Audio books seems to currently be quickly growing in popularity as they become more and more sought after book format by consumers. The Wall Street Journal even called audio books “the fastest growing format in publishing”. Thanks to the latest technologies and standards for audio book production, audio books have become more mainstream, even in the indie circles.
Besides the ease of accessibility of all the places where you can listen to audio books (not limited to smart phones, tablets, high tech watches, computers, etc…) or purchase them (Audible, iTunes, Audiobooks.com, Barnes and Noble, etc…) thanks to technological advances, it seems that audio books are taking off due to ease of accessibility for authors to produce them themselves. It isn’t too difficult to hire the voice talent or sound mixers and editors.
Another element that’s led to this boom is the multi-tasking nature of today’s millennials. Audio books are very popular among today’s young people, and it is because they can easily consume books while they do something else at the same time.
Indie authors should definitely consider audio books as a format if their audience is a huge consumer of them.
Read more at Digital Book World about why else there is a surge in popularity with audio books.
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