Audiobooks are becoming more and more popular each day and experts say that the market for audiobooks is going to grow significantly larger. For example, over $124 million worth of audio books were sold in the UK and $120 million in Germany. Experts say that this year the market is expected to rise by 20% in Europe, and audiobooks are even more popular in the US.
Here are five great reasons why audio versions are a convenient and exciting way to "read" a book:
1) SAVE TIME: You can listen to an audio book anywhere and everywhere. You can listen while driving to and from work, walking the dog, going on a bike ride, working around the house or at the computer, while keeping fit, suntanning at the beach or waiting in line at the supermarket. The possibilities are endless.
According to a recent survey, the average American driver spends 1 hour and 13 minutes commuting daily to and from work. This means over 440 hours a year for each person, or 11 full-time work weeks spent listening to drive time radio or staring out at the traffic. Imagine how much you could learn during this "traffic" time just by listening to spoken recordings in your MP3 player or car stereo.
2) MULTITASKING: If you love reading but are generally busy doing other things, audiobooks can give you the opportunity to read more books than you would otherwise have time for. Audiobooks are a terrific and practical way to fill many of those unproductive or "dead" moments we all experience in our daily lives. It’s a whole new way to read.
3) AGE, ILLNESS & DISABILITIES: Audiobooks are great for older, ill, recovering, or disabled people and can be a wonderful gift for someone in a nursing institution. This is a gift they can remember and enjoy again and again.
4) IMPAIRED VISION: Audiobooks can be a blessing for blind people, or people with impaired vision. It can give them the chance to experience and enjoy a wide range of popular books, stories, novels and information - both fiction and non-fiction.
Spoken books or narrated book recordings can help people by improving their education, help them develop new hobbies and learning habits and by greatly enriching their life, both personally and professionally.
5) HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP A LOVE OF BOOKS: Arguably, the most important skill a child can acquire is the ability to read. Audiobooks can be easily used to stimulate literacy and a love of learning in children. Children can listen to audiobooks while following the story in the paper book. Or they could listen just to gain and improve vocabulary and communication skills. If you want to instill the love of reading in your child, audiobooks can be a excellent start.
