The pandemic has positively impacted the consumption of eBooks and audiobooks in the United States, a survey by the Association of American Publishers finds (AAP) conducted by Edison Research. During the year 2020, US sales of audiobooks increased 12% in 2020, reaching $ 1.3 billion.
The consumer survey of American audiobook listeners aged 18 and over found that audiobook listening remained significant and stable during the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, audio book publishers have continued to produce more and more titles. Indeed, more than 71,000 audiobooks were published in 2020, an increase of 39% compared to 2019. Thrillers and detective stories remain the dominant genre. However, the AAP has noticed that romance and personal development are increasingly attracting the interest of readers.
Changing listening habits
According to the report, listeners have changed their listening habits. Due to health restrictions and lockdowns, Americans are increasingly listening to audiobooks at home. 55% of them said that the home was their favorite place to listen, against 43% in 2019. Conversely, only 30% of those questioned use the car as their main place to listen, a decrease of 13% compared to the previous year.
Finally, the APA survey reveals that 67% of Americans listen to a book to reduce the time spent in front of the screens. This increase follows a trend of disconnection of screens. Parents took advantage of the confinement to introduce their children to audio books.
–
