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Posts Tagged ‘Audio’

Audio books are a great way to use ‘empty’ time. Load an audio book into your MP3 player or iPod – you can find audio books for just about any interest, from novels to business books and audio books about self-improvement to even the bible or the coran. You can find them 24 hours a day, just by clicking a few buttons on your computer and an internet shop delivers the contents for your iPod or MP3 player conveniently to you.

Even if they have only become very popular again recently, the concept of audio books goes back about eighty years! Initially books on tape or on LP’s were produced for the blind. Here’s a short look back in history:

Already in the 1920′s, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in England (RNIB) initiate research to find the best way to produce audio books for blind soldiers that were the result of the World War I battles. They finally decide to produce audio books on LP’s and the first ones were made in 1926. To play them they were put on the old fashioned LP players that had to be cranked by hand and delivered the sound through the big horn. This was a great development for the blind, but was hardly used by normal consumers. So these audio books from RNIB remained a niche product and never reached the masses.

The concept was successful and in 1936 the Royal National Institute for the Blind launched the ‘Talking Book Service’. The first two books they produced were:’The murder of Roger Ackroyd’ (Agatha Christie) and ‘Thyphoon’ (Joseph Conrad). Because the records could only hold 25 minutes of spoken text, an average audio book had to be recorded on an average of ten records.

During WWII, the studio used by the RNIB was bombed, and one month later a replacement studio was bombed as well, destroying much needed equipment to continue the production. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), who had started to produce audio books in the USA sent replacement parts and equipment to London so that the production could be taken up again.

The old fashioned LP’s were replaced by modern LP’s and finally cassettes, making listening to audio books more convenient. Sony’s Walkman made it possible to take your audio book with you and listen on the go. This is when audio books started to be bought by the general consumers. The next step was to produce these listening books on CD, making them even more convenient.

Over the last few years the audio book technology has made a quantum leap: Digital MP3 files can be packed onto a player that weighs only a few grams and runs on a set of batteries for many hours. The most popular player is without doubt the Apple iPod, but there are many other MP3 players on the market that have helped to make listening to content on the go very popular.

Finding an audio book is as easy as typing an address into your internet browser, consulting the catalog of the audio book shop and then downloading your audio book within minutes. No more need to visit your local library or book shop. If you want to shop at 3 am – no problem, the shop is open 24 hours!

One shop that offers a wide variety of audio books is the AudioBooksCorner Store. High quality audio books from publishers like BBC, Hachette and many others cover a wide variety of topics. Best selling authors offer their books as audio books and the well known foreign language courses by Pimsleur are available for download too.

The internet has added a whole new dimension for many industries to explore, expand into and monetise, including the audio book download market. These days anyone with an internet connection and a computer or laptop has easy access to a wide selection of MP3 audio books. An increase in sales and popularity for this niche ensures it will be here for many years to com. This type of online service has been especially useful for business people who travel frequently, commuters and families looking for something to occupy the children on long trips.

The audio book market has something to suit the needs of any book lover. With the vast selection available online, the audio book download market is sure to have something that will suit just about anyones needs or taste. Business books make up a significant part of the audio book market. You can find a vast array of business categories with a large number of titles in each category just by surfing the internet. When you find one you like, all you have to do is download the mp3 or wma digital file and your ready to go. Other interesting and helpful resources like motivational materials and expert authors writing on such topics as, “establishing a successful business,” are readily available.

Audio book downloads are made available to the consumer through hundreds of online stores and websites. An increasingly popular online store to obtain your MP3 audio books is Simply Listen Audiobooks. Consumers can download digital recordings of their favorite topic or author at prices that are less than purchasing the actual paper book itself. Apart from saving money the more eco-conscious amongst us will be happy in the knowledge that they are also helping the planet by not contributing to the mass tree felling programs that are going on in many parts of the world.

These online digital libraries usually stock thousands of titles with the vast majority of the best authors and subjects readily available. As a result users are certain to find something that fits their preferences while providing the opportunity to expand their horizons. If this is something that you think you may find interesting or useful but want to try the free option before laying down your hard cash, then try some of the free audio book downloads first.

Most of the first generation online audio book stores are still subscription based or membership based services. But these days you can get access to a huge number of top quality audio books without the imposition of having to join a club or pay a monthly membership fee. Most of the new wave of online audio book stores offer the same advantages and do so without the customer being tied down to purchasing from one place because of a recurring membership fee.

Some of the advantages include: being able to pick and choose the stores you download from; choosing to buy when you want; choosing to buy as many or as few titles you want; no postage costs; no late fees; instant downloads providing instant access 24 hrs a day 365 days a year. Which of course means you no longer have to depend on the postal service for delivery.

With the frantic lifestyles we we lead in today’s society, the audio book market provides a valuable service for book lovers and the busy professional alike. MP3 players, ipods and compact discs along with the convenience of the internet make it possible to listen to just about any book you want at almost any time.

In my opinion this is a fantastic marriage of new technology and services that everyone from the youngest to the oldest can definitely benefit from in some way, shape or form.

The growing popularity of the iPod has led to a number of innovations in several fields. It has truly become the most portable symbol of the mass media and how information can be disseminated through it. When the concept of the audio book was introduced it was challenged on the grounds that it was not mobile enough. But with the popularity of iPod, and with the fact that every other person now owns one, it has become possible to use it as a medium through which audio books can be played and made mobile.

With the growth of the iPod sales from 8.53 million  in the first quarter of the year 2006 to a whooping 10 million in the year 2007, there is no doubt about the wide reach that this small and simple device has among the people. Interestingly, this can be related to the topic we are now discussing – the popularity of audio books. The year 2005 saw a whooping fifty percent rise in the number of audio books sold than the previous year. There is indeed no doubt that this has happened because of more and more people finding out how their audio books can easily be carried around on their iPod, dispelling their concerns about being able to access them only from the comforts of their homes where they have a computer.

Apart form the iPod, mp3 players and other portable players that play audio files, the digital music system in the cars is another medium which has made the use of audio books extremely popular. It is a known fact that a large number of people spend a lot of time on travel each day commuting to and from their workplace. This has increased the time that they spend ‘on the go’, which means that a large number of people spend a lot of time in their cars. Therefore, the music system of the car becomes an ideal way to popularize audio books. Stuck in the traffic jam, there is nothing as relaxing as listening to your favorite author being read out to you as an audio book on your iPod. This helps a great deal in dispelling the gloom that one faces because of the number of hours one spends caught up in the middle of traffic on all sides.

One advantage that audio books have over their predecessors in hard copy, is that one can most easily multi task while listening to a favorite book being read out to them. They can be cooking or cleaning while the audio book is playing on your iPod. This is particularly useful for those who have very little time to spare to sit and read a book cover to cover. The beauty about this whole concept is that not only fiction and classic can be heard in the audio format, but also learning books, business books and even lectures can be heard as audio files.

Are you are a business professional? Then you are among the busiest of people in this world. They are often on the go during almost every waking hour and simply do not have the time they need to sit down and read a good book, let alone read a business book.

Typically, as you are a business professional you can have so many things going on all at once, it is difficult sometimes to even find time for family and friends let alone reading, which is where an audio business book comes in extremely handy.

If you have not started to download audio books from the internet you are missing a real treat. They are providing many business people with a great opportunity to use their time in a really effective way.

Today, your questions about audio books are answered. We will explain just how they can help the busy professional.

Can an audio business book help me manage my time?

Absolutely. With audio books, you are making the most of your time and effort. It takes a great deal of time to read a book page by page. How many people do you know that have the ability to read and drive at the same time? Is it really all that easy to eat and read at the same time? How about walking and reading or exercising and reading? None of which are particularly easy or even possible. So instead of having to take time out of your busy day for reading your book, now you can listen to an audio business book.

What formats do audio books come in?

What is great about audio books is that they cater to everyone, with the different varieties of formats available. For example, thanks to MP3 format you can download them to your MP3 player and listen while you walk, exercise, eat, and ride the subway or carry out almost any activity really.

With CD format, you can pop the CD into your portable CD player, your car CD player, or your home CD player and listen while you are on the way to work, doing your household chores, or exercising as well. The cassette format is still very popular today, but to download audio books has become so easy and fast, not to mention cheap that they are overtaking in the CD format in popularity.

How does an audio book help a professional?

Well, if you think about it, you often need to learn new skills and information that pertains to your business. Perhaps you have a client that speaks only a foreign language, instead of your native tongue. Well, there are audio books available that can help you learn a foreign language, all the while you are getting your work done, or making the most out of the little free time you get.

What types of audio books are there?

When it comes to the download audio books for business, there are many different varieties, such as foreign language, management, marketing as well as books on different programs, software, and techniques. A lot of research materials for projects and meetings can be found on audio books as well. An audio business book allows you to make the most out of your workday and personal time, which is something a busy professional does not get a great deal of time to enjoy.

The internet has added a whole new level of success to many industries, including the audio book download industry. Because anybody with an internet connection and a computer can easily get a wide selection of MP3 books, the sales and popularity of this niche has only increased over the years. This industry has been especially useful for business people who travel frequently and families who go on long trips often with their children. The audio book industry has something to suit the needs of any book lover.

With the wide selection available online, the audio book download industry is surely going to have something you will find interesting. Business books make up a considerable part of the audio book industry. You can find a wide array of business categories with a large number of titles in each category just by surfing the internet. When you find one you like, you can get an MP3 download in a matter of minutes. You can even find lectures and motivational materials that you can download and listen to as well as tips for a successful business.

Audio book downloads are available through many companies and websites. One of the most popular places to get your MP3 books is through Audible. Users can download digital recordings of their favorite books for a cost that is less than buying the actual book. With thousands of available titles, users are certain to find something that fits their preferences while expanding their reading perspectives. Internet users can also download their favorite audio book free from popular sites like free-books and freeclassicaudiobooks, as well as other sites that are non-profit.

Besides convenience, the audio book download industry provides other services to customers to encourage them to explore other possibilities. Many websites offer a subscription service where subscribers can buy or rent an audio book the same way others rent videos from their local video store. With a membership, you have unlimited access to thousands of audio books. At simplyaudiobooks, the cost of membership includes the shipping charges and late fees so you just pay a low monthly rate to enjoy your favorite books. You can listen to a wider selection of books to expose yourself to ones you might have otherwise missed by utilizing a low-cost subscription service.

Audio books serve a variety of purposes for today’s busy lifestyle. With the popularity of portable media players combined with easy downloads from a number of websites, seeing people walk around while listening to a favorite book is becoming more common. In addition to renting or buying your favorite book, free ones are also available on a few websites that are more educational and informative in nature. Whatever your preferences, chances are there is an audio book download to satisfy your needs and a website that can provide it.