Tag: author

Inside the 2025 Audiobook Trends on Spotify: Romantasy, Modern Classics, and What’s Next

December 3, 2025

From page-turning thrillers to inspiring memoirs, audiobooks are becoming a core part of the daily listening habits of fans around the world. And this year, audiobooks appear in the main Spotify Wrapped experience for the first time, highlighting how many titles a listener finished and their top audiobook and audiobook genre. It’s a major moment of visibility for the format.

To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at the genres, authors, and moments that captured our imaginations in 2025.

The trends that defined audiobook listening in 2025

Listeners dove headfirst into spicy romance and romantasy, as series like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass dominated Spotify’s top audiobooks list.

These fan-favorite sagas are also part of another notable trend: the power of the backlist. Nearly all of 2025’s top audiobooks were released in previous years, with listeners creating a new canon of “modern classics.” And while fiction dominated the top 10, it was a big year for music memoirs, too, as releases from artists like Mark Ronson, Mark Hoppus, and Cher struck a chord.

For the Record spoke with three members of Spotify’s global Audiobook Editorial leadership team—North America Associate Director Katie del Rosario, European Manager Roshni Radia, and Director of Audiobooks Editorial Suzanne Galvez—about what drove book culture this year.

Looking back at 2025, what trends or shifts did you see in audiobook listening on Spotify?

Katie: The biggest trends were definitely spicy romance and romantasy, which continue to dominate book culture. We’ve also seen a real surge in music memoirs, with readers loving these behind-the-scenes looks at creative lives. And book-to-screen adaptations continue to be huge for us, with big hits like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Stephen King’s The Long Walk driving renewed interest in backlist titles.

What’s especially interesting this year is increased interest in what our team calls “dystopian anxiety.” We’re seeing a spike in interest not only in classic dystopias like Fahrenheit 451, I Who Have Never Known Men, and 1984, but also in contemporary fiction and nonfiction, like Moderation and Empire of AI, that explore themes of social unrest, climate change, and emerging technologies.

What’s your take on the romantasy boom? What do you think is driving the trend?

Roshni: Romantasy is a major cultural phenomenon. Driven by communities like BookTok and authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, the genre appeals to diverse audiences craving intense, character-driven plots, high stakes, and breathtaking romance. While historically popular with women, men now account for roughly 15% of listening in steamier subgenres, proving the desire for passion, power, and escape is universal.

Was there a single audiobook or moment this year that really popped?

Suzanne: Spotify is everywhere, which is why I love when we get to tap into moments that connect across formats in meaningful ways. From celebrating Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary life through not just his music but also books like I Am Ozzy, to pairing Tina Knowles’ Matriarch with the fans of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, Spotify continues to bridge culture and fandom like no one else can.

Share your predictions. What might be trending in audiobooks for 2026? Are there any emerging genres you’re keeping an eye on?

Katie: Romantasy isn’t going anywhere. There are some really big titles on the horizon, so I think 2026 is shaping up to be another blockbuster year for the genre. I also think the appetite for horror will keep growing, and that we’ll see continued growth in genre-blending fiction and in climate fiction, which tackles environmental and ecological themes in fresh, urgent ways. And I’d expect to see even more interest in books exploring AI and technology as readers look for stories that help them make sense of the world we’re moving toward.

How do you think listening on Spotify is changing the way people engage with books?

Suzanne: Spotify is blurring the lines between reading and listening, turning books into part of the same cultural ecosystem as music and podcasts. Nothing is more exciting to our editors than helping listeners connect with stories they might not have discovered otherwise. And with continued innovations like Recaps, videos, and follow-alongs, we’re expanding the experience and helping fans engage with books in a whole new rhythm.

Explore your personalized 2025 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2025 Wrapped hub.

Join Author Bella Mackie on a Musical Journey Inspired by Her ‘Darkly Comic’ New Book

September 19, 2024

As many readers will attest, wit and humor make for excellent counterparts to the crime fiction genre. That formula certainly worked for Bella Mackie when it came to her 2021 debut bestseller, How to Kill Your Family. Now the author is back with another darkly funny mystery, What a Way to Go.

Out now, the book follows the aftermath of the death of a multimillionaire husband and father. It features a status-driven widow, four inheritance-obsessed children, and a murderous twist. Last week, Bella stopped by Spotify’s London office to celebrate the release of her second novel, joining creator Jack Edwards for a fireside chat.

The author also curated a Spotify playlist inspired by the themes and plot of the book, with tracks from the likes of Blur, Taylor Swift, and Kendrick Lamar.

For the Record sat down with Bella to hear more about her new novel, as well as her creative process and influences.

What can fans expect from What a Way to Go?

Readers can expect more rich people behaving badly, some pretty gruesome deaths, and a darkly comic look at the British class system. The book also covers the afterlife, true crime enthusiasts, and the financial system—there’s a lot going on!

You’re a British Vogue columnist and a former journalist. How did you get into fiction writing?

I wrote a nonfiction book called Jog On, which did well. After the release, I had some offers to write more nonfiction, but I knew I really wanted to try writing a novel. I thought this would be my best shot, so I offered up some chapters I’d written and luckily a publisher liked it. It was a lot of luck and good fortune.

Speaking of Jog On, that book explores mental health and exercise. Is listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks part of that healthy routine for you?

Definitely. All three! When I want to run long, I listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and when I want to run fast and get that runner’s high, I listen to playlists which keep the tempo upbeat and pacey.

Walk us through your writing process.

It’s a lot of thinking—letting ideas percolate is such a massively important part of writing fiction. I don’t even realize how much the random ideas that pop into my mind at 11 p.m. knit together to form a story until it’s halfway done. And then you’ve just got to write—even if it’s not working the way you want, you can write through it.

Audiobooks have become a popular way to consume novels. How do you think having your words read aloud changes the experience for the listener?

It’s fantastic, honestly. Listening to Charly Clive read How to Kill Your Family was so interesting—she brought the character to life in a new way. It’s lovely to have my words in people’s ears.

What book has had the biggest influence on you?

Probably Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I think it’s perfect crime fiction, and it inspired How to Kill Your Family with its structure and motivations.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, which is a book that tells the stories of North Korean defectors. It’s both shocking and tender. Highly recommend.

Stream Bella’s playlist to hear some wonderfully wicked tunes.

New Spotify Original Podcast ‘What Now? with Trevor Noah’ Set to Launch November 9

October 18, 2023

Since announcing a new Spotify Original Podcast with Trevor Noah back in June, fans have waited anxiously to hear what’s next for the comedian, Emmy Award–winning talk show host, and best-selling author. They don’t have to wait in anticipation much longer. What Now? with Trevor Noah is set to launch on Thursday, November 9. 

In this new Spotify Original podcast, listeners will get a chance to hear Trevor Noah like never before. In each episode, Trevor will go deep with a special guest, including entertainers, CEOs, actors, athletes, and thought leaders. He’ll bring the kind of conversations that happen behind the scenes to light, full of radical candor, authentic back-and-forths, and honest reactions, with Trevor bringing to bear his classic, effortlessly playful and equally probing style. 

What Now? with Trevor Noah is executive produced by Trevor and Ben Winston alongside Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linksy; and produced by Day Zero Productions, Fulwell 73 Productions, and Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios.

The series is hosted and distributed by Spotify’s enterprise podcast platform, Megaphone, with Spotify serving as the exclusive sales partner. Presenting sponsors for the podcast include Amazon, Audi, Microsoft, Prize Picks, Smirnoff, and Starbucks.

As Trevor said back in June, “We’ll also probably fix every single issue humankind has ever faced, so you definitely want to join us for every episode.” Starting next month, you can.