Harry Potter fans might want to brush up on their “Accio!” and “Sonorous!” spells in anticipation of the all-new, full-cast English-language audiobook recordings of J.K. Rowling’s original seven novels, which will be available exclusively on Audible beginning in late 2025.
On April 25, Pottermore Publishing, global digital publisher of works from the Wizarding World, and Audible, leading creator and provider of audio storytelling, announced that they are co-producing new recordings of the seven Potter stories performed by an ensemble cast of more than 100 voice actors and featuring an immersive listening experience enhanced by an original score, real-world sound capture, and sound design in Dolby Atmos. A 20-second announcement video contains Easter eggs for eagle-eyed viewers and showcases the kind of sound design listeners can look forward to.
The full-cast edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone audiobook is scheduled for global release in late 2025, and the subsequent audiobooks will follow sequentially into early 2026. The new productions will join the iconic, award-winning single-voice English-language recordings by Jim Dale (North American version) and Stephen Fry (U.K. version) as complementary elements of the Potter audio universe, offering listeners different ways to enjoy the stories.
First published by Listening Library during the era of Pottermania in 1999, Dale’s recordings set numerous U.S. audiobook sales records. In 2003, Dale entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the most individual character voices for an audiobook (134 for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and 146 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)—a record that has since been broken by Roy Dotrice for creating 224 voices for A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin). Dale won two Grammys and received seven Grammy nominations for his work on the series.
Digital audiobook editions of the Dale and Fry productions debuted on Audible in November 2015. Since then, they’ve racked up a combined 1.4 billion global listening hours on the platform.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with Audible on what will be a groundbreaking audio edition of the beloved Harry Potter stories,” Neil Blair, chairman of Pottermore Publishing, said of the new project. “J.K. Rowling’s storytelling lends itself perfectly to the application of new audiobook technologies, and we’re certain this sophisticated, immersive audio experience will not only add a new listening dimension for existing fans but will introduce a whole new generation of listeners to the wizarding world.”
Bob Carrigan, CEO of Audible, said: “With millions upon millions of Audible listeners devouring Harry Potter at an astonishing rate, we are thrilled about the opportunity to be part of this next chapter—delighting new and old fans alike with a reinvigorated listening experience that Audible is expertly positioned to create.”
