Audiobooks and podcasts are increasingly popular, 73% of Italians listen to them

Audio entertainment consolidates its growth in Europe and becomes an increasingly widespread habit among audiobooks, podcasts and audio series. This is what emerges from Audible Compass 2025, research carried out by Verian for Audible, according to which 73% of those interviewed in Italy, France, Germany and Spain listen to audio content and almost 6 out of 10 people declare that they have increased their listening frequency compared to 2024.

In 2025, in the four countries analyzed, on average around 4 audiobooks were listened to per month: 3.2 in Italy and Spain and 3.8 in France and Germany.

Thriller in the lead, but Italy also “rewards” fiction

The genre remains the main compass in choosing what to listen to: mystery and thriller lead the ranking with 44%, followed by science fiction and fantasy (40%), crime and romance (both at 37%) and comedy (36%). In Italy, however, there is a peculiarity: literary fiction is as loved as thrillers, both at 46%, the only case among the countries considered.

Listening occurs mainly at home (72%), although motivations and moments change: in Germany and Spain, audiobooks are often chosen to fall asleep, in France as entertainment “away from the screens”, while for Italians, stories on headphones become a recurring companion of the day. Gender (86%), topic (83%) and narrative voice (82%) weigh heavily in the choice.

Listening and reading, a combination that becomes stronger

The research highlights a “synergistic” relationship between audiobooks and books: in Italy, those who listened to an audiobook in the last 12 months also read at least one book in 86% of cases. Furthermore, 7 out of 10 interviewees declare that audiobooks have increased reading both on paper and digitally and 66% say they go to the bookshop to buy the paper copy after having finished listening.

Wellbeing and mental health

The audiobook is also perceived as an ally of relaxation: listening relaxes (70%) and helps to “disconnect” from worries (68%). For 60% of listeners it contributes to mental health, with Italy and Spain among the most convinced countries. Among Italian parents with children under 18, listening is seen as a support for entertainment, education and time away from the screen.

La Top 10 su Audible.it

Among the most listened to titles in 2025 on Audible.it include, among others, L’anniversario di Andrea Bajani read by Luigi Lo Cascio, Come l’arancio amaro by Milena Palminteri read by Aurora Peres and The catastrophic visit to the zoo by Joël Dicker read by Aurora Peres.