Audio books hit the scene more than eighty years ago. In the 1930’s audio recordings of books were being made by volunteer readers for the purpose of reading to the blind. They were made to be available through libraries at that time. As time passed and
technologies changed audio books made their way onto audio cassettes, then eventually to CD’s.
As the recording technologies changed and the market for audio books grew, publishers began to turn to professionals to do the reading and bring the recordings to life, adding character and emotion to the stories. Today with the continued increase of popularity, audio books have become available in the latest of digital formats that can be downloaded to electronic readers, I-pods and I-pads, even MP3 players.
What Contributes To the Growth of This Market?
There are several factors leading to the continued growth in the audio book market. Audio books had at one time been a volunteer effort to aid the lives of the blind. Overtime it became a source of
entertainment for drivers and families on the road.
Today with the overwhelming use and popularity of electronic gadgets, audio books sales have soared to record levels. More than half of our own audio books sales are made to people who spend a lot of time driving or in the car commuting to work.
Increasing popularity of portable devices such as I-pods, I-pads, MP3’s, smart phones have opened a new venue for audio books. Audio books can be as portable as music files. The audio book format fits nicely into
busy lives. Busy parents can play an audio recording of the latest Best Seller while:
- Driving the children back and forth from their many activities.
- Preparing a meal, doing house work or yard work.
- Exercising, walking or jogging.
With the increasing convenience and practicality of audio books, more titles are available at this time than ever before. There are the standards including the classics, best sellers, romance and more. Audio books have become a very useful and a widely accepted form of educational tools. Many book series have been read as a series of lectures on topics of dating/relationship, finance, history and more.
Publishers of audio books have discovered that the right reader makes all the difference. Publishers like to find a voice with a range of accents and sounds. The right reader can make learning a pleasure while a bad reader can ruin the best novel. Many well known actors and actresses lend their voices to the recordings. Enjoy your pleasant listening.
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