Audio book

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Cassette recording of Patrick O'Brian's The Mauritius Command

An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. It is usually distributed on CDs, cassette tapes, or digital formats (e.g., MP3 and Windows Media Audio). The term "audio book" has been synonymous with "books on tape" for roughly twenty years. Cassette-tape sales still comprise roughly 40% of the audio book market^{[citation needed]}, with CDs the other dominant format type. As of early 2006, downloadable audiobooks account for approximately 6% of the market. In the United States, the most recent sales survey (performed by the Audio Publishers' Association in 2004) estimated the industry to be worth 800 million US dollars. Current industry estimates hover at around two billion US dollars per year.

Unabridged audio books are word for word readings of a book, while abridged audio books have text edited out by the abridger. Audio books also come as fully dramatised versions of the printed book, sometimes calling upon a complete cast, music, and sound effects. Each spring, the Audie Awards are given to the top nominees for performance and production in several genre categories.

There are quite a few radio programmes serialising books, sometimes read by the author or sometimes by an actor, most of them on the BBC.

The popularity of portable music players such as the iPod have made audio books more accessible to people for portable listening. This has led to a boom in the creation of free audio books from Librivox and similar projects that take works from the public domain and enlist volunteers to read them.

Audio books have been used to teach children to read, and increase reading comprehension. They are also indispensable for the blind.

Most new popular titles put out by the major publishers are available in audiobook format simultaneously with publication of the hardcover edition. There are approximately 25,000 current titles on cassette, CD, or downloadable format.

The National Library of Congress in the U.S. and the CNIB Library in Canada both provide free audiobook library services to the visually impaired; requested books are mailed out (at no cost) to clients.

About forty percent of all audiobook consumption occurs through public libraries, with the remainder served primarily through retail book stores. Library download programs are currently experiencing rapid growth (as of May 8, more than thirty-five public library systems offer free downloadable audio books). According to the National Endowment for the Arts' recent study, "Reading at Risk", audio book listening is one of very few "types" of reading that is increasing general literacy.

1 Self-help audio books
2 Listening practices
3 Online audio book services
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Self-help audio books

Audio books are also used for education. Self-help audio books range from public speaking to learning meditation. Their general goal however is always to develop one's skills to be more happy and/or successful in life. While some focus on a particular skill, others aim to shift the listener's life entirely.

[edit] Listening practices

Audio books are considered a valuable learning tool because of their format. Unlike with traditional books, one can learn from an audio book while doing other tasks, although it should be noted that this can veer attention from the primary task. Such multitasking is feasible when doing mechanical tasks that do not require much thought and have only a very minor or no chance of an emergency arising. Such tasks include doing the laundry and exercising indoors, among others.

Strategies that maximize the benefits derived from listening to an audio book include:

Replaying: Depending upon ones degree of attention and interest, it is often necessary to listen to segments of an audio book more than once to allow the material to be understood and retained satisfactorily. Replaying may be done immediately, and also after extended periods of time.
Notetaking