Of course, i love audiobooks and read many more of them than braille.
But I do worry about the possibility of print books (and braille, too)
becoming obsolete.
Jan
On 8/27/18, David Goldfield <david.goldfield@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Audio books - Google News - Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 11:45 PMYou are invited to visit the moderator's Web site at WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info
Lending an ear to audiobooks is helping users make the most of their free
time
A recent study by University College London found that audiobooks are more
emotionally engaging than adaptations for films and television.
New Delhi: Sandeep Koul, a senior marketing manager at Zylotech in Noida,
likes to listen to audiobooks from Audible when he is driving to office or
when on a long road trip. “I am not much into music but I crave for stories.
Audiobooks on long drives to office and back present a perfect opportunity
for it. I drive about 60 km three days a week for work. When I am on road
trips I listen to an audiobook that will last the distance,” says Koul. At
home, he prefers to read on his Kindle Paperwhite.
Convenience factor
According to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot’s July annual
report, audiobooks are the fastest-growing format in
2018<https://www.livemint.com/Companies/lObJNigyM1uKpaUB9V0dPJ/Audiobooks-could-be-the-next-big-thing-says-Penguin-Random.html>.
While people have been listening to ebooks before on PCs and MP3 players,
the availability of options such as Audible, Scribd and Google Play
Books—that allow users to download and read audio books directly in to a
smartphone and tablet—has revived interest in them again. One can download
them for offline access and listen to them anytime and from anywhere they
want. Also listening to an audiobook is lot more convenient than reading
especially when one is travelling or driving a car. It blocks out ambient
noise so one won’t get distracted while reading.
Moreover, the arrival of voice-controlled smart assistants such as Google
assistant, Alexa and smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Echo have
made it a lot easier to listen to your favourite books while relaxing,
eating or cooking at home.
More engaging
A June 2018 study by University College London found that audiobooks are
more emotionally engaging than adaptations for films and television. The
fact that publishers are getting popular actors and commentators, who have
amassed a big fan following with the charisma of their voice, to narrate the
story, also helps.
Leading Publishers Simon & Schuster have roped in acclaimed Canadian actor
Donald Sutherland to narrate classics such as Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man
and the Sea. The audio version of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone has been narrated by writer and actor Stephen Fry. Koul
enjoys the voice modulation done by story presenter in audiobooks he has
been listening to from Audible. It is one of the reasons why he doesn’t mind
paying every month for subscription.
Also read: Google adds audio books on Play Store; here’s how to get
them<https://www.livemint.com/Technology/NTNNKC0JS3j6UdVVbyYTuO/Google-adds-audio-books-on-Play-Store-heres-how-to-get-the.html>
Flexible pricing
Standalone Audiobooks often cost more than the ebook or even the paperback
version. For instance, the audio version of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The
Brother’s Karamazov costs ₹1,299, while the ebook versions costs just ₹119
on Play Store. Even Children books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
cost ₹449, while the ebook version is priced at just ₹266.
Through subscription-based services such as Audible (₹1,047 per month) and
Scribd (₹638 per month) users get to access multiple audiobooks under a
single plan.
In sum, while audiobooks may not replace ebooks and paperbacks anytime soon,
they are definitely emerging as a credible alternative.
First Published: Fri, Aug 24 2018. 09 15 AM IST
https://www.livemint.com/Technology/Jqy6Tp9oTkxg48VdR4bcsM/Lending-an-ear-to-audiobooks-is-helping-users-make-the-most.html
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info<http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
