Audio Book Production
Selling Audio Books
Audio Books have become a worldwide trend that provides another way to enjoy books and makes them accessible to wider markets. Audio books can be published on Amazon, linked to existing books in their digital and printed formats and marketed jointly, essentially widening the reach of a single marketing effort.
Audio Books in the US
According to the Association of American Publishers, audio books are the most rapidly developing book format, more than printed or digital books. The Edison Research Institute reports that half of all Americans over the age of 12 have listened to an audiobook in the last year, a 44% increase compared with the previous year.
When young people in the US, aged between 25-34, choose a book to read, at least 25% of them will select an audio book.
Audio Books in the UK
Research conducted by the Deloitte Consulting Firm predicts that audio book sales in the UK will exceed printed book sales in 2020, expecting a 30% increase in sales from the previous year and a rise in the market to 115 million GBP.
Why Have Audio Books Suddenly Become Popular?
Why has this format in particular, which has existed since 1980, become increasingly popular in 2020? In one word: multitasking.
Research indicates that the most popular setting to listen to an audio book is in a vehicle. Namely, people find the time to listen to books while completing other daily tasks such as driving to and from work, running errands, or visiting the gym. No matter how busy a book lover may be, they will always find the time to listen to an audio book and check it off their waiting list.
The “Philosophy” of Audio Books
Does listening to a book count as reading? Or is it “cheating”? According to research conducted in several universities in the US, the emotional experience of listening to a recorded book is not dissimilar to that of reading one. In fact, listening to an audio book evokes even more emotion than watching a movie or TV.
In addition, the research shows that audio book listeners can go through books faster than those who read them. Plenty of research has been conducted in this field, so if you happen to be an audio book lover – persevere! And yes, it does count as reading!
10 Reasons Why Audio Book Sales are Rising
- Use of advanced technology – user-friendly applications, wireless earphones, high sound quality
- Aggressive marketing – Amazon has recognized the potential and grants precedence to audio books on its search platforms
- Less effort – it is easier to consume audio content after a long day at the office which is usually composed of hours of reading from a screen
- New market segment – audiences who like literary content but have trouble reading – people who are dyslexic, elderly, or blind
- Age – young people’s technological skills are improving, and digital content is becoming more and more popular accordingly
- Change of habit – people have become accustomed to consuming audio content through YouTube and podcasts, so the transition to books is easy
- Engagement – people tend to feel closer to the content when it is read to them
- Multitasking – saving time on the way to work, while doing chores around the house, visiting the gym, shopping, etc.
- Innovation – people love innovation, and audio books are the next step in literary evolution
- Celebrities – books read by celebrities become popular and contribute to an increase in sales
Recording Audio Books
eBookPro has established a unique array that specializes in recording, producing, and distributing audio books on Amazon, and offers this service to any book that has been translated into English.
Our service includes all the required stages: selecting a narrator, recording, production, and distribution through Amazon and other platforms.
The narrators we employ are Americans and the entire project is managed by an American system.
It should be noted that Israelis are not authorized to independently upload audio books to Amazon. This feature is available only to residents of the US, Great Britain, and Ireland.
Audio books can be purchased through a regular Amazon account, or one can subscribe to Amazon’s subsidiary, Audible, for a regular monthly fee.
What are the Stages of Recording an Audio Book?
The first step is selecting an appropriate narrator for the genre in question. Children’s books should be read with a pleasant, soothing voice, while thrillers should preferably be read with a deep and mysterious voice, and so on. A narrator is selected by careful consideration of accent, gender, tone, and personal preference.
The second stage is receiving test samples and relaying them to authors for their opinion. The entire endeavor is managed and monitored from start to finish.
The third stage is uploading the audio book to a platform that distributes it to the most popular websites in the world, including Amazon and iTunes.
In the fourth and final stage, the audio book is linked to the digital and printed books on Amazon, and all three are promoted jointly.