In 2021, OverDrive reported (January 2022) 506 million downloads globally. A 55% increase on that would put the 2023 numbers at over 780 million, which is so far off the scale as to be improbable,
OverDrive clocked over a half million digital library downloads last year, and a December report on the most popular books suggest 2023 was pretty good too.
We should hear about the full 2023 numbers early in January, but the brief report this month made a comparison with 2021, not 2022, suggesting maybe OverDrive’s impressive growth has plateaued.
“Since 2021,” says OverDrive, “North American public libraries have seen a 55 percent increase in ebook and audiobook checkouts to hundreds of millions in 2023. Audiobooks experienced a significant growth in circulation this year alone, increasing by more than 22 percent, continuing its meteoric rise in popularity over the past decade. Digital magazine checkouts also grew in 2023 by more than 65 percent, due in large part with the expanded selection as well as Libby’s recent one-tap magazine checkout feature.”
In 2021, OverDrive reported (January 2022) 506 million downloads globally. A 55% increase on that would put the 2023 numbers at over 780 million, which is so far off the scale as to be improbable, so we’ll need to wait a few more weeks to see just what 2023 had to offer.
Meanwhile OverDrive has shared its most downloaded authors, which no-one will be surprised to see includes Colleen Hoover, Rebecca Yarros and Prince Harry.
