Aural Pleasures : Audiobooks.com Reveals That More Men Are Picking Up a Passion for Erotic Audio
TORONTO, February 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
- More men are now listening to erotic audiobooks, with a study showing that 25 per cent of Fifty Shades of Grey downloads are by males
- Commuting hours are the most popular times for people to listen to erotica
- Audiobooks.com found that over one in ten (13 per cent) of their users are downloading erotica
With powerful protagonists such as Christian Grey, erotic literature could be perceived to be a female-dominated space. However, a new analysis of Audiobooks.com data has revealed a rising number of men listening to erotica. In 2017, almost a third (32 per cent) of erotic audiobooks were downloaded by men, up from 30 per cent in 2016 and 24 per cent in 2015.
Thanks to the success of titles such as Fifty Shades of Grey and Entwined With You, the genre has become increasingly popular in recent years. Audiobooks.com data shows that one in eight users (13 per cent) are downloading erotica, with the most popular time to listen to these racy stories being during commuting hours. Audiobooks.com mined the data within its erotica category to find that books within this genre are more likely to be listened to during the hours of 8-10am and 4-6pm.
The fact that listeners are not being judged by the cover of their book has almost certainly boosted the accessibility of erotica beyond its usual readership. In the past three years, a quarter (25 per cent) of Fifty Shades of Grey downloads were downloaded by men. Other titles that proved particularly popular among male listeners include Backstage Pass, 'a sizzling mix of sex, love and rock 'n' roll', and Touch Me Gently, the story of a cowboy romance.
Meanwhile, popular pleasures with the ladies include the renowned Fifty Shades, Reflected in You, the story of a beautiful but damaged lover, and Beautiful Bastard, the tale of a racy work romance.
Erotic audiobook % of female listeners % of male listeners Fifty Shades of Grey 75% 25% Touch Me Gently 75% 25% Rock Me 73% 23% Backstage Pass 56% 44% Dominated 93% 7% Bared to You 91% 9% Reflected in You 89% 11% Entwined With You 85% 15% Beautiful Bastard 82% 18% Naked: The Blackstone Affair 85% 15%
Ian Small, CEO, Audiobooks.com commented: "There is clearly an appetite for erotica amongst both men and women and it's funny to think that, unbeknown to fellow passengers, people are listening to these books during their commutes. That's one of the great things about audiobooks - you can plug in and listen to whatever you like without revealing what you're listening to! We'll keep expanding our range of titles as interest continues to grow."
Notes to Editors
The study is based on Audiobooks.com user data, looking at the type of books downloaded, the time they are listened to and the popularity of the erotica genre, from the beginning of 2015 to year-end 2017.
About Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks.com, an RBmedia company, is a market-leading streaming and download service for audiobooks, delivering fast and easy access to over 100,000 titles globally to booklovers via the free Audiobooks.com app for Apple and Android. The service can be used at home on Sonos or tvOS, and in-car on CarPlay, Android Auto and with the infotainment systems in select Land Rover and Jaguar vehicles. The company's proprietary technology synchronizes users' last listened-to position across all devices, creating a seamless user experience.
Please contact Jemma Wolfe at jwolfe@audiobooks.com, +1-905-634-7507 x121.
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