What the Rise of the Audio Market Means for Your Content Strategy
Article Outline:
- Why Audio Now?
- Big Tech Wants In… and Wants You Out
- What a Solid Audio Strategy Looks Like
- What to Look for in an Audio Platform
- “But I Don’t Have Audio Content… Yet”
- Become the Go-To Audio App for Your Audience
- Make the Most of Your Audio Content
You’ve seen it.
People listening to podcasts at 1.5x speed on their commute. Earbuds in at the grocery store. Audiobooks playing in the background while cooking, working out, AND falling asleep. This behavior isn’t limited to the “rise and grind” crew anymore; it’s the new normal. The world is loud, fast, and multitasking more than ever.
As of 2023, the global audiobook market was valued at $5.3 billion. It’s expected to surge past $39.1 billion by 2032, growing more than 25% every year. That’s the kind of growth Big Tech bets billions on.
This change in market size means a worldwide shift in attention and behavior. If your content strategy isn’t tapping into this, you’re missing out on revenue, relevance, and connection with your audience.
This is why creators and mission-forward organizations are leaning into audio as a core part of their content ecosystems.
The question isn’t whether audio belongs in your strategy. It’s whether you’re going to stake out your slice of the pie or cede all the growth to Audible.
Why Audio Now?
This explosion in audio consumption didn’t come out of nowhere. So, what’s fueling it?
Time Poverty: People want to learn and be inspired, but they often don’t have the luxury of sitting down to read. Audio lets them do both while they do something else.
Mobile-First Life: With smartphones in everyone’s hands, people expect portable, passive content they can consume on the go.
Screen Fatigue: In a world of constant notifications and endless scrolling, audio gives the brain a break without shutting it off.
Personalization: Audio feels more intimate, as if someone is speaking directly to you. That personal connection is powerful for creators trying to build trust and loyalty.
Chances are, your customers already enjoy audio. You may even already have audio content available for them on a major platform. But if you aren’t on top of this shift, a large portion of your audience—and your revenue—could be lost to one of the many tech giants vying for their attention.
Big Tech Wants In… and Wants You Out
Let’s not kid ourselves. Audible, Spotify, and YouTube have seen the same data. And they’re not ignoring the audio boom. They’re investing in it. Heavily.
- Spotify rolled out audiobooks to premium users and quietly added tens of thousands of titles.
- Amazon’s Audible continues to lock creators into restrictive exclusivity deals.
- YouTube is optimizing podcast support, trying to absorb yet another format into its ad empire.
Why? Because audio is sticky. It builds daily habits. It keeps people in-platform longer. And it’s insanely cheap to scale once they’ve got your content.
But here’s the part they won’t say out loud: They don’t care who made the content as long as it feeds the machine.
These platforms win by turning creators into inventory. They monetize your work, then send you a fraction of the profits. They build their audience on the back of yours.
Meanwhile, you're left renting space in a system that hides your data, dilutes your brand, and decides how (or if) you get discovered.
If that feels backwards, it’s because it is.
If you're trying to grow your mission, your business, or your community, you can’t afford to stay boxed in like that.
The audiobook boom is happening. But if you're stuck renting space on someone else’s platform, your content won’t get the boost it deserves.
How to Ride the Audio Boom: What a Solid Audio Strategy Looks Like
A smart audio strategy doesn’t start with Audible. It starts with ownership.
Here’s how forward-thinking brands are positioning themselves for success:
- Launching their own audio streaming service where their audio isn’t buried under content from other brands
- Using tiered access to serve both free listeners and paid subscribers
- Bundling audiobooks with video, ebooks, and exclusive podcast series—all in one branded app
- Offering user-friendly features like chapter navigation (because no one wants to scrub through a 7-hour audio file)
- Capturing and analyzing audience behavior: You need to know what people are listening to, where they drop off, and what drives engagement. Big Tech keeps most of that data for itself. With Annunciate, you own it.
Ownership is important, because where consumer attention goes, the money follows. When you rent space on their platform, you don’t control either. You can’t afford to let Big Tech siphon essentials away from your mission. Your organization deserves its own app.
What to Look for in an Audiobook Platform
If you’re serious about reaching your audience through audio and keeping the value it creates, here’s what you actually need in an audio platform (and how Annunciate checks every box):
✅ Brand Control
Your audience should experience your mission, not Audible’s. Annunciate delivers your audiobooks, podcasts, videos, and ebooks inside a fully white labeled app. It’s your brand from the first tap to the final listen.
✅ Data Ownership
Other platforms lock down user data. With Annunciate, you own every insight. Know what your audience listens to, where they drop off, and what keeps them coming back. No more flying blind.
✅ Flexible Monetization
Annunciate doesn’t dictate how you make money. Run free previews, charge per audiobook, offer monthly memberships, or create donor-only libraries. You set the terms. We don’t take a cut.
✅ Offline Playback & Smart Audio Features
Your users can listen offline, pick up where they left off, and navigate with ease. No hacked-together video players. This is a true audiobook and podcast streaming service experience built for real users.
✅ Multi-Format Support
Most platforms focus on one thing. Annunciate handles all your content—audiobooks, podcasts, video, and more—in one seamless app. No more juggling logins, links, or third-party players.
“But I Don’t Have Audio Content… Yet”
You don’t need a 300-page manuscript and a professional voice actor to start building your audio strategy. In fact, you probably already have content that’s perfect for repurposing.
Here’s how smart brands turn what they have into what their audience wants:
Repurpose Your Blog or Articles
Turn blog posts into narrated episodes. Group related content into audio series. If you’ve written it, you can read it.
Record Podcast-Style Commentary
Talk through your book chapters. Share insights, reflections, or behind-the-scenes commentary. Keep it personal; it builds connection.
Capture Live Talks or Events
Sermons, keynote speeches, training sessions—all of these make for easy, high-impact audio content. Clean up the audio, add an intro, and you’ve got a track.
Use Voice Notes to Test Ideas
Not ready for full production? Start with simple recordings using your phone or a basic mic. You can always upgrade later. What matters most is starting.
Become the Go-To Audio App for Your Audience
Let’s be honest: You’re not trying to be the next Spotify. And you’re not chasing everyone. You’re focused on serving your audience.
You don’t need to build a catalog the size of Audible. You just need to create the one your audience actually wants—one designed for your niche, your voice, and your brand.
That’s the power of a focused, branded OTT platform. With Annunciate, your OTT platform becomes the place where all your content lives, connects, and grows… without the distractions, limits, or branding of Big Tech.
Use your app to:
- Unify Every Format You Publish
Host audiobooks, videos, ebooks, podcasts, blog posts, and courses all in one place. No more scattered content or fractured experiences. - Build a Strategic Content Structure
Organize content by channel, theme, audience type, or access level. Launch a seasonal series. Build a digital library. Run a full content funnel from awareness to deep formation. - Serve Multiple Audiences Without Multiple Platforms
Want to provide one experience for donors, another for volunteers, and another for the public? Do it all from a single backend. - Deliver a Mission-Centered Experience
Your content, your brand, your people. No competitor recommendations. No outside ads. Just a clean, on-brand experience that deepens engagement and reinforces trust.
Your audience isn’t looking for more noise. They’re looking for something specific: you. And when you bring them into your own branded app, they can engage with everything you offer in one seamless experience.
Make the Most of Your Audio Content
The audio market is exploding. But you can’t count on that growth to trickle down. You have to stake out your territory now.
Big Tech knows it. That’s why they’re doubling down on audio while quietly cutting creators out of the profits and the process.
Annunciate gives you the tools to launch, brand, and scale your own OTT audio platform that prioritizes your mission, your revenue, and your audience.
No gatekeepers. No platform middlemen. Just direct access, better monetization, and full control.
Get in touch to discover how you can launch your own branded white label audiobook platform and finally own your audience, your content, and your future.
