Audiobooks: What They Are And 12 Rocking Benefits of Using Them.

by | Nov 13, 2019 | Information Verification and Management

“Audiobooks” is a term that almost sounds familiar to you immediately you hear the term. The term seems to need no introduction, yet, it actually deserves every introduction it can get. Audiobooks are what everybody has an idea about but actually knows little or nothing about. It might be because the name sounds straightforward, it sounds familiar. The name is self-explanatory though, but not quite.

The name is an obvious portmanteau of two words: “audio” and “books.” The first word, “audio”, is a well-known term used for anything related to sound or hearing. The second word, “Books”, are the bound sheaf of paper that we read. Since normal books are meant to be read visually, therefore, audiobooks are already distinguished by their name: audiobooks are books that we can hear or books that can only be “read” by listening to its sound.

In some quarters, audiobooks are currently the rage. Unlike paper books and e-books however, it is not yet popular and well accepted enough to challenge the status quo. It can’t even feature in the printed book vs e-book debate yet, even despite it preceding e-books in invention. While it is growing steadily in popularity, it is still not well known much outside the circle of its fanciers, and it certainly commanded a lesser market share in the world of books.

Welcome to the Audiobooks universe nonetheless.

In a way, the growing popularity of audiobooks is because it presents a fresh alternative on how to consume a book. But like all alternatives, it will do some things better than what is existing, and do some worse.

Certainly, listening to a book being read aloud by a human being or a “machine” (we’ll get to that) can not be compared with reading it with our eyes; absorbing it with our minds; and is one of the reasons why audiobooks do some things differently.

Probably due to this difference and other reasons, scepticism about them reigns, and especially in the classroom and other learning environments, there are debates over whether they are awesome ideas that should be adopted or just a bland fad that do no harm and give no good at all.

Audiobooks: A Long Way To The 21st Century

In modern times, one of the first set of people to envision spoken word recording is Thomas Edison. He later realized this with the invention of his Phonograph in 1877. [1]

The technology was a far cry from what we have today, but it was the humble beginning of what we now know as playback recordings, and it kept on evolving till around 1970 when a true audiobook industry was founded based on such a technology.

Between the invention of Edison and the 1970s, audiobooks were known as “talking books” [2] and have been experimentally recorded on almost all mediums from cylinders to LPs. But due to the limitations of storage available on these mediums then, audiobooks were limited to recordings of short poems, plays, and abridged versions of famous books, and are mostly created for the use of blind or visually impaired people.

During the 1970’s when cassettes started to replace LP records, audiobooks started gaining more practicality as a medium for listening to lengthier books. Many companies dedicated solely to audiobook production started becoming more common. By the 1980s, book retailers were displaying audiobooks on bookshelves along with books, rather than in separate displays. [3]

With small improvements and growths here and there (e.g the coming of CD roms), this remains the state of things until the internet matured, which enables the upload and download of audios in various digital formats on the internet. This was especially popular using the then-new digital devices Iike the Apple Ipods (a portable electronic audio library), which are in turn succeeded by our digital mobile devices.

Soon, Audible.com was founded in 1995 [4], and among other audiobooks publishers and providers, it has been the go-to site for the purchase of original audiobook titles. It has dominated a significant part of the audiobook market for the greater part of the 21st century.

For free audiobooks though, public libraries (all combined) probably still stock the largest collection of audiobook titles in the world. They have been the repository for audiobooks decades before internet technologies made audiobooks a wireless, digital staple.

Recently though, Overdrive has been collaborating with thousands of libraries by making audiobooks available for free download from its servers with the use of library cards. [5]

Today, audiobooks, apart from their availability on CDs and cassette tapes, are even more available in several digital formats like MP3, WMA, 3GP and a host of others. Some digital devices come preloaded with audiobooks.

Why Use Audiobooks When We Can Read?

Like we implied earlier, audiobooks have admirers and detractors. It is even possible that its detractors are even more than its admirers.

While many see audiobooks as a novel alternative to visual reading, some believe audiobooks do not offer any genuine platform to read at all, likening listening to audiobooks to “cheating” on reading.

However, what is clear is that audiobooks provide a fresh alternative in the manner we consume messages from books.

It’s admirers and users have however found multiple uses for audiobooks. And to be truthful, the audiobook media does some things better for us than when we read by sight.

Let’s examine some of them:

12 Benefits of Audiobooks

1. Multitasking With Audiobooks

Because all they require is attention from the ears, audiobooks can be listened to while making use of other parts of our body in another task. 

We can do laundry, do our gardening, cook, stroll, commute and even exercise while listening to an audiobook.

Probably, the greatest use people have found for their audiobooks is as a companion during long commutes, or to endure traffic hold-ups.

Because audio resources can be deliberately selected, many persons have also found it as a better alternative to radio, over which they have lesser control over the kind of content they want to listen to.

Some audiobooks have narrators with soothing voices, thereby making them a source of relaxation.

In a recent survey released by the Audio Publishers Association, it was found that more than “two-thirds of audiobook buyers described audiobooks as relaxing and a good way to multitask.” [6]

2. Reading Along With Audiobooks

It is possible to listen to an audiobook while following along in an actual book. In fact, many users of audiobooks have found this rewarding.

One advantage this gives is that it can help users to correctly learn words they would otherwise not know if they had read only the actual book. This is especially useful to learners of new languages.

3. Learning Linguistic Sounds with Audiobooks

Many of us that speak a second language secretly wish we can speak it just like the natives, with the correct rhythms and intonations.

While it is possible to learn a new language by reading a book, one can only get the correct sound of the language by listening to native speakers. This can be achievable by listening to audiobooks in that language.

In this, audiobooks provide a cheaper, more convenient alternative than hiring a native speaker or signing up for a language class. It is even better than watching videos of the language being spoken; since audiobooks require only listening, unlike sound videos that require watching (distractive at times) and listening.

4. Audiobooks as Assistive Technology

There is something called “assistive technology” (AT). It means “any software, device, or piece of equipment that helps work around, compensate, or bypass a child’s specific learning disability.” [7] The good thing is that audiobooks fall under such “assistive technologies”, and it has been used in the teaching of children with learning disabilities. 

Visually impaired, blind and dyslexic children can benefit from ATs. The reason audiobooks are such an awesome tool for the teaching of this category of learners is very clear. Reading books is literally impossible for this category of learners, but they can still benefit from listening to the content of books through the use of audiobooks.

5. Book Appreciation with Audiobooks

For adults, audiobooks can be useful in reassessing a book we have read before. Listening to it can present us another perspective for reassessment. 

This can be especially exciting to children. Some audiobooks, in addition to having excellent narrators, also employ more than one voice in narrating the same book, with each voice taking up the role of different characters in the book.

The method has been used to revitalize some old books, both for adults and children alike, and listening to the book has allowed a new generation of readers to appreciate them more.

6. Rehabilitation with Audiobooks

Hearing that audiobooks can be used as a rehabilitative tool might sound strange, but it can be used.

There are many youths ensnared in the mire of music and its corrupting influence. Music has turned some people to headbanging, paranoid idiots. We can imagine how their life would have been if they have been listening to audiobooks instead of music. Good books would have benefited their lives in a more positive manner than music.

For youths already addicted to music, audiobooks can be a lifesaving alternative.

7. Group Activities with Audiobooks

An audiobook is the go-to if you want to have many people enjoying the same book at the same time. An audiobook can be played out loud while many people listen.

This can be especially useful during family time, or when trying to introduce a book to new audiences. And what audience can be greater than our friends and families?

Either in the home or inside the car, playing out an audiobook for all occupants to enjoy may be a good use of collective time. It also fosters bonds and stimulates organized discussions.

8. DIY with Audiobooks

It might end up crude, but audiobooks can be homemade.

While audiobooks do not cost very high (just a bit more costly than regular books), some users may find a lot of fun in recording their own “audiobooks”. This can be simple renditions of their favorite poems or abridged stories. They are often mainly created to listen for fun, or to memorize an aspect of a book.

With the wide availability of sound-editing apps, many for free, it is now possible to create reasonably good audiobooks for one’s own personal use.

However, professionally made audiobooks are usually available in libraries, and for those trying to buy proper audiobooks while saving money, second-hand bookstore also often stores audiobooks.

9. Note-Taking with Audiobooks

It is possible to write while listening to an audiobook. It is even more possible to write what you are listening to. Therefore audiobooks are very much useful for transcription exercises and taking notes.

Audiobooks are handy for chronic note-takers like researchers and journalists.

Consequently, with the portability of audiobooks, hundreds of books can be listened to while making notes about them only on a few sheets of paper. The opposite of this is to carry heavy books having thousands of pages around just to make a few pages of note about them.

10. Introducing Difficult Topics with Audiobooks

Audiobooks can be used to introduce learners to difficult topics they would not have otherwise consider learning if they have confronted it straight from a printed page.

Some audiobook narrators are excellent at their job: they can read out difficult texts with the right cadences to simplify it to the listener.

This is especially useful to introduce students to subjects they are not familiar with, or that is above their reading level.

11. Modeling Good Reading with Audiobooks

Audiobooks expose students to what good reading sounds like.

Some audiobooks (like those from Amazon’s Audible) are narrated by world-class storytellers and professional voice actors. This means the narrators read books out clearly in a way the listener will enjoy. This can be used as a model for proper reading among learners, and it can work whether the book is in the listener’s native language or a second tongue.

I am a beneficiary of this kind of learning. I never imagined there can be a better way of reading some texts until I coincidentally heard some expert narrators reading it to my ears. Since then, I have made up my mind to read those texts like they did.

12. Memory Improvement with Audiobooks

Listening to audiobooks might also help the memory. This is because unlike actual books, an audiobook listener is forced to follow the message of the audiobook as it unfolds. It is necessary to remember the names of characters, places, and sequence of events in the audiobook as the narrator mentions them (if the listener is to have a wholesome experience). The ability to remember these kinds of details can improve with the more audiobook one listens to, and the ability can benefit the reader in other aspects of his or her daily life.

Some Popular Audiobooks Resources Sites

You might consider visiting any of these sites for your audiobooks. Most offer free audiobooks, but some are paid. Make sure you check the site terms of service to know which fits your needs best.

 1.          LibriVox.org

 2.          Verkaro.org

 3.          Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org)

 4.          Audible.com

 5.          Lit2go (https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/)

We hope you have found one or two benefits in audiobooks here that might make you try it out. We will appreciate you let us know your experience with audiobooks using the comment section. Thanks for reading and see you again!

Frequently Asked Questions on Audiobooks.

Is listening to Audiobooks better than reading?

Reading and listening to audiobooks both have their strengths, and one is always better for certain tasks over the other. For example, listening to audiobooks can be perfect in introducing new or difficult topics to young learners.

Is listening to Audiobooks a kind of cheating on reading?

Not really. If the goal of reading a book is simply to get the message therein, then audiobooks can be used for same. If the same goal can be achieved by different means, that doesn’t mean cheating is involved.

What are the benefits of using an audiobook?

There are a lot of benefits of using an audiobook. Among them are
1. Audiobooks are useful when you need to multitask.
2. Audiobooks can help your memory in the long run.
3. Audiobooks can be used to imbibe good listening skills.
4. Audiobooks can be a source of help when learning a foreign language.
5. Audiobooks can be used to learn linguistic sounds in a specific language.

References:

1. Matthew Rubery, ed. (2011). “Introduction”. Audiobooks, Literature, and Sound Studies . Routledge. pp. 1-21. ISBN 978-0-415-88352-8 . (Retrieved 9-11-2019)            

2. Ibid.

3. Audiobooks – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audiobook (Retrieved 9-11-2019)                  

4. What We Do – https://www.audible.com/about/our-company/ (Retrieved 9-11-2019)

5. Rakuten Overdrive Homepage – https://www.overdrive.com/ (Retrieved 9-11-2019)

6.           Audiobooks: Billion-Dollar Industry Shows Steady Growth – https://web.archive.org/web/20141028203824/http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/ListenUp/?p=4197 (Retrieved 9-11-2019)     

7.           Audio Books for Children with Learning Disabilities – https://www.audioforbooks.com/benefits-audiobooks-children-learning-disabilities/ (Retrieved 9-11-2019)                           

Infovore Secrets Editorial

Infovore Secrets Editorial

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