Audiobooks have begun to outsell print

[AnemicOak]

The Silmarillion is available digitally some places outside the US and IIRC it was available in the US too at one time. Must be a right thing.

[pidgeon92]

In the last few years, I've become far less sedentary. I've listened to more audiobooks than read ebooks. I don't know that I prefer audiobooks to reading, but they're certainly more convenient in a lot of circumstances.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Conan46

It has been awhile since I listened to it, but I think it was on CD and I picked it up at my local library. I think you will enjoy it, can't remember who read it, but they really brought it to life.
I envy you that first edition I first read it in paperback as a teenager while visiting relatives in the mountains of east Tennessee, seemed the perfect setting to read that book.

That it is. Back when I was doing a lot of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, I would carry the paper version of LOTR and the Simarillion with me (just one book per trip in a zip lock bag, of course. ). E-Readers make it a whole lot easier to carry those books.

[fjtorres]

Two items of note:

1- Amazon is rumored to be preparing a standalone audio subscription service, presumably aimed at Spotify et al. Might launch with the upcoming baby Echo around SuperBowl time.

2- Amazon has bern investing in original audio content for a while and continues to invest in building up a catalog:
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/0...omment-1081099

That content includes podcasts, dramatic shows, comedy, and audiobook productions.

The thought comes to mind that the rumored audio streaming service might be more than just a music streaming service and closer to an audio unlimited, with music, news, sports, and drama. In other words, the target might not be Spotify but rather satellite radio...

If so, we might know very soon...

[fjtorres]

I'm getting flashbacks to the 2010/11 reports that some ebooks were outselling their hardcover edition. A couple years later, ebooks outsold hardcovers at Amazon and shortly afterwards, paperbacks (though that was mostly through the decline of the massmarket paperback). Today there are several genres where ebooks make up over half of unit sales. (And others where they barely register.)

When I sampled Audible, the category where audio really clicked with me was non-fiction.
I can easily see a good portion of non-fiction (self-help, biographies, histories) going strongly to audio.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

When I sampled Audible, the category where audio really clicked with me was non-fiction.
I can easily see a good portion of non-fiction (self-help, biographies, histories) going strongly to audio.

I feel just the opposite. I don't read self-help, so I'll give you that one, but for most biographies or memoirs, I hate missing out on the photographs (though I have seen Audible offering an extra pdf download of photos with some books). And for histories, I bemoan the absence of bibliography and footnotes. Plus if I want to retain information, seeing is better than hearing.

For fiction, though, I find audiobooks can't be beat.

[Cinisajoy]

Why is this reminding me of "Video killed the Radio Star"?
I think we still have radio.

Now funny thing on audio versus visual: my great-grandmother listened to The Guiding Light on CBS radio. When they changed over to TV she lost interest because the characters were not as she imagined.

I think we are in a circular argument.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I feel just the opposite. I don't read self-help, so I'll give you that one, but for most biographies or memoirs, I hate missing out on the photographs (though I have seen Audible offering an extra pdf download of photos with some books). And for histories, I bemoan the absence of bibliography and footnotes. Plus if I want to retain information, seeing is better than hearing.

For fiction, though, I find audiobooks can't be beat.

I agree with you about the drawbacks of listening to non-fiction, but I still alternate fiction and non-fiction audiobooks. Histories and biographies are still good enough that way and in the long run, I get through more content.

I never will know how to spell some proper names, though!

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Shane R

That's the dek of this article, which doesn't really provide (to my mind) convincing enough statistics to back it up. But perhaps it provides fodder for an interesting thread discussion.

That article has a clickbait title but it also has a couple useful nuggets of info.

I took that article apart and put it back together to make the point that when an audiobook is treated as an original production, and not just a recitation of a novel, the audiobook can outsell the print edition.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/1...s-they-havent/

One of the authors mentioned in that article writes his novels with a certain narrator in mind. He writes for that narrator's voice and style, and that trick sells a lot of audiobooks.

[Conan46]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

That it is. Back when I was doing a lot of backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, I would carry the paper version of LOTR and the Simarillion with me (just one book per trip in a zip lock bag, of course. ). E-Readers make it a whole lot easier to carry those books.

You got to see some beautiful country then
Kindle would definitely be nice in that circumstance, fully charged of course.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Conan46

You got to see some beautiful country then
Kindle would definitely be nice in that circumstance, fully charged of course.

Now, I have the Sony PRS-T2. It will last for a full two week trip, reading perhaps an hour a night.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

But I don't think audiobooks can ever replace the cozy, late night book. The thought of noise in that context is not appealing.

That's precisely when I use audiobooks the most I have trouble getting to sleep without them.

I also go to audiobooks for novels and series I wouldn't necessarily bother with in text: fantasy in particular. Most of my adult consumption of fantasy works has been audio.

[creeon]

On Amazon there is no specific audio books, mostly fiction

[Atunah]

I just wish I could get into audiobooks, I really do. I keep trying as I keep hearing it gets better, but so far its the same. I tried doing it with chores around the house and I kept having to go back again and again as I missed everything. I just can't get "inside" the story this way. So my mind goes to other things as my eyes are looking around.
Then I tried while walking, or gazelle-ing. Same problem. I figured, nothing else to distract from the audio, all I did was stare ahead and listen and do the machine. Still, couldn't remember what happened just 5 minutes ago. It like fades in and out for me.

Its also way way slower than I read. So while would read a book in like 3-4 hours, these are listed at 12-15 hours. I don't have the time to spend that much on one book. It would take me forever to finish a book and I like to do large chunks of reading. So I'd have to sit on the sofa not moving with eyes closed for hours and hours.
Its about the only way I can listen to audio books and still catch it. Closing my eyes and sitting still.

I could get some nice extra time in listening, if I could just get it to work. I tried audio's that were recommended by other readers of what I like, I tried a few different genres, I tried books I already read. I am currently going through outlander again. I read that book twice, now listening, I think I been at it for like 6 months. . I have the next 3 in audio also as there was a super sale way back when you owned the books already. Given, those books are like 40 hours long, but it will take me years at this rate for one book.

When I am told a story by someone else, it keeps me apart from the story. It just isn't as immersive to me as reading. And some stuff sounds really weird out loud. It doesn't feel that weird reading. Feelings, I think that is what I am missing when listening. I don't feel.

But I wish I could make it work, I really do.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Atunah

<snip>
When I am told a story by someone else, it keeps me apart from the story. It just isn't as immersive to me as reading. And some stuff sounds really weird out loud. It doesn't feel that weird reading. Feelings, I think that is what I am missing when listening. I don't feel.

But I wish I could make it work, I really do.

This is exactly how I am with audiobooks. When I'm reading, I can feel what the characters are feeling, and get pictures in my head of what is happening. That doesn't happen with audiobooks for some reason, and I'm not sure why it doesn't.

Shari