Hinge Releases Audiobook Celebrating 'No Ordinary Love'

Hinge is breaking into the audiobook industry.

As part of its No Ordinary Love marketing campaign, which first launched in 2024, the company has released an audiobook, featuring the stories of five real-life couples. 

This series has been created to turn user’s love stories into literary formats – first as a Zine in 2024, and then a limited-edition hardcover book drop in 2025.

The latest audiobook iteration comes as the audiobook industry grows, with Spotify revealing in May that its audiobook listening hours were up 60% year-over year.

“No Ordinary Love has always celebrated the real stories behind relationships. This year, we focused on the conversations that move those relationships forward – the moments where someone asks the question, sends the text, or finally says the hard thing out loud,” says Tamika Young, Hinge’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. 

“These stories were meant to be heard, and an audiobook gave us the opportunity to bring listeners into those moments – to hear the pauses, the hesitation, and everything that happens just before someone finally says it.”

Romance on the rise

Readership of romance fiction is on the rise – particularly within Hinge’s Gen Z target audience. 

According to YouGov, romance is the most popular genre read by 18-29 year olds – with online communities like BookTok contributing to its rise. 

By exploring real user’s stories through this format, Hinge says it is looking to meet its audience where they are – with the company exploring a range of dating stories through the format, from a first date to conversations around exclusivity. 

This sits within Hinge’s wider ‘designed to be deleted’ brand platform, which focuses on long-term relationships through prompt-based profiles and more intentional matching.

Dating app marketing

Dating apps as a whole have been going through a bit of a rebrand in recent years. 

Tinder, for instance, recently released its first brand refresh in close to a decade, which the company says was designed to better reflect the Gen Z dating landscape. 

This rebrand included a new all-caps logo, a new brand typeface and copywriting that is inspired by 90s dating advice columnists. Designed by Porto Rocha, this new look was created to shift Tinder towards a more editorial, premium style.

Hinge, meanwhile, has been focused on exploring authenticity in modern dating alongside its No Ordinary Love campaign. 

In May, the company released ‘Can’t Believe we Met on Hinge’ – a short-film series featuring real couples who discuss their emotional mindsets before meeting someone on the dating app. 

“Dating can be deeply challenging, and right now a lot of people are feeling that. There’s a real desire to see love stories that reflect the honesty of that experience,” Tamika said. “Can’t Believe We Met on Hinge captures the emotional ups and downs of dating today, while still holding onto a sense of hope for what’s possible. 

“When people see authentic stories and the conversations it sparks across communities, it helps them feel less alone in the process and reminds them that love can still happen.”