Audible brings audio storytelling to 15,000 underrepresented young people

Audible launches Imagine Louder, its first global initiative bringing audio storytelling to 15,000 young people from underrepresented communities

• Three UK youth organisations selected for Audible’s new community-centred model, bringing audio storytelling into youth centres, mental health programmes, book clubs and more. 

• 15,000 young people to receive free Audible Premium memberships within three years, with access to more than 180,000 hours of audio content per membership at launch. 

• The UK launch builds on Audible’s pilot programme with the National Literacy Trust, taking the approach nationwide to sustain National Year of Reading momentum beyond 2026.

Audible, a leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, today announced the launch of Imagine Louder, a new global initiative designed to fuel imagination, discovery and a love of listening among young people by bringing audio storytelling into their communities and spaces. At launch, Imagine Louder will provide free six-month Audible Premium memberships to 15,000 young people across its first three years, offering access to more than 180,000 hours of audio content per membership.

The first cohort includes seven nonprofit organisations across the UK, US and Mexico, with three UK organisations – VICTA, Be Free Campaign and Exodus Youth Worx UK – selected to receive up to £80,000 grant funding between them, alongside support to integrate audio storytelling into their existing programmes for underrepresented young people aged 12–18. Imagine Louder is Audible's first global programme leveraging its core service for social good, with plans to expand to additional countries in the coming years. 

Rather than simply providing access to audiobooks, Imagine Louder is a community-centred model that gives organisations the funding and flexibility to make audio storytelling part of the work they already do - from mental health programming to book clubs, youth centres and creative workshops, indicating just how versatile audio is as a tool for youth engagement and development.

The UK launch follows a pilot with the National Literacy Trust, as part of Audible’s ongoing collaboration with the charity. In the pilot, which reached over 1,000 students across the country, every teacher surveyed reported that the programme encouraged students to listen to more audiobooks. The approach addresses a clear challenge identified in the National Literacy Trust’s 2026 research, which found that reading enjoyment drops from 46.9% among children aged 8–11 to just 29.5% among those aged 11–14. 

One teacher said the programme “introduced books to some of my students that they thought might have been too advanced for them, as well as some who never read for pleasure before”. Now, Imagine Louder brings the approach into community settings, as Audible looks to sustain momentum from the National Year of Reading beyond 2026.

Aisha Glover, Global Head of Urban Innovation at Audible, said: “The National Year of Reading has started an important conversation, and it should build a commitment that continues for years to come. If we want to build a lasting love of stories among young people, we need to think differently about how and where we reach them - particularly those who lack access and opportunity. Through Imagine Louder, we’re putting that belief into practice, bringing stories directly into the communities and spaces where young people already are.”

The three UK organisations will bring the model to different communities. VICTA a prominent charity focused exclusively on blind or partially sighted children and young adults. It will build on its Beyond the Book Club for blind or partially sighted young people, using shared audiobooks and creative responses to stories.  

Be Free Campaign is a six-year-old charity focused on early intervention mental health support for young people. It will introduce Audible titles into its youth mental health programmes across Manchester, Liverpool and the Northwest, alongside listening sessions and book clubs. 

Exodus Youth Worx UK is a grassroots youth development organization in Enfield, one of the most economically divided boroughs in London. It will embed listening into its youth centre provision, creating dedicated listening spaces, interactive workshops, and in-person sessions led by young leaders from their community.

The need for greater access to stories is clear. According to the United Nations, six in 10 children globally cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10, while 61% of children from low-income households do not own a single book, according to the World Literacy Foundation. Against this backdrop, research has highlighted the significant potential of audiobooks to support vocabulary, reading comprehension and struggling readers. 

Imagine Louder is led by Audible's Global Center for Urban Innovation, which spearheads the company's social and economic impact initiatives around the world. Imagine Louder sits within the company’s Imagination Next focus area, which works to expand opportunities for young people around the world. Last year Audible invested $3.3 million across 27 social impact programmes in 12 countries, positively impacting more than 1,000 young people and supporting over 660 emerging creators worldwide.