Audiobooks: A new form of reading comprehension

Abstract image by Zodar

Audiobooks: A new form of reading comprehension

Erin Byers

Following the recent advances in the sophistication and popularity of streaming technology, digital audiobooks are more accessible and more widely used than ever. While the ubiquity of audiobooks has allowed authors and publishers to reach wider audiences, it has also created a new manner in which books are engaged with. This report investigates the commercial and recreational potential of audiobooks through the contextual lens of the modern market and accessibility to readers. The scope of this research centres on a commercial view of reading comprehension within audiobooks relative to print books. By doing so, it will explore how narrative interpretations may change when stories are ‘read’ aurally, as well as exploring the varied responses of readers to different audiobooks, and what this may suggest about the future direction of the industry. 

Understanding the audio format

Audiobooks, since first emerging as phonograph cylinders in the late nineteenth century (Snelling 2021), have increased greatly in popularity following digitisation. Evolving across cassettes, CDs, digital files in libraries and subscription services, audiobooks are now readily available on smart devices. Unlike CDs which have a ‘significant material presence that dictat[e] its use’ (Tattersall Wallin & Nolin 2020, p. 5), digital audiobooks rely on the user’s access to a smart device. Nick Earls (2017) and Emily Best (2020) argue the use of smart devices increases accessibility to the reader, agreeing the evolution of audiobooks has enhanced reading intake, enjoyment and comprehension. Best explains audiobooks are a ‘practicality of consumption’, and a reader’s ‘repertoire can be extended when they are not held back by the demands … [of] a physical book’ (2020, p. 3), but also acknowledges that ‘there is physical agency with a print book … that cannot be achieved through listening’ (Best 2020, p. 10). Earls (2017, p. 3) maintains the use of smart devices has made ‘audiobooks not merely more accessible, but easier to use … [given] barriers to audiobook use have been much reduced’ (2017, p. 3). 

Research demonstrates the consumption and availability of audiobooks have increased dramatically in the last decade due to a variety of factors. With the ease of smart device use, around ‘95 [per cent] of the industry is currently consumed through digital audiobooks’ rather than physical CDs (Anderson 2021, as cited in Snelling 2021, p. 648). The evolution of audiobooks and their growing demand suggests readers’ preferences are evolving in response to technological advances, busier lives, and other global and societal shifts. 

‘Western societies have seen a noteworthy expansion of reading by listening’ (Tattersall Wallin & Nolin 2020). We can use audiobooks to fill moments of silence in the same way that we may use music to soundtrack household chores or commutes. While readers of print books generally prefer an environment as free from distraction as possible, audiobook listeners differ: ‘Audiobooks seem to fulfill a particular need to make the story experience a portable and multitasking one so that the mundane activities of our lives, such as cleaning, cooking, exercising, and commuting, become story-rich’ (Kunzel, et al 2011, p 98).

Regarding the delivery of storytelling⎯arguably the most important element of a narrative⎯the mode is changed when sound is introduced, and whether it is more engaging or isolating is typically up to the listener. It is generally agreed that the ‘sequence of sounds creates a storyworld … including characters and a setting’, however it is important to note that the ‘(aural) narrative’ is most effective when readers ‘try to make sense of what they hear, filling in the missing information by making assumptions and drawing inferences’ (Mildorf & Kinzel 2016, p. 11). While reading print is ‘self-paced’, ‘audiobook listening … imposes limitations on the recipient’s continuous in-depth reflection’ (Kuzmičová 2016, p. 218, as cited in Mildorf & Kinzel 2016). Kuzmičová contends that ‘some aspects of text experience go missing when a narrative is converted from print to sound’ (2016, p. 217, as cited in Mildorf & Kinzel 2016). Therefore, we can conclude that audiobooks are not comprehended the same way print texts are, especially when the different settings and environments in which they are consumed are taken into account. The absence of visual cues and the reliance on close listening that this creates may affect the reader’s ability to engage with the narrative at their own pace. 

Readers, publishers and sales data

Once regarded simply as a complement to print books, the popularity of audiobooks has increased (Snelling 2021). Prior to COVID-19 and its impacts on working and commuting habits, one survey reported ‘74 [per cent] of listeners’ cited their cars ‘as the most popular … location’ to play audiobooks (Edison Research and Tritor Digital 2019, as cited in Snelling 2021, p. 649). In an Audio Publishers Association 2021 survey, studies showed audiobooks were ‘listened most often at home by 55 [per cent] of consumers, … a 12 [per cent] increase from [2020] (Snelling 2021, p. 649). These trends indicate consistent growth as new consumers entered the market with a ‘37 [per cent increase] … within the last 12 months’ (Nielsen BookData 2022, para 2). While it is clear sales are climbing among readers, we must also examine the impact on publishers. 

Joshua Jenning (2016, as cited in Earls 2017, p. 4) reports that since its Australian launch between 2014 and 2016, ‘Audible reported “triple-digit growth” in sales’, and ‘from 2011 to 2016, Australian audiobook company Bolinda[’s] sales quadrupled’. Looking at current market figures internationally, the 2023 StatShot from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) reports digital audiobooks in the United States made up 14.9 per cent of sales and earned US$864 million in revenue, with physical audio earning an additional US$12.9 (cited in Anderson 2024). Not only are audiobooks competing against the more established medium of print, but they are also in competition with other forms of audio entertainment, such as music and podcasts. The move towards streaming and the concentrated nature of streaming platforms creates challenges for publishers of audiobooks, now entering a space already dominated by music and podcasts. Podcasts in particular provide a similar listening experience to that provided by audiobooks, but with much lower barriers to entry. While a minimum standard of production quality is expected in an audiobook, podcasts can be (and often are) recorded and edited cheapy and quickly. 

The cost of production, especially the costs involved with utilising high-profile voice actors, is an obvious barrier for some publishers looking to expand into audiobooks. It is apparent that publishers ‘focus on the most profitable and bestselling books to convert into audiobooks’ (Anderson 2021). Anderson (2021) explains the reason audiobooks are so costly: ‘In addition to the normal costs of publishing—editing, marketing, author advances, and so on—there are the costs of narration, studio time, and audio editing’. Anderson goes on to claim ‘the vast majority of books will never be able to justify an audio version on any sort of commercial basis’. As a successor of print, not every text suits the audiobook format. Popularity and genre are both relevant factors in the decision-making process: ‘having a print book … that has risen in the best seller charts can really drive audiobook sales of the same title’ (Joe 2016, cited in Welch 2020, p. 5). Digital libraries such as BorrowBox, which won the 2013 Australian Book Industry Digital Innovation Award (Books+Publishing 2013), are one such solution to readers accessing audiobooks for free in a cost-of-living crisis. 

Despite the challenges of production and distribution, recent sales demonstrates the medium is here to stay. While audiobooks are increasing possibilities and visibility among authors, it is worth interrogating the relationship publishers have with digital platforms and their readers. 

Audiobooks on Spotify

As a result of the ‘remediation of the printed book into audiobook subscription services’ (Tattersall Wallin & Nolin, 2020), the avenues by which readers can access digital audiobooks are diversifying. In October 2023, the digital music service Spotify introduced audiobooks as part of its Australian and UK premium subscription models, placing it in direct competition with established players such as the Amazon-owned Audible. Those with Spotify Premium accounts (costing individuals A$13.99 per month) have access to more than 250,000 audiobooks in their subscription catalogue with up to 15 hours of monthly listening (Spotify 2024). On their website, Spotify advertises more than 375,000 titles available for purchase or included in their catalogue. Listeners are also able to purchase additional hours per month in 10-hour increments priced at A$15.99 (Spotify 2024), remaining available even after the hourly allowance resets each month. Spotify (2024) notes prospective authors who wish to have their audiobooks available should ‘ask [their publisher] if they’re distributing on Spotify. If you’re an independent or self-published author, the easiest way to make your audiobook available … is through Findaway Voices’, Spotify’s proprietary audiobook publisher. Although heavily advertised for its ease of use and opportunity for substantial earnings, it underscores an industry discussion of what motivates publishers to expand the future production of audiobooks, and is a platform such as Spotify the best place for readers and authors? 

Spotify reported having more than 615 million users as of 2024; with 239 million paid subscribers, even non-readers are incentivised to access audiobooks if they are already paying a subscription fee. Instead of listening to a few songs during their commute, a listener may opt to listen to a few chapters of an audiobook instead. 

Reporting contemporaneously on Spotify’s addition of audiobooks to its platform, Anderson (2023) states ‘Spotify has worked with publishers to address the hesitancy some have to go into subscription programs,’ and further explains major publishing houses are in discussion to ensure that, ‘Spotify does not provide for unlimited access to its content through a subscription’ so that it remains ‘a more palatable option for the publisher’. 

Spotify’s consultation with the publishing industry is a positive sign. However, given the long-standing criticisms over the low rates of compensation Spotify’s royalty payments offer to musicians relative to physical sales, the publishing industry will need to be an engaged, active and aggressive participant in these conversations to ensure that authors (not to mention others involved in the audiobook production process, such as voice actors) are not similarly short-changed. 

The impact of voice actors

The choice of voice actor for audiobook narration is greatly influential for the book’s commercial success. Pitch, pronunciation, clarity, and inflection are vital features for aural experience and engagement with listeners. A successful author can produce a perfectly written text, but readers may reject its audiobook version if the delivery of the narration is poor. While carefully choosing a popular title is important for publishers when allocating production resources, ‘the most critical component is … the narrator. The narrator of an audiobook is as important to the experience as the author’ (Kunzel et al 2011, p 98). A useful illustration of this principle is provided by the reception of two recent popular audiobook series: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, read by Jim Dale in the US and by Stephen Fry in the UK and elsewhere, and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, read by Roy Dotrice.

Responses to the Harry Potter audiobooks show Dale’s and Fry’s respective choices enriched the reading experience for many readers. One reader describes Fry’s voice as ‘comforting … like a parent reading a bedtime story’ (personal conversation, 8 May 2024). Prior to the release of Warner Bros.’ cinematic adaptations of the Harry Potter series, Dale’s narration ‘taught many [US] fans how to pronounce the book’s esoteric vocabulary, including some of the proper names’. (Kunzel et al 2011, p. 99). Dale’s audiobooks are the only versions available to US readers, whereas Fry’s voice is known across the rest of the world. Ultimately, the superior Harry Potter voice actor is a matter of preference and familiarity to readers, rather than calculable performance success.

Contrastingly, despite its popularity shown through sales figures, Dotrice’s choices in the Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks have met with conflicted reception. Pronunciation of characters’ names—especially Brienne emphasised as ‘Bry-een’—has hit a particularly negative chord among fans of the series. Some readers haven taken issue with seemingly inconsistent pronunciation, ‘unnecessary’ or odd accent choice, and a feeling of being ‘over-acted’; a common criticism of poor voice actors is one of ‘[not] reading the novel so much as making sure the listener knew it was being read by an Actor’ (Kramer, 2022). 

Audiobooks are successful with readers when text and narration work harmoniously. Voice actors must work in tandem with the author’s voice and the reader’s expectations and interpretations of the story; as every book is different, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Jones (2020) explains some readers ‘demand as neutral a reading as possible … to be sure the author’s words were allowed to speak entirely for themselves’ (p. 258); however, this would preclude Fry’s distinctive, successful and enduringly popular Harry Potter narrations. While comprehension of the story is arguably not impacted by a voice actor, the enjoyment can be altered and may interfere with an individual’s engagement. For publishing companies, employing the talents of a well-known actor like Fry obviously comes at significant cost, especially when viewed against the rapidly increasing interest in AI narration software, but publishers considering making the switch would do well to consider what they are paying for. If readers aren’t content with an insufficiently-invested human narrator, as the reception of Dotrice’s Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks seems to suggest, it’s difficult to see how they could ever be content with a narrator that isn’t human to begin with.

Experience of a first read: audio vs print

For this report, an interview was conducted with a 27-year-old woman who reads weekly to discuss preferences between print and audiobooks. The participant noted having a stronger relationship with print books than audiobooks due to the historic nature of having read and owned more physical books than the latter (personal communication, 8 May 2024). Answering the question ‘What is your favourite genre to listen to?’, the participant explained:

I listen to mostly non-fiction, like celebrity biographies. I tend to read fiction books, but I might listen to fictional crime books. It’s more enjoyable to listen to because some books are not interesting enough to read but I’ll happily listen to the audiobook (personal communication, 8 May 2024). 

When asked ‘Do you avoid certain genres of audiobooks?’, the participant answered:

Definitely fantasy. When it comes to worldbuilding, I don’t like not being able to picture things. I don’t take in the plot as much and I struggle to follow along. When I read fantasy books on paper, I can imagine the story better and I like the little things, such as learning how a character’s name is spelt (personal communication, 8 May 2024).

The conversation discussed comprehension and how focus on the story might change with different reading modes. When asked if they pay more attention to the story in print or audiobook, the participant replied ‘I cannot listen to audiobooks without doing something else⎯I’ll be driving or doing the dishes⎯and sometimes I get distracted. Car rides make it easy to follow along to an audiobook, like listening to a podcast.’ She added ‘I probably focus on the words better when I read a physical book, though’ (2024). 

Finally, we discussed an example of an audiobook that was a bad experience compared to reading in print. The participant named Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, read by Lauren Fortgang, as an audiobook she listened to before reading the print novel. ‘The audio really took me out of the story, especially the romance scenes,’ she explained. ‘I was more aware I was listening to an actor, rather than reading the author and hearing my own voice. I read the second book and liked that experience better than the audiobook because I was in control of the pacing and my interpretations’ (personal communication, 8 May 2024). 

While one reader’s own opinions of audiobooks may not represent a larger audience’s demands of the industry, the interviewee’s responses do appear to support what prior research suggests: certain genres are more successful for a reason, while others are weaker when the delivery is changed, and choice of voice actor can have a significant impact on the reception of an audiobook. When the reader’s internal voice is replaced with that of an actor, the delivery should be of high quality to both do justice to the author’s intention and facilitate an enjoyable experience for the reader. Publishers should invest in high-quality voice actors and conduct thorough market research to understand which genres to invest in, as well as determine which genres perform less successfully in audiobook format and, if possible, what adjustments can be made to allow for a more positive reception.

The future direction of audiobooks

Digital audiobooks will play a key role in the future of publishing, as publishers seek more sustainable production practices and as readers seek modes of consumption that complement their daily lives. In order to produce competitive, successful audiobook products, publishers must investigate and understand how factors such as accessibility and narrational choices affect enjoyment and comprehension. A middle ground must be sought to bridge the costs for publishers, authors and readers, ensuring the ongoing viability of the industry by allowing profitability for publishers and fair compensation for authors. 

Digital audiobooks are a still-evolving technology, with opportunities for innovation still to be uncovered. Their survival from the advent of the phonograph to the emergence of streaming services demonstrates the inherent viability of the medium and its ongoing appeal for both readers and publishers. The appetite for human stories, written by human authors and delivered by human voices, will never go away. Publishers should bear this in mind, embracing quality human narrators to give their products the best chance of meeting both industry standards and audience preferences and expectations. The more sensitive publishers are to those factors when producing audiobooks, the richer and more rewarding the resulting experience is likely to be for the reader.

Erin Byers (she/her) is a Naarm-based fiction writer, illustrator and book collector. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing and is currently studying a Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT. When she's not with her three cats listening to music, you can find her in a cafe or on a hockey field. 

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