Back when tigers used to smoke pipes, there was a guy named Thomas Alva Edison who had an idea for a machine that could turn words into audio. He invented a device called the phonograph. One of the original applications he envisioned was “Phonographic Books.” By using his invention, he wanted to “speak to blind people without efforts on their part.”
The first thing recorded in audio form in the history of mankind was Edison’s recital of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and with that, he started the snowball effect of technological application in literature. It took 55 years after the invention of the phonograph for humans to record their first audiobook, in 1932.
In this version of events, I’ll be talking about how, from a simple “Mary Had a Little Lamb” recital, we evolved into a billion-dollar industry of audiobooks 148 years later. I will discuss the history of audiobooks and how they have risen — and are still rising — rapidly in recent years.
Key Takeaways
- Thomas Edison’s 1877 invention of the phonograph marked the first time human voice could be recorded and played back — laying the groundwork for audiobooks.
- Talking Books emerged in the 1930s to serve the visually impaired, giving the format a purpose before it became a product.
- The audiobook evolved through cassette tapes, CDs, and eventually digital streaming, each era increasing accessibility and reach.
- Today, audiobooks are a multibillion-dollar industry, blending literature, entertainment, and technology.
- Their popularity is driven by modern lifestyles — multitasking, mobility, and the magic of human narration.
A World Without Voice
There was a time when stories only lived in silence — trapped between paper and ink, waiting for eyes to set them free.
Books ruled, and reading was a solitary ritual: eyes scanning lines in lamplight, softly turning pages, voices imagined in head but never heard.
The world had no recorded whispers, no bedtime tales spoken by strangers, no voices echoing through earbuds in the dark.
To listen meant to be present — and to forget meant to lose the moment forever.
That was about to change.
Edison’s Spark (Foresight or Accident?)
Before the audiobook industry became the billion-dollar juggernaut caressing our ears through wireless buds, it all began as static noise — a lone voice engraved in tin foil.
In 1877, Edison’s invention of the phonograph marked the beginning of a new era, allowing the world to explore countless possibilities.
People of that time would’ve argued:
How could a recorded voice have any impact on the world?
But 148 years later, here we are — and I wouldn’t be wrong if I said that the recording business has made not just billions, but trillions of dollars if we consider every other recording industry like music, audiobooks, radio, television, etc.
Edison himself didn’t know how important his invention would become in the years to come, with the simple recital of a nursery rhyme called “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” He accidentally lit the fuse for an entire storytelling revolution.
That tiny moment — a simple recording of a nursery rhyme — was like the first snowflake landing quietly on a hill. It didn’t make much noise, and no one gave it much thought. But over time, that small beginning picked up speed. It grew, like a snowball rolling downhill, until it became something massive: the audiobook industry we know today. And the wild part? Not even Edison could’ve predicted where that first recording would lead.
(I sometimes wonder whether ancient Sumerians had this kind of tech evolved for them. If they did, there surely would’ve been some custom audiobook creation service providers making life easier for them too!)
Talking Books and the 1930s Leap
Our snowball rolled on — not by market forces, but by compassion.
In the 1930s, amidst the Depression Era, with despair and shadows of World War I on the horizon, a new kind of audio tech began to take root. No matter how absurd or unlikely it sounds on our planet, it didn’t start for profit or fame — but for those who could no longer read. For those who didn’t want to rely on braille or someone else to read their books for them.
Enter the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), shaking hands with the Library of Congress, forging what was then called “Talking Books.” The motive behind this wasn’t novelty or fame — it was compassion, and compassion only, to help those in need.
With this leap, the phonographs began whispering in silent rooms. Books began to speak to the blind, breaking the chains of helplessness and the despair of visual loss with soothing human voices.
Momentum and Mutation – Cassette Ribbons to Laser Light
In the history of audiobooks, the snowball which started as a flake from Edison’s phonograph began to gain the much-awaited momentum and rhythm.
With the arrival of the 1950s, “Talking Books” shed their cocoon of fragility and embraced mobility. The invention of the phonograph was a big deal, but to use it, you had to be confined to your home or quarters, with shellac discs rotating in circles again and again.
With the arrival of cassette tapes and their players, people could now play their audio anywhere — in cars, parks, wherever they pleased. What started as “Talking Books” now became “Books on Tape.” But wait — there was another winner in this who’s rarely thanked: the lac bug, whose resin was used to make shellac discs. Now, no longer did it need to sacrifice its life for people in need.
As time leapt to the ’80s and ’90s, just like shellac discs, the dusk of cassette tapes arrived. In their place came something more compact, shiny, and laser-etched — Compact Discs, or CDs.
With this advancement, the sound became clearer, crisper, and navigation became easier. Every library, bookstore, and even airport kiosk began to carry audiobooks in their arsenal.
Ever wonder what would happen if every best audiobook creation service provider ceased to exist? Would we have as many audiobooks in the market as we do now?
Streaming, Smartphones, and a Billion-Dollar Roar
With the start of the third millennium, the Y2K era began. Many future legends were born that year.
And as for our snowball — it had lost all its chill. In history of Audiobooks, it wasn’t rolling anymore. It was racing, pulsing through fiber optic veins, no longer bound by plastic or shelf space. The rise of smartphones, streaming platforms, and apps like Audible, Spotify, and Scribd turned every idle moment into a listening opportunity.
For the first time in audiobook history, listeners could carry entire bookshelves in their pockets, waiting to be played anytime, anywhere.
Stories became portable universes — summoned at a single tap. Celebrities lent their voices. Multi-cast performances, ambient soundtracks, and immersive productions blurred the line between audiobook and cinema.
And as storytelling evolved, so did the business.
From a niche format born in the shadows of accessibility, audiobooks became a juggernaut. By 2024, the global audiobook market swelled to $8.7 billion — and it’s not slowing. Projections aim for $35 billion by 2030.
That’s not a whisper. It’s a thunderclap.
Conclusion: The Story That Keeps Speaking
The journey from Edison’s fragile foil to today’s AI-narrated odysseys isn’t just a tale of tech — it’s a story about how deeply we crave connection.
A voice in our ear isn’t just convenient. It’s comforting. It’s ancestral.
From sacred scrolls read aloud in ancient courts to today’s Bluetooth-synced epics, we’ve always listened — and now, more than ever, we can. With that we also got audiobook creation services on the rise.
The snowball never stops. It just changes shape and continues to evolve to become greater and better.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Who invented the first audiobook?
A: While Edison created the first sound recording device, the first true audiobooks were developed in the 1930s by the American Foundation for the Blind as “Talking Books.”
Q2: When did audiobooks become popular for the public?
A: Audiobooks entered the mainstream during the cassette era (1970s–1980s), but their explosion in popularity came with the rise of CDs in the ’90s and digital streaming in the 2000s.
Q3: How big is the audiobook industry today?
A: As of 2024, it’s worth around $8.7 billion, with projections aiming for $35 billion by 2030.
Q4: What makes audiobooks so popular now?
A: They’re portable, fit into busy lifestyles, and offer a more personal, emotional experience than text alone — thanks to skilled narrators and immersive production.
Q5: Are AI-narrated audiobooks a thing?
A: Yes, they’re on the rise — especially for indie and educational titles. But for now, the warmth of a human voice still rules the bestseller charts.