Audible Shares AI Insights and EU Data at Frankfurt Book Fair
Listening is on the rise worldwide, and last week Audible joined industry leaders and publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany to share the latest listening trends and the innovative ways we’re working to bring more books to audio to meet the ever-growing demand.
Audiobooks remain the fastest-growing book format year after year, and they present publishers with exciting opportunities to engage new audiences—especially because there are many millions of print and e-books not yet available in audio, a point shared by Lee Jarit, Audible’s Global Head of Publisher and Partner Relations, and Sadaf Kazmi, Audible’s Head of Creator and International Products, during a panel called "Using AI to Unlock Your Audio Catalog’s Potential.”
That gap is even greater for non-English language titles, Jarit reported. The bulk of audiobooks available today are in English, yet more than 85% of Audible listening happens in a customer’s local language. Additionally, there’s enormous untapped potential in publishers’ backlists, as bestsellers only represent a small share of audiobooks that listeners are hungry for. Nearly 80% of listening hours on Audible are generated by backlist titles, Kazmi shared. One way to achieve that goal is by leveraging AI to bring titles to audio that otherwise might never be produced. Audible offers multiple pathways, currently in beta, through AI narration and translation for publishers, and through voice replicas for independent creators using Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).
Jarit emphasized that the goal is to complement professional narration; Audible is investing in both professionally narrated titles and AI-enabled catalog expansion. Professional narration is core to Audible’s DNA: Audible Studios hired more narrators in 2023 and 2024 than ever before, and we collaborate with thousands of narrators globally on Audible Originals and other premium productions. The intent, Kazmi explained, is to lower barriers of entry and give creators more choices about how their work is brought to life, while at the same time making our catalog large enough to serve the needs of consumers around the world, ultimately drawing more audiobook lovers to the category.
Of course, when it comes to audiobook publishers reaching those new global audiences, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t do; Audible’s 2025 Compass survey findings illustrate a wide range of listening behaviors and content preferences across marketplaces. Audible’s Head of Content Acquisition for the EU and Latin America, Barbara Knabe, shared those findings at a panel with leaders from Penguin Random House and Saga Egmont, called, “Tuning Into the EU: Trends and Opportunities for Publishers in Audio.”
One major takeaway from the data is that Europe has an undeniable passion for listening, with regular audiobook listeners reporting an average of three audiobooks consumed monthly. Italy’s Audible member base tripled over the last five years, and Spanish membership has, on average, doubled every year since we launched our service for Spain in 2020. Germany and France also continue to experience annual growth that’s consistently in the double digits.
The continent appears fairly united in its most popular genres, with mystery/thriller a favorite in every marketplace. Drilling down further into genre reveals more diversity: Germans tend to prefer non-fiction around self development, science and current affairs, while Italians love memoir. France and Spain go in for comedy a bit more than other EU countries, with Spanish customers the most willing to explore new genres through audiobooks.
There are also some interesting differences when it comes to each country’s particular listening behavior. For instance, 48% of listening in Germany and Spain among audiobook listeners happens during drives and commutes, but this is less the case in Italy and France. Germans tend to listen in longer sessions—60% listen for 30 minutes or more in one sitting. And narrator obsession is definitely a thing: 68–72% of listeners across the EU search for books performed by their favorites.
This level of specificity in listening behaviors is why Audible has developed tools like Maven, the first-ever AI-powered audiobook search, which makes it easier than ever for listeners to find titles that meet their niched interests. Both panels highlighted the ways Audible continues to use cutting-edge technology to unlock the audio potential of publishers’ catalogs, bring more books to life for listeners around the world, and grow creators’ fanbases even beyond their homelands.
Speaking of fanbases, we were thrilled to sit down with Germany’s bestselling author Sebastian Fitzek and narrator Simon Jäger, with whom we’ve created blockbuster Audible Originals and exclusives that have resonated with listeners around the world. The intimate conversation gave German fans a front-row seat to the creative process of one of their most beloved authors. We also immersed attendees in Regency-era romance as we discussed Audible’s new multicast global adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with the German production’s cast members Aaron Altaras (who plays Mr. Darcy) and Dennenesch Zoudé (Mrs. Bennet), complete with a live reading and a quiz exploring themes of love and societal conventions.
Danke schön, Frankfurt! We look forward to seeing how listening continues to transform the publishing industry and delight book lovers in the EU throughout the next year.
