Dolly & Barbra Nominated In The 2025 GRAMMY Audiobook Awards

If you missed it, the 2025 audiobook GRAMMY nominations were announced on 8 November last year. Yes, who knew?

Two of the audiobooks spotlighted in the nominations include Dolly Parton’s BEHIND THE SEAMS and Barbra Streisand’s MY NAME IS BARBRA.

Both books are read by the authors and have earned Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording nominations. 

In Behind The Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, country superstar Dolly Parton shares the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion, including how she developed her own distinct Dolly style.

Dolly’s audiobook is an immersive listening experience, featuring over 30 of her beloved songs, as well as archival interviews and performance clips. 

My Name is Barbra was ten years in the making, and encapsulates EGOT winner Barbra Streisand’s six-decade career as a singer, actor, and director.

In her book, Barbra tells the story about her life and extraordinary career, from growing up in Brooklyn and her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs, to her breakout performance in Funny Girl and winning the Oscar.

Another entrant, coming in at 100 years old, was the late Jimmy Carter; the oldest nominee in the 2025 awards. The former President was also nominated for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording.

The 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on Sunday, February 2, 2025.

The Best Chistmas Campaigns Of 2024

It’s no surprise that Christmas advertising performs well due to the feel-good ‘human truth’ story-telling that brands employ. So let’s take a look at this year’s favourite’s.

AMAZON

In the US, Amazon’s ‘Midnight Opus’ ad tells an uplifting story of a theatre caretaker who usually works behind the scenes. In the ad, Amazon emphasises the joy that a simple act of thoughtfulness can bring to others.

COCA COLA

One of the year’s most talked about ads was Coca Cola’s ‘Holidays are Coming’ because it was AI-generated. Many speculated that AI wouldn’t engage consumers. What do you think?

JOHN LEWIS

In years past, UK department store John Lewis has made some of the most talked about Christmas ads. This year the team chose to start the story in a John Lewis store and then lead viewers on a mysterious journey in search of a gift.

MYER

Closer to home, Myer’s ‘Share the Joy’ ad saw a departure from the tone and style of previous Christmas ads. ‘Share the Joy’ features a naughty Grinch-like character who disturbs the neighbourhood Christmas decorations.

Spotify Trials New Video Features For Audiobooks

In an effort to bring listeners closer to their favorite authors and stories, Spotify will trial three new features (for premium users), which include video clips, author pages and the ability to add visuals that appear while you listen. 

The new ‘follow along’ visual feature aims to provide a more immersive experience, making it feel as if users are flipping through a book with illustrations, photos, and graphics. 

Another interesting feature will be the option for authors, or publishers to submit a short video with the audiobook, such as an interview with the author, or behind-the-scenes footage from the audio recording process.

In addition, new author pages will build upon current artist pages, with dedicated profiles work, and other relevant author information.

The new features are currently live for premium listeners in all markets where Spotify audiobooks are available, including Australia.

The introduction of video clips for audiobooks aligns with Spotify’s ongoing investment in the format, particularly following the launch of music videos and video podcasts.

Digital Audio & Podcast Listener Patterns Similar To Radio

A recent Australian Internet Advertising Revenue Report (IARR), compiled by PwC states that podcast listenership peaks between 7am and 9am, with a smaller spike between 4pm and 6pm. Which of course mirrors radio, or people’s daily commute to and from work.

The IARR report also suggests that we’ve seen a 23.6% increase in podcast and streaming audio ad spends this year.

In fact, the $290 million ad spend has been the mediums fastest growth period since the previous peak of 477.8 million during the December 2023 quarter.

As such, advertisers are increasingly investing in online audio because it remains prevalent in people’s cars, homes, and on portable devices while continuing to deliver both audience trust and accessibility.

Remembering James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones who died on 9 September 2024, will be remembered as an acting icon and master of voice.

An Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe award winner, Jones performed the iconic character voices for the Lion King’s Mufasa, and Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. Jones also famously lent his voice to CNN’s tagline, “This is CNN.”

His first movie appearance came courtesy of the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove. His most memorable film roles included Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Claudine and The Field of Dreams.

James Earl Jones guest stars on Sesame Street Television Studio with children, 1970.

In 1969, Jones participated in making test films for Sesame Street, which were instrumental in what was to become the long running format for the children’s educational series. 

Jones was a once in a generation talent who has left an enormous legacy in American culture.

Latest Audio Listening Trends In The US

Nielsen’s recent audio report suggests that Americans spend almost 20%, or 4 hours and 5 minutes of every day listening to audio.

The research, conducted between April and June, 2024 breaks down people’s time spent listening to audio as follows:

  • 67% of daily listening to ad-supported radio
  • 19% of daily listening to podcasts
  • 11% of daily listening to streaming services
  • 3% of daily listening to satellite ad-free subscription radio

While Americans use radio throughout their day in many different settings, most listening happens outside of the home during daylight hours.

In the car, more than 80% of ad-supported audio time goes to radio. With radio offerings that spread news, culture, music, comedy, sports talk and companionship.

The share of streaming audio is also dynamic when sorted by age. The formats which have a higher share of audience for streaming are spoken word, which are inclusive of News and Sports, and rock-based formats, which include Alternative and Classic Rock.

Among younger listeners (18-34), there is more balance between total share and streaming because these are the most avid audio streamers.

Even with new channels emerging every year, audio remains a cornerstone of the American media diet.

This is particularly true in 2024 with marquee sports and news events like the summer Olympics and presidential election.

As marketers continue to look at where best to engage with audiences in Australia, the report continues to provide great insight into audio’s reach and impact.

What’s The Future of Audio Advertising?

The world of audio advertising is evolving – fast, and 2024 is certainly looking like a bumper year. Worldwide, more consumers are engaging with audio entertainment, bringing the number of monthly average podcast listeners to over 1.7 billion. 

According to YouGov, the number of Brits listening to podcasts for more than six hours a week has doubled since 2019. And, we’re talking about a space that is still very much in its infancy, especially when compared to other advertising segments.

With the dynamic evolution of audio, the future focus also looks set to be housed in personalisation, where it’s anticipated that interactive formats and immersive experiences will foster heightened user engagement and brand retention. So we might not only see ads integrated into playlists, but genres that align with a campaign’s theme or mood. This will of course ensure that ads are not just heard, but contextually relevant to the listener’s location, behaviour and mood.

Beyond 2024, we know that wherever consumers go, advertisers will inevitably follow, so forward-thinking brands will recognise that using digital audio can help them carve out a distinct and personal presence amidst the busy landscape of visual advertising.

Audio Predictions For 2024

As a new year paves the way for more exciting opportunities, what do industry experts predict in the world of audio for 2024?

Increased Recognition From Brands

In 2024, we will see more brands recognise the benefits of audio for brand advertising and just how well audio ads perform in driving brand perceptions. 

Surge in live and interactive content 

In 2024 we might expect to see a surge in live and interactive content, with its sense of community and immediacy that enables users to engage with content creators and fellow listeners in a dynamic way.

Podcast Shake Up

In 2024, it looks like the podcast world is heading for a significant shake-up with Google entering the UK market (with Youtube Podcasts), and Spotify and ACAST looking over their shoulder.

Demand For Digital Audio

The popularity of programmatic audio across podcasts, streaming and radio will continue to grow, enabling advertisers to reach niche audiences specific to their marketing needs, in brand safe environments.

Audio Ads & Gameplay 

In 2024, there will be greater efforts on crafting audio ads that blend seamlessly with the gameplay, enhancing, rather than disrupting immersion in the gaming environment.

 

 

 

 

 

Audio Appeal For Gen Z

So how do brands leverage Gen Z’s move away from scrolling on social media, to listening via audio platforms like Spotify?

As young consumers seek immersive experiences, audio platforms provide a unique opportunity for brands to create memorable connections. 

Consumer spending habits suggest Gen Z are inclined to choose or buy a product from a brand with a sonic identity. 

In Spotify’s Culture Next Report, 50% of Gen Z stated they had a higher amount of trust in podcasts in comparison to traditional media sources such as TV news, radio, and newspapers. 

This suggests that audio marketing’s non-intrusive format, the ability to provide relevant and authentic messaging and the ability to hold a user’s active attention is key in building appealing to Gen Z.

Not bad for a generation that’s said to have a short attention span for advertising.

Spotify Takes On Audible

Spotify is taking on Audible for a share in the growing audiobook market, with the recent announcement that their premium memberships will include 15 hours of access to 150,000 audiobook titles each month.

Today, one third of Australians listen to audiobooks, with many of those listeners new to the format.

Audiobooks can be a lucrative source of income for authors because they offer higher royalty rates than other formats. Audible also commissions original work from local authors.

Experts suggest a greater demand for audiobooks will mean more opportunities for revenue streams because the audio format appeals to a different kind of reader.

Opportunities for revenue from audiobooks also exist away from the major tech platforms.

For example, in March, the Federal government announced an extension to the Public and Educational Lending Rights schemes to include digital content.

This means authors will be paid when public library users borrow the audio version of their book.