The benefits of audiobooks go beyond entertainment. Here are ten ways audiobooks can boost your emotional and physical health—all you need to do is press play. Need some listening inspiration? Check out these bookseller-recommended audiobooks.
Audiobooks are as good for your brain as reading physical books
Don’t let anyone tell you that listening to audiobooks is cheating. Discover noted that “in a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the Gallant Lab at UC Berkeley scanned the brains of nine participants while they read and listened. . . Looking at the brain scans and data analysis, the researchers saw that the stories stimulated the same cognitive and emotional areas, regardless of their medium.” Whether you’re reading print books or audiobooks, you’re still absorbing information effectively. Plus, for people with dyslexia or other disabilities, audiobooks can also be an essential tool to access literature. They open up the same stories, the same ideas, and the same worlds that print readers enjoy.
And audiobooks help reduce stress
“In 2024, 1 in 2 children and young people said that listening to audio helped them feel better when they were stressed or anxious,” notes the National Literacy Trust. And a widely cited study from the University of Sussex found that just six minutes of reading lowers stress levels by up to 68% – more effective than listening to music, drinking tea, or even taking a walk.
Whether you’re working through a thriller on your commute or letting a memoir carry you somewhere else entirely, pressing play is one of the easiest ways to decompress.
Audiobooks help reduce negative thinking
Audiobooks have the power to boost our moods and disrupt negative thinking patterns. Psychology Today notes that for “those of us prone to anxiety and depression . . . listening to someone else read aloud can help by replacing negative thoughts with something else.” So whether you’re enjoying non-fiction or fiction, it’s a way to relax and refocus your mind.
Audiobooks build empathy and connection
The National Literacy Trust also found that audiobooks helped 55% of adults feel “more connected to the world.” Books are not just mirrors, but they are windows and doors, challenging us to go beyond our personal experiences, practice empathy, and think critically. A skilled narrator who captures a character’s voice, dialect, or emotional state makes the experience more immersive and can deepen your perspective-taking in ways that stick with you long after the story ends.
And they build community: More and more, folks are gathering over a shared love of audiobooks. From audiobook walks to book clubs to silent reading parties, audiobooks are a great way to meet new people and form a bond over a shared love! And these days, community is more important than ever.
Audiobooks improve focus and benefit your brain
Because audiobooks can immerse you in a different world, they encourage imagination and critical thinking. “Of adults who listen to audiobooks…more than 7 in 10 felt that audiobooks helped keep their brain stimulated.” —National Literacy Trust.
And, in a world of infinite scrolling and short-form content, following a long-form narrative is its own kind of mental training. Tracking a plot, absorbing an argument, or staying with a single narrator for hours at a time builds sustained attention in a way that few other media formats can match. Regular audiobook listeners often find that their ability to concentrate – both on stories and on other tasks – improves over time.
Which brings us to…
Audiobooks give your eyes a (much needed) break…
Most Americans spend over seven hours a day looking at digital screens, which can lead to blurred vision, eye strain, and long-term vision problems like nearsightedness. On top of that, studies have suggested that there’s a link between social media use and feelings of loneliness and depression—another reason to put an audiobook on and the phone down.
…which directly impacts our sleep
The blue light from screens is a disruption to our circadian rhythm, which makes nodding off at night difficult. Listening to an audiobook allows your eyes and mind to relax while ushering in a good night of sleep. Many listeners keep a slow-paced audiobook specifically for bedtime – something calming enough to usher in sleep without keeping you wired.
And if you drift off mid-chapter? You’re not missing the point. You’re using audiobooks exactly the way they were meant to be used. (And on the Libro.fm app, we have a sleep-timer to help!)
Audiobooks build crucial listening and literacy skills
According to the Audio Publishers Association, audiobooks help “build and enhance vital literacy skills such as fluency, vocabulary, language acquisition, pronunciation, phonemic awareness, and comprehension—skills that often boost reading scores.” For young readers or struggling readers, audiobooks can offer the same opportunities to explore language that physical books provide. (Need some audiobook recommendations for kids? Head to our Kids page to get started.)
The National Literacy Trust notes that “audiobooks can help develop reading skills, such as decoding and comprehension,” as well as critical thinking. By engaging listening skills, readers enhance their ability to process information and build a more robust vocabulary. For reluctant readers or those learning a second language, audiobooks can improve comprehension skills and introduce new words in context, enhancing both understanding and retention.
Audiobooks help people read more—and more people read
Being able to read while driving, doing household chores, or exercising is one of the greatest benefits of audiobooks. Multitasking becomes easier when you pair activities like commuting, cleaning, or cooking with a good book. Listening to audiobooks while doing these tasks transforms mundane activities into more enjoyable moments.
Plus, audiobooks in general encourage more folks to read—whether because they can’t get into physical books, aren’t able to read print or ebooks, or for any other reason!
Audiobooks immerse you in another world
Psychology Today cites audio as “one of the most intimate forms of media—listeners work together with the narrator and author to create mental pictures of situations and characters. Audiobooks can captivate the imagination, allowing listeners to create a whole world at once within and outside themselves.” Listening to a narrator’s voice, complete with intonations and sometimes even sound effects, can captivate the imagination and transport listeners to another world. It’s one of the most engaging forms of media for reluctant readers or anyone needing a mental break from daily stress. Whether it’s fiction, memoirs, or book club picks, there’s always an audiobook to help you unwind. (P. S. Need tips on making a cozy space for reading and listening? Check out this post on how to create the perfect book nook.)
Support indie bookshops every time you listen
When you listen through Libro.fm, you support independent bookshops with every purchase. We share our profits with local bookstores across the country – so you can keep your neighborhood bookseller in business while you listen. With over 600,000 audiobooks in our catalog across 100+ languages, and 4,000+ partner bookshops to choose from, there’s always something great waiting for you.
Learn more
My favorite way to wind down before bedtime!
I couldn’t agree more! Thank you, Michelle. Coming up to 2000 narrations, now. I love hearing from listeners. Their comments are so important to me. We’re alone together all the time.
I am quite excited to start hearing stories and meditation material. I also see several choices for my grandkids.
Hi, Sue! You can find bestselling audiobooks in multiple genres here: https://libro.fm/bestsellers
Audiobooks are saving me right now. I’ve always loved my book club with women friends, but now my husband and I have a book club too. Long car rides, sure, but also morning or evening walks. Kids love being read to, and adults crave that comfort too. Especially now. I wrote about this in the June 1 Publishers Weekly Soapbox. I even tout Libro.fm. (My novel Speed of Life is an audiobook read by Kristin Condon.)
So what are the 18 things one can do while listening to an audiobook?
Multitasking blurs the line and makes us crazy?
Hi Gretchen! Here’s our blog post on the 18 things you can do while listening: https://librofmblog.mystagingwebsite.com/18-things-to-do-while-you-listen-to-an-audiobook/
Happy listening!
I have listened to audio books for 25 years. I started when I had a 35 mile commute and got tired of the sameness of the radio. As a quilter I was soon tuned in when sewing. I have made many, many quilts while listening to books. I had checked out audio books, 5 and 6 at a time from the library for many years. Covid put a crimp in my habit.
Hi, Mem! Thanks for sharing, and sorry to hear about the complications surrounding COVID.
My profession is mainly travels, while travelling, reading books made my eyes tired. This information helped me a lot.
I listen to audiobooks while doing laundry (especially while folding), and even while I’m at work doing tedious chores. It helps the time pass and I’m learning, too.
I have recent vision loss and reading print has become difficult and tiring. I’m so glad I already have a membership here and a collection of audio books! (I love to listen while I go for a walk!)