Americans are buying more skill-based and human potential-oriented products, rather than straight motivational products.  Since many people have been downsized, they’re more interested in honing their practical negotiating skills, sales skills, and speaking skills.  They are also purchasing more memory and reading improvement/speed reading programs, to help them process and keep up with the larger amount of information available, especially since the growth of the Internet.

The 1980s was the decade of “quantity of life” – how much material goods can one accumulate --whereas the 1990s and beyond was the decade of “quality of life”.  People are seeking balance and simplicity, spirituality and efficiency, and that’s why authors such as Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson, Thomas Moore and Stephen Covey are doing so well.  Even Tony Robbins has had to change his emphasis, from straight motivational to a greater focus on business skills.

The future for self-improvement audio looks bright for several other reasons.  Adult education is projected to grow dramatically as the population ages.  Today, it’s not good enough to obtain a college degree.  With the pace of technology and global competition, one must continually upgrade their skills, implying an ongoing learning process.

According to the Audio Publishers Association, more than 24 million Americans listen to audiobooks regularly and the market is estimated to be valued at over $2 billion in 2004. However, the overall market for spoken audio doubled from 1993 to 2001. From 1990-1998, the audiobook industry really came into its own, as sales soared 360%. In 2001, the audio industry had one of its best years. 

All in all, the future for audiobooks looks bright.  A recent study of traffic congestion in urban areas conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute found that the average person spends 36 hours a year sitting in traffic that is not moving--up from 11 hours in 1982.  More than 18 million commuters travel more than 45 minutes each way to their occupations. In addition, more than 97 million workers drive alone to work each day—up 15% since 1980. And, the average annual delay due to traffic congestion has more than tripled during the period from 1982 to 1999. With Americans spending so much time stuck in traffic, the desire for audiobooks can only grow..

A Profile of Audiobook Buyers/Users

EBrain®, the market research division of the Consumer Electronics Association, released the results of its consumer survey on audiobooks, in January 2003, based on a June-July 2002 online survey of 1,300 consumers. Listed below is an overview of the findings:

·        20% of the sample listen to audiobooks now - on average one each month.

·        59% of sample do most of their audiobook listening in their cars.

·        72% listen on car or portable systems.

·        54% of audiobook users prefer to listen to unabridged titles.

The APA’s last (2001) survey found that…

·        Overall use of audiobooks grew from 21.4 million households in 1999 to 23 million households by 2001

·        Roughly 20% of American households listened to an audiobook within the past year.

·        Of the main audiobook listeners surveyed, 76% are female and 24% are male. The average listening age for females is 45 and the average age for males is 47.

·        Each week, audiobooks are listened to an average of  4.4 hours in the car, 3.6 hours at home, 2 hours at work, 2 hours while exercising, 1.1 on mass transit.

The APA’s  1999 survey found that…

·        21% of American households contained at least one audiobook listener—a solid 75% increase over the 1995 survey. 

·        The study revealed that not only has the audiobook industry shown growth, but there is room for even more growth.  This growth can be attributed to the increased focus on audiobooks at the retail level, to the presence of audiobook clubs (which just appeared after 1995), as well as increased consumer awareness.

·        The median income of listeners in 1999 was $54,900.

·         The average male listener was 41.9 years old, while the average female listener was 44.2 years old. 

·        The average audiobooks household listens to 13.9 audiobooks per year, and within that household, the main user listens to 13.1 of those 13.9. 

·        The average listener has now been listening for 3.7 years and 65% of audiobooks households are “married” households.

Interestingly enough, the highest amount of listening time comes from males aged 21-34 and females 50-64.  The breadth between these two groups demonstrates that the appeal of audiobooks has stretched beyond the 35-50 range seen in the last study.  The fact that most concentrated use falls into the 35-64 age range bodes well for the success of audiobooks among the older population.

·        The top three situations in which audiobooks are used are at home (37.4% - about the same as the 36.8% in 1995); in the car but not commuting (26%); and in the car while commuting (18.5%).  In 1999, 44.5% of listening was done in the car, as opposed to 55% in 1995. 

·        General/miscellaneous non-fiction audiobooks decreased from 29% to 21%, while language instruction programs held steady at 2%. 

·      Fifty percent of respondents mentioned audiobooks as an alternative to radio, while 6% listen for self-improvement or enrichment.