Audiobooks have long been about storytelling and escape. However, they are now edging into the world of digital audio advertising. Inventory remains limited, but the signs are clear: more platforms are experimenting with ad-supported access, publishers are emerging in digital audio delivery, and listening is growing year on year.
For advertisers, this is a channel worth watching.
Since RAJAR MIDAS began measuring audiobook listening in 2019, weekly reach has more than tripled to 9%. Listeners now spend (on average) over nine hours a week with audiobooks, mostly at home (70%) or while driving, with nearly half listening through headphones. Ofcom notes 34% of 16–34 year-olds now use Spotify as their main audiobook platform, confirming younger listeners are engaged.
At audioadpro, we have been closely monitoring the rise of audiobooks in digital audio campaigns, as audiobook publishers begin to appear in delivery lines. It is still early days, but the direction of travel suggests more availability of ad inventory in the near future.
For example, Wattpad, the world’s largest social storytelling platform, has started appearing in ad delivery. Audible has tested ad-supported access for some listeners. While the majority of platforms are still built on subscriptions or purchase models, freemium and hybrid revenue streams are gathering momentum.
However, one thing that remains unknown is listener tolerance. An audiobook is a deep, immersive experience, so dropping a jarring ad mid-chapter risks pulling the listener out of the story. Advertisers will need to handle creative with care; ads should be short, relevant, and context-sensitive, acting as companions rather than interruptions on the listening journey.
And while Spotify’s audiobook listening currently lives on its premium service, the platform’s recent ‘Read Like You Listen’ campaign illustrates how much it values this channel. Positioning audiobooks alongside music, with playful lines like “Stephen King just dropped a 14hr banger,” signals that Spotify sees audiobooks as central to their future audio strategy.
Audiobooks offer something rare: long stretches of deep, focused engagement. In a world of distracted multitasking, that is gold. Listeners lean in for hours at a time, and as we’ve discovered, often with headphones on. Advertising within audiobooks is not mainstream yet, but it is on its way. And when we see the scale, it will offer brands a new way to reach audiences.
Stay tuned as we monitor these developments, because when audiobooks fully enter the chat, advertisers will want to be ready.
