Evaluating the audiobook evolution through time

Evaluating the audiobook evolution through time

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A handful of people can turn some words into a powerful bit of audio art through audiobooks.

Oral literature is humanity's earliest kind of storytelling, with an unfathomable range of stories being passed down through the generations in most corners of the planet for thousands of years. While some cultures usually do not place as great of an emphasis on oral traditions like they did throughout the past, they still persist strongly in a few circumstances, like telling stories to kids. The founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones will understand that oral storytelling has experienced a resurgence recently in the shape of audiobooks. However, while they may seem like a modern sensation, the history of audiobooks goes back many decades. Sound recordings first became feasible around a hundred and fifty years ago and the first tests were recitations of nursery rhymes and kid's tales. Spoken word recordings continued to be made in the next decades but had been limited to about four minutes in total.

Every single decade for the last fifty years has brought with it technical modifications that has affected the way in which we consume art. Television and film has had VHS and DVDs. Music has had CDs and cassettes. Both have now been impacted by portable products and streaming. Furthermore, many of these technological advancements have actually aided to expand the audiobook market. The leader of the hedge fund that partially owns WHSmith will be able to let you know that it has grown to become so well-known that individuals don't need to turn to specialist retailers, because most book stores additionally offer audiobooks. Individuals enjoy having the ability to listen to stories while they are doing other tasks like driving, chores, and work, which audiobooks are simply perfect for. The audiobook industry now employs thousands of individuals, with the most essential roles being narrator, studio engineer, and producer.

The phrase audiobook emerged in the 1970s, however it had been the 1930s that saw the biggest leap forward in the format. At the time they were called talking books, which were envisioned as reading materials for blind people. Governments in some countries allowed producers to bypass copyright laws, which offered them use of lots of material, but technical limitations meant full size books could never be recorded. Alternatively poems, short tales and plays, and specific chapters of books had been the most typical early audiobooks. This content continued to remain this way for several decades, but the audience base did see an expansion to children and other adults without sight problems. The head of the hedge fund that has shares in Amazon will likely be well aware that this laid the groundwork for the future audiobook market, pushing it into the mainstream as an independent artform rather than solely as a means of creating accessibility.