Spotify has unveiled its 2024 Wrapped feature, marking the first year audiobooks take a starring role in the platform’s annual listening retrospective, per usatoday.com. The digital entertainment giant is giving book lovers unprecedented insights into their audio consumption, with fantasy and romance author Sarah J. Maas emerging as the undisputed queen of audiobooks.
Spotify’s data reveals a seismic shift in listening habits, with 60% of audiobook consumers falling between ages 18 and 34. The platform’s Premium subscribers now enjoy 15 monthly free audiobook hours, opening a new frontier in digital reading experiences.
Maas dominates the top 10 global audiobook list, claiming three spots with her A Court of Thorns and Roses series. The list showcases a diverse mix of contemporary favourites and classic literature, including Jennette McCurdy’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died and J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary The Fellowship of the Ring.
The audiobook boom extends beyond individual titles. Book-to-screen adaptations like Wicked and It Ends With Us have seen listener numbers skyrocket, with some titles experiencing over 1,100% increase in listens after trailer releases.
A novel addition this year is “Wrapped for Authors,” allowing writers to delve into listener demographics, geographic spread, and even track first-time listeners—a feature that promises to revolutionise how authors understand their audience.
With over 250,000 books in its catalogue, Spotify is transforming how a new generation consumes literature, proving that the future of reading might just be in our ears.
