in this article
- how audiobooks work
- how to listen to an audiobook
- are audiobooks for you?
- where to get audiobooks
- best audiobooks to start with
“Publishers are adapting nonfiction and graphic novels by using audio soundscapes to fill in what might be missed without pictures,” says michele cobb, executive director of the audio publishers association (apa), which reported a seventh consecutive year of double-digit growth in the audio publishing space. “We’re seeing full cast performances with sound effects and music becoming a bigger part of the landscape.” some authors skip print entirely and write exclusive audio content for the amazon-owned audible.
how audiobooks work: a brief history
After Thomas Edison created the first spoken-word phonograph record in 1877, he predicted that technology might one day allow books to be heard “with great benefit and amusement to the lady or gentleman whose eyes and hands can be employed otherwise.”
You are reading: How to use audio books
“The advantages of such books over print are too easily seen to mention,” he wrote in the American view. “Such books would be heard where none are now read.” edison probably couldn’t have predicted how popular the medium would become: deloitte predicts the global audiobook market will grow to $3.5 billion by 2020 (a 25 percent increase), on top of apa’s record growth claims.
Talking books first emerged in 1932 when the American Foundation for the Blind began creating books on vinyl for blind soldiers of war and blind civilians who could not read braille. In 1952, Caedmon Records became the first company dedicated to selling spoken word records to the public, according to NPR. His first release, a collection of poems by Dylan Thomas, was narrated by the author. In 2008, the Library of Congress credited that recording with “launching the audiobook industry in the United States.”
how to listen to an audiobook vs. a print book or an e-book
The evolution of the talking book mirrors innovations in the music industry: books on tape replaced audiobooks on vinyl, compact discs and smartphones replaced everything else. As the audiobook industry flourishes, so does the number of ways you can listen to audiobooks with apps for smartphones, iPads, desktops, and Kindles from Amazon, Google, and Apple – all vying for a piece of the thriving industry. .
Scholars have studied the differences in comprehension between reading a book and listening to it. one study concluded that, “for the average reader”, the two elicited “comparable text comprehension and retention”. But why introduce audiobooks as a replacement for print in the first place? Audio often doesn’t compete with time spent on books, with people listening while driving or during exercise, when reading a physical book is impossible.
Are audiobooks for you?
If you like books, the answer is yes. if you like to read but don’t like to read a real book or don’t have the time or space to do so, double yes. Matthew Rubery, author of “The Untold Story of the Talking Book,” argues that audiobooks really are for everyone.
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“Audiobooks are for people who hate to read and for those of us who love to read,” rubery writes, “Audiobooks are for people who can’t read and people who can’t read enough.” /p>
where to get audiobooks
Most audiobooks are available to listen to on your smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, and desktop or laptop. how you listen to audiobooks mostly depends on the device you have and your access to apps on it. Both apple and android devices will allow you to access virtually all audiobook apps.
If you’re wondering where to get audiobooks, again you’re spoiled for choice. most online sellers will allow you to listen to the audiobook on more than one device. Plus, most Audiobook Collection subscriptions allow for free trials. this allows you to get audiobooks online for free (for a while), which is a good way to see for yourself if it’s worth it.
Here are some of the leading services in the space and what you need to know before you take advantage of them.
audible from amazon
how it works: audible offers audiobooks on virtually any device that has the audible app. you can access audiobooks through one-time purchases or an optional subscription. titles range from self-help and relationships and biographies to literature and fiction.
Getting Started: An Audible trial membership gives you a free 30-day trial, after which the subscription costs $14.95 per month. During those 30 days, you get one audiobook and two Audible Original Audiobooks for free, which is a way to listen to books online for free before settling in between. subsequently, you get those three options each month. If you’re a fan of romance and love stories, Audible’s Escape Membership is a little more affordable at $12.95 a month ($6.95 if you’re an Audible member) and gives you unlimited access to genre favorites. And if you’re wondering, you can also gift an Audible subscription.
books, audiobooks and scribd magazines
how it works: scribd offers an unlimited subscription to books and audiobooks for $9.99 per month, covering categories like science & amp; technology, lifestyle and fiction. and is available on virtually any device that has the scribd app. You don’t have the option to buy on-offs here, but you may not need it, considering the huge selection and endless reading and listening potential.
Getting Started: scribd also offers a 30-day free trial, allowing for another option for finding free audiobooks online, during which you can sample their libraries’ unlimited selection.
look for other audiobook options
- apple books
- google play books
- kobo
- walmart audiobooks
- overdrive libby
- audiobooks.com
best audiobooks to start with
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If you’re on the hunt for your next audiobook or hesitant about trying out the world of audiobooks, it’s a good idea to start with audiobooks that are much more satisfying in their spoken iteration.
1. “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11” by Garrett M. graffiti
michele cobb of apa recently wrapped up this audie award nominee, calling it a “truly impressive listen” and a great example of just how “impactful” an audiobook can be.
“Hearing details in a multitude of voices made me a little emotional,” says cobb. “At separate points, my husband and daughter walked into the room where I had the speaker and stayed for a long time because they, too, were immediately drawn into the experience.”
2. harry potter and the philosopher’s stone by j.k rowling
Veteran Broadway actor Jim Dale narrated all seven books in the Harry Potter series, totaling 117 hours and 4 minutes of reading time. he created more than 200 voices to capture the iconic characters, as well as the magic, tragedy and comedy of the source material. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone gave Dale the first of his five Grammy nominations for narrating the series.
3. “becoming” by michelle obama
A deeply honest memoir, the 19-hour audiobook becomes more powerful, inspiring and intimate as former First Lady Michelle Obama narrates her own work. The audiobook has become Penguin Random House’s “fastest-selling” book, according to The Guardian and, at time of publication, is ranked third in Amazon’s “Most Read” category.
4. “the goldfinch” by donna tartt
There is something truly wonderful about the way David Pittu narrates Donna Tartt’s magnum opus, deftly blending vivid characters, engaging language, and breathtaking suspense. pittu’s ability to inhabit each character is amazing and each of her voices are so different it’s hard to believe there is only one person narrating the book. His work clearly impressed the judges at the 2014 Audie Awards, who awarded him Best Male Solo Performance.
5. “heartburn” by nora ephron
Filled with sizzling ’80s dialogue and wry, self-deprecating humor, Ephron’s semi-autobiographical novel of adultery, divorce, and therapy is deftly narrated by the star of the 1986 film adaptation, Meryl Streep. As the publisher’s weekly explains in its review: “Much of the novel is told through exposition rather than dialogue, making it imperative that Streep capture Rachel’s sense of irony without resorting to bitterness. which it does perfectly.”
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