Nielsen BookData Report Cites a Decline in Audiobook Sales in the UK

According to books and publishing, which cited a Nielsen BookData survey, audiobook sales in the UK have been found to have slowed down a little in the first half of 2022.

on Nov 23, 2022

According to books and publishing, which cited a Nielsen BookData survey, audiobook sales in the UK have been found to have slowed down a little in the first half of 2022. Understanding the UK Audiobook Consumer, a survey by Nielsen based on feedback from 2000 adults, predicted that in 2022, audiobook sales in the UK will stabilize at roughly 27 million units, or about £182 million.

Only a small increase from the 26 million audiobooks sold in 2021 would result from this. In contrast, there were 8 million audiobooks sold in 2014, which was also the year Neilsen started keeping track of audiobook sales, and there were 23 million and 18 million audiobooks sold in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

The survey also found that the rising cost of living is to blame for the slowdown in audiobook sales. As a result, about a third of audiobook purchasers will frequently only obtain free audiobooks, while a quarter will frequently purchase fewer audiobooks than they otherwise would.

Only around 11 percent of those polled indicated they would be open to signing up for a new subscription in the hopes of finding better discounts, while about 19 percent, or one in five, said they might even terminate an audiobook membership to save money.

However, the report's author, Jaclyn Swope, thinks the decline in audiobook sales cannot be directly linked to an increase in the cost of living. According to the survey, buyers are wary about the cost of living, but Swope told the Bookseller that she wouldn't entirely blame that for the decline in purchases because the pandemic sped up growth, especially between 2020 and 2019 (more than 20%), with further double-digit percent growth in 2021.

Given that the year didn't have a lockdown, which was a significant factor in increased consumption, Swope said, "I think it would have slowed this year regardless."