Uncovering audiobook developments and features

Uncovering audiobook developments and features

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Audiobooks can transport people to different places simply through the use of sound.

Oral literature is humanity's earliest form of storytelling, with an unfathomable number of tales being handed down through the generations in most corners of the globe for tens of thousands of years. While some cultures do not put as great of a focus on oral traditions like they did in the past, they still persist strongly in some circumstances, like telling tales to kids. 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 goes 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 developed in the following decades but were restricted to about 4 minutes in length.

The word audiobook emerged in the 1970s, however it was the 1930s that saw the biggest revolution in the structure. At that time they were called talking books, that were envisioned as reading materials for blind individuals. Governments in some nations permitted producers to bypass copyright laws, which provided them use of a lot of material, but technical limitations meant full length books could never be recorded. Alternatively poems, short stories and plays, and specific chapters of books were the most common early audiobooks. This content proceeded 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 will likely be well aware that this laid the foundation for the future audiobook market, pushing it in to the mainstream as a separate artform instead of solely as a method of creating accessibility.

Every single decade during the last fifty years has brought along with it technological modifications that has influenced the way we consume art. Film and television has experienced VHS and DVDs. Music has experienced cassettes and CDs. Both have been influenced by portable devices and streaming. Also, all of these technical advancements have assisted to grow 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 most book merchants also offer audiobooks. People enjoy having the ability to listen to stories whilst they are doing other tasks like driving, chores, and work, which audiobooks are just perfect for. The audiobook industry now employs thousands of individuals, with the most important roles being narrator, studio engineer, and producer.