With modernism becoming a way of life instead of just an ideology and everyone being incredibly busy, it takes a lot of work to find time to take a break, unwind, and read.
Our brains have gotten used to always being busy, so there’s little space for feeling bored or having free time. However, for writers, there is a chance to take advantage of people’s longing for enjoyment. The answer is simple: change your book into an audio version, and you’re ready to go.
What exactly is an audiobook?
Instead of reading a book, you can listen to someone reading it to you in an audiobook. Even though audiobooks have become more popular lately, they have actually been around since the 1930s.
They used to be called “talking books” in the past. In the past, these were found as cassette tapes or vinyl records, mainly used for learning in schools and libraries.
Audiobooks have changed and now come as digital files that can be downloaded easily. These digital files are in formats like MP3, WMA, or AAC. These digital files can be listened to on different electronic gadgets like phones, computers, or tablets.
You need to turn your book into an audiobook to make sure you get all the benefits of a significant new group of people who want to enjoy your work. In the fast-moving digital age, many people like listening to books while they are busy, which is why audiobooks were made. This medium offers excellent chances to reach more interested and engaged people.
Some of the most common websites and apps people use to find and purchase audiobooks include:
- Apple Books
- Audiobook Creation Exchange
- Audible.com
- Nook Audiobooks
- Google Play Books
- Kobo
The purpose of Audiobooks:
Accessibility:
Audiobooks make reading accessible to a broader audience, including individuals with visual impairments, learning disabilities, or those with difficulty reading traditional printed materials.
Convenience:
Audiobooks offer a hands-free reading experience, allowing listeners to enjoy books while engaging in other activities like commuting, exercising, or doing household chores.
Multi-tasking:
Audiobooks enable multitasking, allowing people to maximize their time by combining reading with other daily tasks or activities.
Immersive Experience:
Skillful narration, voice acting, and sound effects in audiobooks enhance the storytelling experience, immersing listeners in the narrative and bringing the characters and plot to life.
Flexibility:
Audiobooks provide flexibility in how and where people read. They can be enjoyed on various electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, or dedicated audiobook players.
Entertainment and Education:
Audiobooks cater to both entertainment and educational purposes. Fictional works offer enjoyable storytelling, while non-fiction audiobooks provide knowledge and insights on various subjects.
Portability:
Audiobooks eliminate the need for physical books, making carrying an entire library on a single device easy.
Time Management:
Audiobooks allow individuals to use their idle time productively, turning moments that would otherwise be unproductive into opportunities for learning or entertainment.
Language Learning:
Audiobooks can be valuable tools for language learners, as they help improve listening skills and pronunciation while exposing learners to native speakers’ accents and intonations.
Some facts about audiobooks:
- Audiobooks can be listened to anywhere and everywhere.
- Audiobooks are relatively pricey than eBooks.
- They can be used for entertainment or education.
- Helps memorize things faster because of the audiolingual aspect.
- You can either buy or subscribe to an audiobook.
- 70% of consumers agree that audiobooks are a good choice for relaxing.
- Daily audiobook listeners spend more time listening to books than any other audio form (radio, podcasts, and so on).
Audiobook formats:
The most common audiobook formats belong to two categories: lossless compressed and lossy compressed audio formats.
- Lossless compressed audio formats:
Utilize a technique to decrease file size without compromising the quality between the original source and the resulting file. However, a drawback of this approach is that even though the initial quality is preserved, the resulting file can still be relatively large in size.
- FLAC: Stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. Despite its file compression abilities, FLAC audio formats are rarely used, as they require unique downloads.
- ALAC: Stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. Apple developed this file type for lossless data compression of digital music.
- Lossy compressed audio formats:
It can significantly reduce the original file size. However, it would be best if you sacrificed some of the original quality in doing this. Thankfully, you won’t be able to tell the difference in most cases. This makes lossy compressed audio formats a great way of sharing files that would otherwise take too long to transfer, meaning that this method is the most popular.
- MP3: Can compress the size of an audio file while maintaining near-perfect sound quality. This file type is popular as it is compatible with nearly every device that reads audio files.
- AA and AAX: This is the format used for Audible audiobooks.
- M4A and M4B: Closely related to the MP3. Similarly, these files can greatly compress the size of an audio file, yet their quality is exceptional over other, more common file types.
- AAC: Stands for Advanced Audio Coding. It is capable of very high-quality sound and is enhanced using advanced coding. These types of files can be opened through iTunes or similar third-party software.
- WMA: Stands for Windows Media Audio file. This is the Windows-based alternative to the more common and popular MP3 file type. However, it is inaccessible to those who don’t use a Windows operating system.
Benefits of converting your book into an audiobook:
Increased profit potential:
Audiobooks offer a higher profit margin due to their cost-effectiveness in production, especially when compared to print books.
Expand your audience:
Audiobooks cater to a different segment of readers who prefer listening to stories rather than reading. This allows the opportunity to tap into new audiences, including those with time constraints, visual impairments, or dyslexia.
No storage hassles:
Unlike physical books, audiobooks are digital files, eliminating the need for storage space and allowing for easy distribution without the burden of stocking physical copies.
Online visibility:
Audiobooks constitute a smaller portion of the overall book market, so authors can stand out more quickly on audiobook platforms than those with many print titles.
Cost-effective:
Producing an audiobook can be budget-friendly, with freelance professionals available for formatting, production, and narration, eliminating the need for expensive production agencies.
Why do you need professional help for your audiobook?
Audiobooks are very handy and might make you think you can easily do the conversion work at home. However, the reality is that making an audiobook is only sometimes easy and enjoyable for everyone. It takes much work, and we must get all the details.
Audiobooks are made in different ways, each with interesting parts. If someone needs help understanding the above points, they can get stuck in all the technical details, and it will affect the final product. This is why choosing companies offering self-publishing services like Universal Ghostwriter is smart.
The expert team will work with different file formats (compressed or uncompressed), make smooth edits, find a narrator, find the right voice editor, match voices and accents accurately, create voice variation, edit and remove unwanted visuals and text, find the best transcriptionist, and produce either a shorter or longer audiobook. We can also help with publishing and marketing to the appropriate audience.
Audiobook creation can become a catastrophe when attempted at home for various reasons:
- Investing in expensive recording and editing software and equipment you may not already possess adds to the overall cost.
- The process of recording an audiobook is exceptionally time-consuming.
- Setting up or finding suitable sound-proof studio space at home or elsewhere can be challenging, affecting the audio quality.
- Repeatedly listening to your own recorded voice can be a tedious and disheartening task.
- Booking and managing studio space in advance to accommodate the recording length can be a logistical hassle.
- Purchasing, setting up, and becoming proficient with recording equipment can be complex and time-consuming.
- Finding an appropriate space at home or a friend/family member’s place, with minimal background noise for recording, is crucial but not always readily available.
- Learning to use audio editing software to produce a polished version of the audiobook requires additional time and effort.
- Deciding on publishing platforms and promoting the audiobook effectively is essential for reaching a wider audience.
- Neglecting SEO and call-to-action principles may decrease audience engagement and missed audiobook marketing opportunities.
Conclusion:
Considering everything, audiobooks serve as a magnificent means of education and entertainment. Giving proper recognition to each writer, these unique audio creations are one of the most innovative ways to achieve such praise.
At Universal Ghostwriter, we offer self-publishing services and aim to help our clients with their tasks by providing affordable services. We will make sure to fulfill all of your needs without putting a burden on your finances.