The audiobook market — “reading” with your ears — is growing quickly. Major online bookstores are racing to secure an early lead, producing titles with dozens of voice actors for drama-like immersion while also using artificial intelligence to shorten production time.
According to the online bookstore industry on Feb. 8, the number of audiobook users has continued to rise each year as listeners can play them regardless of time or place.
At Yes24, the number of members who bought audiobooks in 2025 rose 25% from the previous year, continuing annual growth. By age, people in their 40s accounted for 35% of audiobook purchases last year, standing out as the biggest group. Teen buyers also increased, with the purchase share rising from 0.2% in 2023 to 0.3% in 2024 and 0.9% in 2025.
A key advantage of audiobooks is multitasking. People can listen while driving, working out or walking a pet. Jang Seon Young, 40, who lives in Incheon, said, “With print books or e-books, it’s hard to do other things while reading.” She added, “With audiobooks, I can play them like the radio on my commute or while doing housework, so it doesn’t feel like a burden.”
Production methods are also diversifying, including the use of AI. Yes24 plans to launch AI audiobooks this month.
Lee Seok Young, a manager on Yes24’s eBook team, said the company last year introduced an AI text-to-speech feature that lets users listen to more than 1 million e-books with AI voices. He said Yes24 is preparing to launch AI audiobooks using AI narration within February. He said the AI “adjusts breathing and speed like a real person and reads naturally by reflecting meaning and flow,” adding that shorter production times could broaden the range of available audiobooks.
More than 20 voice actors took part in Millie’s Library’s exclusive audio web novel “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.” Users have responded with comments such as, “I got chills as soon as I heard the voice,” and “The background music and sound effects are really good.”
A Millie’s Library official said novels with fast-moving plots are produced with multiple voice actors and that the company is focusing on improving quality so listeners can immerse themselves more deeply.
Interest in novels also rose after Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in literature, which the Millie’s Library official said has helped boost engagement with audiobooks. “Audiobooks also move in step with trends in print books and e-books,” the official said, adding that the company is increasing planning for related content as interest grows in literary works such as novels and essays.
Still, some in the industry expect AI adoption to be difficult. A publishing industry official said producing AI-based audiobooks requires consultation with original authors, which can take significant time, and that debate continues over the possibility that content could be used for AI training.
Even so, the expansion of the audiobook market appears hard to reverse. Spotify said its audiobook users last year increased about 40% from the previous year. Spotify is also pushing to add a print-book sales service in its app, challenging major bookstores such as Amazon.
In Japan, which experienced population aging earlier than South Korea, demand for audiobooks has increased mainly among people 50 and older due to issues such as declining eyesight, supporting expectations for further market growth.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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