The audiobook market — reading with your ears — is expanding quickly as major online booksellers race to lock in listeners. Some titles use dozens of voice actors and soundtracks to create a drama-like experience, while others use artificial intelligence to speed production.
According to the online bookselling industry on Feb. 8, the number of audiobook users has been rising steadily each year, driven by listening that is not tied to 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, the largest share. 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 appeal is multitasking: listeners can follow a story while driving, exercising or walking a pet. Jang Seon Young, a 40-year-old who lives in Incheon, said paper books and e-books make it hard to do anything else while reading. “With audiobooks, I can play them like the radio on my commute or while doing housework, so it doesn’t feel like a burden,” she said.
Production methods are also diversifying, including the use of AI. Yes24 plans to launch AI audiobooks later 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 and reflects a sentence’s meaning and flow to read naturally, adding that shorter production times could broaden audiobook choices.
Millie’s Library, a subscription reading platform, said more than 20 voice actors took part in its exclusive audio web novel “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.” User reactions included comments such as “I got chills the moment 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 focused on improving quality so listeners can immerse themselves.
The company also pointed to growing interest in novels following Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in literature, which it said has helped boost engagement with audiobooks. The Millie’s Library official said audiobooks move in step with trends in print and e-books, and that the platform is increasing planning for related content as interest rises in literary works such as novels and essays.
Still, some in publishing said AI adoption may not be simple. A publishing industry official said producing AI-based audiobooks requires consultation with original authors, which can take significant time, and that debate continues over whether content could be used for AI training.
Even so, the market’s expansion appears hard to reverse. Spotify said its audiobook users last year rose about 40% from the previous year. Spotify is also pushing to add a print book sales service in its app, challenging major booksellers such as Amazon.
In Japan, which experienced population aging earlier than South Korea, demand for audiobooks has increased 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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