The Growing Popularity Of Audio Books
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013-01-29/growing-popularity-audio-books
Audio books have come full circle. Once just for the blind, books on cassette and then CD first became available to the general public three decades ago, mostly in libraries or by subscription. Soon they popped up in bookstores, taking up a shelf or two. By the late '90s, big box stores featured whole walls of audio books. Now, in the age of digital downloads, book shelves are sparse once more. But the industry is thriving –- it’s currently estimated to be worth $1.2 billion. Many love the convenience of audio books and enjoy being read to. Critics argue listening to a narrated book is not the same as reading. Diane and her guests discuss the future of audio books.
Guests
Michele Cobb
president of Audio Publishers Association and vice president of sales & marketing at AudioGO.
Peter Osnos
founder and editor-at-large of Public Affairs Books and media fellow at The Century Foundation.
John Schwartz
national correspondent for The New York Times. He writes an occasional article for The Times on the audio book industry and recently narrated his memoir, "Oddly Normal."
Katherine Kellgren
award-winning audio book narrator.
Related Items
Selected Audio Clips From The Program:
Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” narrated by Laidman Browne (1935)
Jim Dale reading from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”
Frank Muller reading from “The Great Gatsby”
Katherine Kellgren reading from “The Cheshire Cheese Cat”
Frank McCourt reading from his autobiography, “Angela’s Ashes”
John Gielgud reading from Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream”
Comments
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Audio books have been used in classrooms for decades as a pathway to reading, at all reading levels... there's a reason. Listening builds critical listening, comprehension, vocabulary and fluency skills. In fact, there are reading methods (such as The Daily 5) that include a listening component in reading instruction, e.g., read to oneself, read to a friend, listen to a great narrator, etc.
Moreover, the new Common Core Standards outline specific listening requirements and skills at each grade level.
We believe so deeply in this cause that we started a company, called Tales2Go, which streams thousands of audio books from leading publishers and storytellers to desktops, laptops and mobile devices in the classroom and beyond... including titles from AudioGo and Ms. Kellgren.
You see school libraries are becoming ever more virtual - consistent with so many 1:1 and BYOD (bring your own device) programs popping up in schools. This opens up new ways to access and play audio books on those devices.
It's an exciting time.
William Weil
Co-Founder and CEO
Tales2Go
Washington, DC
An author in Cleveland named John Arndt used voice-changing software to create more than 100 distinct female and male voices from his own and strung 11,000 short audio files together to create an audio book from his paranormal-themed psychological thriller Magickal Thinking.
http://www.magickalthinking.com
Now that I'm retired, I don't have the "excuse" to listen to audio books so often, but occasionally I do indulge in the luxury of having a book read to me.
At the top of my list is my oft-heard "Lolita", read by Jeremy Irons. It's old and on tape and not so accessible to friends anymore, but I recently got a used portable tape player so my daughter can listen to this near-perfect reading as she commutes from central Maryland to suburban DC.
Your guests are correct about having "the right" reader, and for "Lolita", Jeremy Irons is "the man".
Mike Baker
Baltimore
My first audio book was "The Odyssey" by Robert Fagles. Read by Sir Ian McKellen. A great 'read.'
Some suggest that listening to a story is not the same as reading a story. I disagree. The Odyssey came from an oral tradition long before it became a written story. A great audio performance, no matter the book, only adds to the story.
My first two novels were released for the first time as downloadable audiobooks this past week. It is very exciting to hear, not just your words being spoken in this context, but potentially a whole new interpretation of the story you have written. A great reader/performer has the ability to bring a different shade and a fresh perspective to the work.
author, Nathan Singer
My two favorite loves are reading and quilting. With audio books I am able to do both at once! Utilizing my library enables me to download the audio book and then when it is due, it magically disappears from my computer! No late fees.
I do feel funny when I tell people, "I read that book." When really I listened to it. Feels a little like cheating.
I also look for books that are narrated by the authors because I feel they are reading it the way they want it to be heard.
Love your show Diane.
Chrissy Ortman
St. Louis
Thank you, thank you, for this wonderful topic!
Being an active and shameless bibliophile and also a member of the local theater group, I LOVE listening to audio books. If I don't have my headphones plugged into my old fashion cassette/transistor radio listening to NPR, then the headphones are usually plugged into some form of audio book.
The new Playaway, pre-loaded digital audio books are now my favorite audio book technology. The public library is my first choice for books in any format.
I actually like the old cassette audio books better than the cd format. Cd audio books are just not as user friendly.
Also, my adult son has dyslexia and he will often have both the audio book form and print form, so he can listen to the words, as he reads the words.
Well, back to listening to your second hour, then later, after "Here and Now," the audio form of the juvenile book, "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen and read by Chad Lowe. Well written and well read.
Thank you, thank you, for this wonderful topic!
Being an active and shameless bibliophile and also a member of the local theater group, I LOVE listening to audio books. If I don't have my headphones plugged into my old fashion cassette/transistor radio listening to NPR, then the headphones are usually plugged into some form of audio book.
The new Playaway, pre-loaded digital audio books are now my favorite audio book technology. The public library is my first choice for books in any format.
I actually like the old cassette audio books better than the cd format. Cd audio books are just not as user friendly.
Also, my adult son has dyslexia and he will often have both the audio book form and print form, so he can listen to the words, as he reads the words.
Well, back to listening to your second hour, then later, after "Here and Now," the audio form of the juvenile book, "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen and read by Chad Lowe. Well written and well read.
i am a college student with ADHD, and the school gives me PDF version of all my textbooks. I would love to have an audio version as well, so that I can read along with the audio book. If anyone knows a way to convert my PDFs into an audible version, please respond.
Amanda Bentley
I work though a BS in civil engineering using auto formats, it real help to reinforce my education and help me do my best.
Amanda, please look into www.learningally.org. It is a non-profit organization that provides texts to those with physical or other learning disabilities. I am an audiobook narrator, but am devoted to volunteering at Learning Ally as well. Good luck to you!
I love audiobooks! I walk 7 to 8 miles a day, listening to wonderful books; it keeps me completely entertained and keeps me physically fit. What could be better?!
I have always loved audio books and recently with iPhone in my hand this has become my #1 way to read books while driving :)
However, sometimes I lose track of listening, as some visual distractions come about.
Myself and my little startup actually believe in audio/visual narration. Combing visuals in just the right amount to help with understanding and retention. At the extreme end is full blown motion picture but there is a middle in-expensive and very effective middle ground.
What we are doing is using audio/visuals to teach vocabulary to kids. Our website provides all those videos free and many schools across US are benefiting from it -- VocabAhead.com . Look at what we call study room there. User reviews of our mobile apps based on this same concept confirms that people love this way but occasionally some users say they prefer just the audio. Based on feedback from our users I do think audio-only solutions are equally viable for some folks. But there is a larger %age of people who prefer audio+visuals method.
Some of us are better at using our eyes than our ears. Things tend to go in one ear and out the other. Ears are for music.
I love reading and am very interested in becoming an audio book narrator. I do not have a drama background. However, as a speech pathologist working with preschoolers, I am very articulate, fluent, and animated in reading. If anyone can give me direction on how to pursue this, please respond. Thank you.
I have always had a very hard time listening to books. I'm a quick reader and often, when listening, I get bothered by the slowness of the medium. I'm ready to get the next chapter now!
However, this past summer, I discovered the audio book version of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series and was completely turned around. The choice to use a full cast recording was brilliant! I now recommend to my friends to listen to the recording over reading the books, because truly it was an experience.
I've found it difficult, though, to find similar type recordings for books. It seems the full cast choice is not one frequently visited. I'd love recommendations, incidentally, should anyone have them, for similar such recordings.
This was a wonderful show!! My Penguin mystery series, The Talk Radio Mysteries, will soon be available on Audible books, so I was thrilled to see that you covered this topic. Love the show! Thanks for keeping us up to date on so many issues!
XM Book Radio became an exciting and welcome companion on long Atlanta commutes and even longer drives through the southeastern states. Introduced to authors I might never have read made me a fan, and I have purchased many books and audio books by David Baldacci, Jeffrey Deaver, J.R. Ward and more.
I have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder for some years now. I recently discovered that I am so much more capable of engrossing myself into a book when I engage by reading aloud, to myself. At first this was a private enjoyment and almost a secret, stopping this behavior out of embarrassment when anyone came into the room. I discussed this with my electrician, who is a cowboy poet, and he put this into such perspective that I cannot even imagine being embarrassed by reading out loud. I don't know how I got through my bachelor's degree in Psychology without realizing the worth of this practice. As an avid NPR listener since sophomore year in high school it seems so obvious to me now that I can retain and relate to information better when it is presented in audio.
Thank you for all of your enriching programming.