Audiobooked: The audio revenue stream scripted producers haven't unlocked yet
Brock Media founder Sarah Brocklehurst on making Pride and Prejudice for Audible
Brock Media’s Sarah Brocklehurst is one of the UK’s most respected indie film producers, but in between the long years waiting to get features off the ground, even movie producers need a side hustle.
In Brocklehurst’s case, the “side hustle” involves making Amazon-owned audio giant Audible’s biggest audiobook production to date, its 2025 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
But as Brocklehurst tells The Indie Hustle this week, making the leap from film and television into audiobooks is something that any inventive producer is capable of.
“It’s all very transferable,” says Brocklehurst. “If you can script edit something episodic and if you have relationships with writers and an idea that could be suited to audio, you should be able to pitch it.”
The timing couldn’t be better. The audiobook industry has been on a steady growth trajectory in the UK. NielsenIQ data revealed in March that audiobook purchases rose by 5% in 2025, and revenue was up 11% to just over £270 million. Among audiobook platforms, Audible is the market leader, followed by Spotify.
With more than a third of listeners active in the space for more than three years, the market is said to be maturing, which means that companies such as Audible are upping the ante on their offerings to customers. Brock Media’s Pride and Prejudice had an all-star cast including Harris Dickinson, Marisa Abela, Bill Nighy and Glenn Close, and the company’s second Audible project, Heathcliff, starred Daryl McCormack.
While Brock’s primary focus will always be film and TV, Brocklehurst echoes what podcast experts such as Steve Ackerman have previously told The Indie Hustle: “If you can make film and TV, the likelihood is you can make audio.”
However, diversifying into audio didn’t just happen for Brock: Brocklehurst first executed a careful strategy that involved self-financing a pair of podcasts.
Read on to find out:
How Brock Media self-financed its own proof of concept for audio platforms
Why partnerships in podcasting can help break into an unknown field
Why casting and scheduling can be easier on audiobooks
The budget ranges for premium productions
Why now is a good time to approach giants like Audible