narration, translation, and conversion of text to speech.
Europe Audiobooks Industry Segmentation
“Europe Audiobooks Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:
Market Breakup by Genre:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Market Breakup by Preferred Device:
Smartphones
Laptops and Tablets
Personal Digital Assistants
Others
Market Breakup by Distribution Channel:
One-time Download
Subscription-Based
Market Breakup by Target Audience:
Kids
Adults
Market Breakup by Region:
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Others
Europe Audiobooks Market Share
Based on genre, the market is divided into fiction and non-fiction. Fiction audiobooks account for a major market share as fiction books consist of a wide range of genres, including classics, literary works, thrillers, and science fiction which provide great means of entertainment for those who enjoy listening to books. Moreover, a factor which makes them especially appealing is their ability to be enjoyed passively, making them perfect companions for activities such as commuting, and exercising, among others.
Leading Companies in the Europe Audiobooks Market
The market participants are increasingly using social media for the promotion of audiobooks to gain a competitive edge in the market.
Amazon.com Inc.
Apple Inc.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.
Rakuten Group, Inc.
Google LLC
Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Storytel AB
W. F. Howes Ltd.
Penguin Random House Co.
Storytec Ltd.
Bolinda Digital Pty Ltd.
Others
Europe Audiobooks Market Growth
The proliferation of smart devices, the burgeoning popularity of audiobooks among regular commuters to pass the time, and the growth of subscription models are some of the crucial drivers for growth of the Europe audiobooks market. Audiobooks offer a great way to make long commutes in many European cities more productive and enjoyable, thus promoting their increased usage.
Europe's rich linguistic diversity presents a multitude of opportunities to the market players and book publishers for the production of audiobooks in several languages. This allows for catering to diverse linguistic groups and serves as a means to promote and celebrate cultural diversity within the region.
Audiobooks are becoming increasingly popular as more and more book titles are being released in this format. Publishers are not only converting printed books into audiobooks but are also putting emphasis on producing content exclusively for audiobooks to cater to the growing niche segment of readers.
Key Trends and Recent Developments
Higer working age population, growing publishing industry, increased smartphone use, and strategic collaborations between key players have increased the Europe audiobooks market value.
January 2024
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been in effect since March 2022. Post its implementation, Spotify users in Europe have been able to purchase audiobooks from its platform. This has allowed Spotify to avoid the 30% in-app purchase fees Apple charged for application installments from its app store. The DMA has made it mandatory for big tech firm to treat their own products and services similar to their competitors.
November 2023
Audible, Amazon’s audiobooks company, had announced EUR 5 million worth of investment in Spain’s audiobooks market. The investment has been used to produce new titles in Spain during 2024. Audible currently holds 80% of the country’s market share, according to Europe audiobooks industry analysis. The company’s own data revealed by Audible Compass 2023 study conducted by Kantar Public suggests that 51% of Spanish population listened to audiobooks regularly in 2023, a 16% rise from 2022.
October 2023
Global music streaming platform Spotify had announced the addition of audiobooks to its platform for premium subscribers in the UK. The section since then has been available free of cost containing 15 hours’ worth of audiobook content per month from a wide catalogue of 150,000 audiobooks. This was followed by Spotify’s announcement of launching audiobooks for premium subscribers in Ireland on April 2nd, 2024. The catalogue by then was expanded to 250,000 audiobooks.
March 2022
Copenhagen-based Saga Egmont, the digital publishing subsidiary of publishing giant Egmont announced its partnership with the United Kingdom’s Head of Zeus—a Bloomsbury publisher, Hachette UK’s Bookouture, Didcot-based Jacaranda in Oxfordshire, and Dublin’s New Island Books. This mega partnership will grant Saga Egmont with exclusive distribution rights over the English language audiobooks it will develop for more than 300 titles collected from the four publishers.
Higher Working Age Population is Fueling Europe’s Audiobooks Demand Growth
Audiobooks have a high preference among Europe’s working population, currently estimated at 75.3% of the total population in the age group of 20-64 years. The reason for the high preference is their flexibility of use as they enable readers to meet their reading needs easily while working, multitasking or travelling during time constraints. As the working age population further grows, the market is expected to witness a huge increase in demand, according to the industry trends and analysis.
Growing Publishing Industry Creates New Europe Audiobooks Market Opportunities
Europe houses some of the largest and most qualitative publishing industries in the world. According to the Federation of European Publishers, the overall revenue generated by the industry during 2022 amounted to EUR 23.9 billion, a rise of 0.3% from the previous year. The largest share was accounted by publishing markets in Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain. As these publishing markets continue to grow, the audiobooks market will witness a rise in production and sale volumes.
Increased Use of Smartphones and Internet Enhancing Audiobooks Access for Users
Audiobooks can be compatibly used in smartphones and other internet-based devices. According to the audiobooks industry statistics in Europe, 96% of adults already had access to smartphones in 2021, whereas 82% had access to the internet during the same period. As the adoption of these devices grow further, the Europe audiobooks industry will witness new opportunities, propelling the market’s growth to new heights.
Use of AI Leading the Europe Audiobooks Market to a Sustainable Future
Strategic collaborations between key market players in Europe are enhancing the industry’s growth by mutual leverage of AI technologies. The objective is to increase the efficiency of audiobooks production, downloads, and use across major European languages. A few AI applications contributing to this objective include AI based narration, translation, and conversion of text to speech.
Europe Audiobooks Industry Segmentation
“Europe Audiobooks Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:
Market Breakup by Genre:
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Market Breakup by Preferred Device:
Smartphones
Laptops and Tablets
Personal Digital Assistants
Others
Market Breakup by Distribution Channel:
One-time Download
Subscription-Based
Market Breakup by Target Audience:
Kids
Adults
Market Breakup by Region:
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
Others
Europe Audiobooks Market Share
Based on genre, the market is divided into fiction and non-fiction. Fiction audiobooks account for a major market share as fiction books consist of a wide range of genres, including classics, literary works, thrillers, and science fiction which provide great means of entertainment for those who enjoy listening to books. Moreover, a factor which makes them especially appealing is their ability to be enjoyed passively, making them perfect companions for activities such as commuting, and exercising, among others.
Leading Companies in the Europe Audiobooks Market
The market participants are increasingly using social media for the promotion of audiobooks to gain a competitive edge in the market.
Amazon.com Inc.
Apple Inc.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.
Rakuten Group, Inc.
Google LLC
Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Storytel AB
W. F. Howes Ltd.
Penguin Random House Co.
Storytec Ltd.
Bolinda Digital Pty Ltd.
Others
Table of Contents
120 Pages
- 1 Executive Summary
- 1.1 Market Size 2024-2025
- 1.2 Market Growth 2025(F)-2034(F)
- 1.3 Key Demand Drivers
- 1.4 Key Players and Competitive Structure
- 1.5 Industry Best Practices
- 1.6 Recent Trends and Developments
- 1.7 Industry Outlook
- 2 Market Overview and Stakeholder Insights
- 2.1 Market Trends
- 2.2 Key Verticals
- 2.3 Key Countries
- 2.4 Supplier Power
- 2.5 Buyer Power
- 2.6 Key Market Opportunities and Risks
- 2.7 Key Initiatives by Stakeholders
- 3 Economic Summary
- 3.1 GDP Outlook
- 3.2 GDP Per Capita Growth
- 3.3 Inflation Trends
- 3.4 Democracy Index
- 3.5 Gross Public Debt Ratios
- 3.6 Balance of Payment (BoP) Position
- 3.7 Population Outlook
- 3.8 Urbanisation Trends
- 4 Country Risk Profiles
- 4.1 Country Risk
- 4.2 Business Climate
- 5 Global Audiobooks Market Overview
- 5.1 Key Industry Highlights
- 5.2 Global Audiobooks Historical Market (2018-2024)
- 5.3 Global Audiobooks Market Forecast (2025-2034)
- 5.4 Global Audiobooks Market Breakup by Region
- 5.4.1 North America
- 5.4.2 Europe
- 5.4.3 Asia Pacific
- 5.4.4 Latin America
- 5.4.5 Middle East and Africa
- 6 Europe Audiobooks Market Overview
- 6.1 Key Industry Highlights
- 6.2 Europe Audiobooks Historical Market (2018-2024)
- 6.3 Europe Audiobooks Market Forecast (2025-2034)
- 7 Europe Audiobooks Market by Genre
- 7.1 Fiction
- 7.1.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 7.1.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 7.2 Non-Fiction
- 7.2.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 7.2.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 8 Europe Audiobooks Market by Preferred Device
- 8.1 Smartphones
- 8.1.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 8.1.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 8.2 Laptops and Tablets
- 8.2.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 8.2.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 8.3 Personal Digital Assistants
- 8.3.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 8.3.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 8.4 Others
- 9 Europe Audiobooks Market by Distribution Channel
- 9.1 One-time Download
- 9.1.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 9.1.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 9.2 Subscription-Based
- 9.2.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 9.2.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 10 Europe Audiobooks Market by Target Audience
- 10.1 Kids
- 10.1.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 10.1.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 10.2 Adults
- 10.2.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 10.2.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 11 Europe Audiobooks Market by Country
- 11.1 United Kingdom
- 11.1.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 11.1.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 11.2 Germany
- 11.2.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 11.2.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 11.3 France
- 11.3.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 11.3.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 11.4 Italy
- 11.4.1 Historical Trend (2018-2024)
- 11.4.2 Forecast Trend (2025-2034)
- 11.5 Others
- 12 Market Dynamics
- 12.1 SWOT Analysis
- 12.1.1 Strengths
- 12.1.2 Weaknesses
- 12.1.3 Opportunities
- 12.1.4 Threats
- 12.2 Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
- 12.2.1 Supplier’s Power
- 12.2.2 Buyer’s Power
- 12.2.3 Threat of New Entrants
- 12.2.4 Degree of Rivalry
- 12.2.5 Threat of Substitutes
- 12.3 Key Indicators for Demand
- 12.4 Key Indicators for Price
- 13 Competitive Landscape
- 13.1 Supplier Selection
- 13.2 Key Global Players
- 13.3 Key Regional Players
- 13.4 Key Player Strategies
- 13.5 Company Profiles
- 13.5.1 Amazon.com Inc.
- 13.5.1.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.1.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.1.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.1.4 Certifications
- 13.5.2 Apple Inc.
- 13.5.2.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.2.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.2.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.2.4 Certifications
- 13.5.3 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.
- 13.5.3.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.3.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.3.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.3.4 Certifications
- 13.5.4 Rakuten Group, Inc.
- 13.5.4.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.4.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.4.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.4.4 Certifications
- 13.5.5 Google LLC
- 13.5.5.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.5.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.5.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.5.4 Certifications
- 13.5.6 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
- 13.5.6.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.6.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.6.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.6.4 Certifications
- 13.5.7 Storytel AB
- 13.5.7.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.7.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.7.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.7.4 Certifications
- 13.5.8 W. F. Howes Ltd.
- 13.5.8.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.8.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.8.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.8.4 Certifications
- 13.5.9 Penguin Random House Co.
- 13.5.9.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.9.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.9.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.9.4 Certifications
- 13.5.10 Storytec Ltd.
- 13.5.10.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.10.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.10.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.10.4 Certifications
- 13.5.11 Bolinda Digital Pty Ltd.
- 13.5.11.1 Company Overview
- 13.5.11.2 Product Portfolio
- 13.5.11.3 Demographic Reach and Achievements
- 13.5.11.4 Certifications
- 13.5.12 Others
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