In New York City’s Riverside Park at Morningside Heights, April. Image – Getty: M Doculus
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Trade Digital Audio Was Down 12.5 Percent in April
In its April StatShot report, released this morning (June 24), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) cites total revenues across all categories down 4.0 percent over April 2024.
Year-to-date revenues, the AAP reports, were down 0.2 percent at US$4.1 billion.
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the AAP’s numbers reflect reported revenue for tracked categories including trade (consumer books); religious presses; higher education course materials; and professional publishing.
From discussion provided in the April report, it’s clear that one of the things some readers will notice most quickly is that, as the report’s authors put it, “The growth trend of digital audio ended [in April], decreasing 12.5 percent year over year; however, it has increased 1.2 percent year-to-date.”
Also, we note, “While paperback net sales declined 3.8 percent in April 2025, when compared to April 2024, hardback sales increased 2.6 percent. Year-to-date, paperback sales declined 7.1 percent and hardback sales increased 4.4 percent.”
In adult books, net sales reportedly decreased 4.7 percent in April compared to the previous year and 2.4 percent year-to-date. Fiction net sales in adult books declined 4.0 percent, while nonfiction remained relatively flat with a decrease of 0.4 percent.
In children’s and young-adult books, net sales increased 5.7 percent in April 2025 compared to April 2024 and are up 1.0 percent year-to-date. Year-to-date, fiction in children’s books and YA have remained flat with a 0.0-percent change, while nonfiction increased 6.0 percent.”
Trade Revenues
Year-Over-Year Numbers
Trade revenues were down 2.7 percent in April at $734.1 million.
Image: Association of American Publishers
In print formats:
- Hardback revenues were up 2.6 percent, coming in at $273.5 million
- Paperbacks were down 3.8 percent, with $251.9 million in revenue
- Mass market was up 31.9 percent to $10.4 million
- Special bindings were down 14.5 percent, with $12.4 million in revenue
In digital formats:
- Ebook revenues were up 0.3 percent for the month as compared to April 2024 for a total of $84.8 million
- The much-watched digital audio format, as we’ve mentioned, down 12.5 percent for April, coming in at $83.1 million in revenue
- Physical audio was down 47.1 percent, coming in at $400,000
Year-to-Date Numbers
Year-to-date, the industry’s trade revenues were down 1.3 percent at $2.9 billion for the first four months of the year.
In print formats:
- Hardback revenues were up 4.4 percent, coming in at $1.1 billion
- Paperbacks were down 7.1 percent, with $991.2 million in revenue
- Mass market was down 17.8 percent to $31.1 million
- Special bindings were down 6.3 percent, with $58.1 million in revenue
In digital formats:
- Ebook revenues were up 3.5 percent as compared to the first four months of 2024 for a total of $355.6 million
- The digital audio format was up 1.2 percent, coming in at $328.1 million in revenue
- Physical audio was down 38.9 percent, coming in at $1.6 million
Religious Press Performance
Year-Over-Year Numbers
Religious press revenues were down 10.2 percent in April, coming in at $61.5 million.
- Hardback revenues were down 7.2 percent to $37.6 million in revenue
- Paperback revenues were down 18.5 percent to $10.4 million
- Ebook revenues were down 6.6 percent, coming in at $4.0 million
Year-to-Date Numbers
On a year-to date basis, religious press revenues were up 0.4 percent, at $283.7 million.
- Hardback revenues were up 1.8 percent at $173.2 million in revenue
- Paperback revenues were down 4.0 percent to $52.3 million
- Ebook revenues were down 11.6 percent at $17.2 million
Education
During April 2025, revenues from higher education course materials were $80.8 million, up 2.8 percent, compared with April 2024, while year-to-date higher education was $828.1 million, up 7.6 percent compared to the first four months of 2024.
Professional Books
Professional books, including business, medical, law, technical and scientific, were up 3.4 percent during the month, coming in at $38.2 million.
Year-to-date professional books revenues were $143.2 million, down 3.7 percent as compared to the first four months of 2024.
About the AAP StatShot Reports
AAP StatShot’s boilerplate about its methodology says that the program “reports the monthly and yearly net revenue of publishing houses from US sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct-to-consumer, online retailers, and other channels. StatShot draws revenue data from approximately 1,300 publishers, although participation may fluctuate slightly from report to report.
“StatShot reports are designed to give ongoing revenue snapshots across publishing sectors using the best data currently available. The reports reflect participants’ most recent reported revenue for current and previous periods, enabling readers to compare revenue on both a month-to-month and year-to-year basis within a given StatShot report.
“Monthly and yearly StatShot reports may not align completely across reporting periods, because: (a) the pool of StatShot participants may fluctuate from report to report; and (b) as with any business, it’s common accounting practice for publishing houses to update and restate their previously reported revenue data. If, for example, a business learns that its revenues were greater in a given year than its reports first indicated, it will restate the revenues in subsequent reports to AAP, permitting AAP in turn to report information that is more accurate than previously reported.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on industry statistics is here. More on the Association of American Publishers is here, more of our coverage of AAP StatShot reports is here, and more on the US market is here.