Audio Books: The Pros And Cons Of The Different Methods


By Paton Jackson

When I was young I read all the books written by Douglas Adams. I liked it so much that I have managed to persuade my parents to buy the audio books of the titles I have read. I remember getting larges boxes with up to twenty audio cassettes for each book and listening to one cassette each night.

Today one can get audio books in 3 different methods - audio books on cassettes, audio books on CDs and audio books on MP3 or other media files. In this article I will examine the pros and cons of each audio book method.

1. Audio books on cassettes are the oldest method. Their quality is moderate. However, their quality maintains stable for long periods.

Each cassette usually contains one or two chapters of the audio book. Most of the listeners find it inconvenient to change the cassettes so frequently. However, some find it easy having a cassette for each chapter.

The main disadvantage of audio books on cassettes is the fact that audio book on cassettes weight more than the old fashioned book and occupies more space. It is definitely less convenient.
Furthermore, it costs more than the same title on all other methods - the old fashioned book, audio book on a CD or on an MP3 file.

2. Audio books on CDs exist in the market for more than 10 years. However, this method is not as popular as one think it should be. Although it is cheaper and far more convenient than audio books on cassettes it is still as common as audio books on cassettes used to be. Some tend to ascribe this phenomenon to the mass return to the old fashioned books in the past few years.

3. Audio books on MP3 or other media files have many advantages - they are much cheaper than the other audio books' methods, they occupy no physical space at all and their quality is good. Their popularity increased enormously in the past year, but they are still less popular than the other audio books' methods. It is estimated that the popularity of MP3 mobile players as IPod will initiate a revolution considering audio books.


More Resources

Streaming Audio Recorders
1. i-Sound WMA MP3 Recorder 6.
DVD Audio: An Introduction
DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music.
Creating Web Content Using Audio Recordings of Expert Interviews
Creating Web Content Using Audio Recordings of Expert Interviews The easiest way to create content for your websites is also one of the best ways to create value for your clients. It's a wonderful technique that when used well can make a big difference to how professionally your work is perceived in the marketplace.
The Ten Commandments To Creating Amazing Audio Products
1.Thou shall create audio products as the fastest way to come out with a product.
Heres Exactly What Makes Web Audio So Powerful
Have you ever tried to communicate with another person using just actions and sign language? It gets pretty frustrating, doesn't it? Especially when you know that if you could just SAY a few words, they'd get the picture, almost instantly.Well, imagine if the website you've put up on show.
Teleseminars, Audio Downloads, Podcasts: Listen Up So You'll Learn and Earn More
Internet Marketers love audio. You can't blame them.
7 Ways to Use AUDIO to Increase Your Web and E-mail Sales
Thought about adding audio to your Web site yet? You should. While great copy does a good job of selling your services and products, audio will amplify the effect of your words.
Audio Websites -- Web Developers: Make Money Now
Are you a website developer looking to establish a long-term relationship with a web content provider that could make money over the long-term for both of you? Have you considered becoming an expert in the providing of website audio content -- in webcasting and podcasting? Knowing how to present web audio and how to manage such a site can be your key to making money over the web.It is hard to pick up a periodical about the web these days without coming upon an article about the ever increasing use of substantive audio content in websites.
How To Record Streaming Audio, Internet Radio And
When it comes to music on the Internet, you have two legal choices: you can stream tracks, or you can purchase them as individual downloads.Replay Music can record streamed songs from most applications, break them into individual files (either as WAV or 128- to 320-Kbps MP3 files) and even tag them with the correct song and artist info.
MP3 vs. WMA
There are just a few audio compression formats out there, just like there are only a few image compression formats (you may have heard of them: JPG, GIF, BMP). Two of the most popular audio formats are WMA, or Windows Media Audio, and MP3 (Short for MPEG, Moving Pictures Experts Group, Audio Layer 3).
Eight Reasons Why You Must Add Audio to Your Website
NUMBER 1 : INTERNET USERS REMEMBER WHAT THEY HEARDid you know that Internet users remember only 20% of what they read while remembering an amazing 70% of what they hear? Audio on your website will help your message stay with fresh your visitors for longer.NUMBER 2 : AUDIO INCREASES SUBSCRIPTION RATESUsing audio to convey a personal message to entice visitors to subscribe to your newsletter will result in up to 400% more subscribers than using traditional subscription marketing methods.
Internet Radio: A Sanctuary in the Rubbish Tip
The internet, it's a whole world of information and entertainment, but every day it fills up just that extra bit more with complete trash. At every corner, popups, banner ads, viruses, spyware, the list goes on, well I've had enough and I'm sure you share my opinion.
Adding Streaming Audio to Your Website
Adding streaming audio to your web site can help you enhance the message you send to your customers and can serve as a wonderful confidence-building tool. In the past, audio was used primarily as a decorative effect, but advances in technology and the increased use of the internet by consumers have made it easy for you to add streaming audio to your web site and create a personal bond with your clientele.
The Ten Commandments of Using Streaming Audio On Your Website
When it comes to placing audio on your website there are Ten Commandments you absolutely must follow. Break one of these Commandments and you can watch your website drive visitors away faster than the speed of sound.
What The Muscle Power of Audio Can Do for Your Site
How Audio can Influence SalesAudio can enhance your website by letting your visitor listen to your voice, which is the next closest form of marketing besides a face to face meeting.Who can use Audio?Anyone can use audio, it all depends how knowledgeable you are when it comes to designing your site.
Add Audio to Your Web Site and Increase Your Sales up to 35%!
Ok, you've got your site built, you have traffic coming to it, agood product at a reasonable price..
wav; Recording Voice or Instruments
A graduate student in Belfast wrote to me about a project he was doing. It is an inter-active instructional CD on the Tin Whistle.
WAV; Useful Applications; Recording Your Tapes or L.P.s to CD
My first article about digital recording that I have had published in various places on the net for some time, talks about the two main audio formats midi. and wav.
CD/DVD Master Preparation Tips
"CD/DVD Master" is the disc you provide to your CD/DVD vendor for replication or duplication of that media. Here are some helpful tips for creating a high quality master:- Always use high quality media.
Adding Sound To Your Web Site - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Many webmasters like the idea of adding background music to their web sites but most shy away from doing it worrying about slow loading pages and large file sizes. There are many different ways to add background music to your site and some of them don't require large files to achieve professional results.

More Audio Streaming Information:

Related Articles

Adding Sound To Your Web Site - The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Many webmasters like the idea of adding background music to their web sites but most shy away from doing it worrying about slow loading pages and large file sizes. There are many different ways to add background music to your site and some of them don't require large files to achieve professional results.
Jingles - What Constitutes A Successful Jingle Campaign?
What constitutes a successful jingle campaign? In this article we will examine and listen to 4 successful jingle campaigns and look for key ingredients to their success.Jingle Campaign #1, Mr.
Why Arent You Using Audio?
As use of the Internet continues to grow geometrically, we see an increased demand for information to be provided by a variety of media. Viewing options can range from simple text to PDF documents to video clips.
How to Create Professional Audio Books from Scratch
My name is Alan Twigg and I'm writing this article to offer advice to anyone thinking of creating their own professional audio books.In the New Year I came up with the idea of creating professional children's stories and offering them for download on the internet.
Streaming Audio Recorders
1. i-Sound WMA MP3 Recorder 6.
7 Ways to Use Website Audio in Your Marketing Arsenal
Most visitors to your website are using computers with audio capabilities. Recently introduced techniques make it easy to take advantage of this capability.
Five Tips to Become a Soundbite Genius
1. Speak in soundbites to everyone.
MP3 Audio File Format - A New Format for Storing Sounds
What is a MP3? Do you know what MP3 stands for? Here is some basic information about MP3?s and a resource link for everything you need to know about MP3 players.
How to Add Audio to Video
Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.
Dont Use Web Audio The Wrong Way
Have you ever wrestled with a set of instructions, but then got so frustrated with it all that you threw them aside in a fluster and tried to figure out how to do it? yourself?Resulting in?Making a great big mess of it all?Similarly, if you really want to use Web Audio the right way, the way that WORKS, then you need to know what DOESN'T work.Here's what many people do, pretty systematically? to hinder their marketing and audio responses:1.
Teleseminars, Audio Downloads, Podcasts: Listen Up So You'll Learn and Earn More
Internet Marketers love audio. You can't blame them.
wav; Recording Voice or Instruments
A graduate student in Belfast wrote to me about a project he was doing. It is an inter-active instructional CD on the Tin Whistle.
Eight Reasons Why You Must Add Audio to Your Website
NUMBER 1 : INTERNET USERS REMEMBER WHAT THEY HEARDid you know that Internet users remember only 20% of what they read while remembering an amazing 70% of what they hear? Audio on your website will help your message stay with fresh your visitors for longer.NUMBER 2 : AUDIO INCREASES SUBSCRIPTION RATESUsing audio to convey a personal message to entice visitors to subscribe to your newsletter will result in up to 400% more subscribers than using traditional subscription marketing methods.
CD/DVD Master Preparation Tips
"CD/DVD Master" is the disc you provide to your CD/DVD vendor for replication or duplication of that media. Here are some helpful tips for creating a high quality master:- Always use high quality media.
The Ten Commandments To Creating Amazing Audio Products
1.Thou shall create audio products as the fastest way to come out with a product.
Why Publishing MP3 Can Cost You A Fortune
This was news to me. It might be news to you too:MP3 is NOT free to use if you're an online publisher.
MP3 vs. WMA
There are just a few audio compression formats out there, just like there are only a few image compression formats (you may have heard of them: JPG, GIF, BMP). Two of the most popular audio formats are WMA, or Windows Media Audio, and MP3 (Short for MPEG, Moving Pictures Experts Group, Audio Layer 3).
DVD Audio: An Introduction
DVD Audio is a music format that is designed to offer improved audio performance over CD. The new audio format can be used to provide listeners with Advanced Resolution stereo and/or multi-channel (up to a maximum of six channels) music.
WAV; Useful Applications; Recording Your Tapes or L.P.s to CD
My first article about digital recording that I have had published in various places on the net for some time, talks about the two main audio formats midi. and wav.
Audio Websites -- Web Developers: Make Money Now
Are you a website developer looking to establish a long-term relationship with a web content provider that could make money over the long-term for both of you? Have you considered becoming an expert in the providing of website audio content -- in webcasting and podcasting? Knowing how to present web audio and how to manage such a site can be your key to making money over the web.It is hard to pick up a periodical about the web these days without coming upon an article about the ever increasing use of substantive audio content in websites.