After reading Jason Boog’s article for the Galley Cat entitled, “60% of Audiobooks Sold are Now Digital,” I started thinking about just why these books have gotten so popular in the last few years. They are still not as popular as the old-fashioned paperback but they are an up and coming industry that is to be reckoned with. My question was why would anyone want to listen to something they could read? Here is what I found out.
Audiobooks have actually been around for over 70 years and were once known simply as books on tape. They were mostly used by the vision impaired at one time but in recent years have gained major popularity with other avid readers as well. I attribute much of that the the Internet and iPods. Now you can simply download an audiobook onto your computer or iPod and either listen to it at home or even driving down the road on the way to work.
People are so busy living their live now that many don’t have time to sit down and cozy up with a good book. Distractions get in the way and things have to be done. Enter the audiobook which makes it simple to listen to your favorite books, listen to the lesson for anatomy for the next day, or learn a new language while you are jogging, cooking dinner, or just lounging around the house. Audiobooks have come a long way and I only expect their popularity to increase as the years go by.
