Evaluating the audiobook evolution through time

Evaluating the audiobook evolution through time

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Audiobooks follow in the tradition of radio dramas in bringing entertainment through voice.

Oral literature is humanity's oldest kind of storytelling, having an unfathomable range of tales being passed on through the generations in all corners of the globe for tens of thousands of years. Even though some cultures usually do not put as great of a focus on oral traditions as they did in the past, they still persist strongly in some circumstances, like telling tales to children. The founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones will realise that oral storytelling has experienced a resurgence recently in the shape of audiobooks. But, although they may appear like a modern phenomenon, the history of audiobooks dates back several years. Sound recordings first became possible around one hundred and fifty years back and the first tests had been recitations of nursery rhymes and children's stories. Spoken word tracks continued to be created in the next decades but were limited to about 4 minutes in total.

The word audiobook emerged during the 1970s, however it was the 1930s that saw the biggest leap forward in the structure. At that time these were called talking books, which were envisioned as reading materials for blind people. Governments in a few nations allowed manufacturers to bypass the laws of copyright, which offered them access to plenty of material, but technical limits meant full length books could never be recorded. Instead poems, short stories and plays, and specific chapters of books were the most common early audiobooks. This content continued to remain this way for a number of decades, but the market base did see an expansion to children and other adults without sight conditions. The head of the hedge fund that has shares in Amazon is going to be well aware that this laid the foundation for the future audiobook market, sending it into the main-stream as an independent artform rather than entirely as a means of developing accessibility.

Each and every decade for the last 50 years has brought with it technical innovations which has affected the way we consume art. Film and television has experienced VHS and DVDs. Music has had CDs and cassettes. Both were impacted by portable products and streaming. Moreover, a few of these technological advancements have actually assisted to expand the audiobook market. The leader of the hedge fund that partially owns WHSmith should be able to tell you that it has grown to become so popular that individuals do not need to consider specialist retailers, because many book retailers additionally offer audiobooks. People enjoy having the ability to tune in to tales while they are doing additional tasks like driving, chores, and work, which audiobooks are simply perfect for. The audiobook industry now employs several thousand people, with the most essential roles being narrator, studio engineer, and director.