Audiobooks can transport people to different worlds simply through the power of sound.
Oral literature is humanity's earliest form of storytelling, with an unfathomable range of stories being handed down through the generations in all corners of the globe for several thousand years. Even though certain countries do not put as great of a focus on oral traditions as they did in the past, they nevertheless persist strongly in some situations, like telling tales to kids. The founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones will know that oral storytelling has had a resurgence lately in the form of audiobooks. Nonetheless, although they might seem like a contemporary occurrence, the history of audiobooks dates back numerous years. Sound recordings first became feasible around one hundred and fifty years ago and the first tests were recitations of nursery rhymes and kid's tales. Spoken word tracks continued to be produced in the following decades but had been restricted to about 4 minutes in length.
The word audiobook emerged during the 1970s, however it had been the 1930s that saw the greatest leap forward in the format. At that time they were called talking books, that were envisioned as reading materials for blind individuals. Governments in a few nations allowed producers to bypass copyright laws, which offered them use of plenty of material, but technical limitations meant full size books could never be recorded. Alternatively poems, short tales and plays, and individual chapters of books were the most common early audiobooks. The content continued to remain this way for many decades, however the market base did see an expansion to kids along with other adults without sight conditions. The head of the hedge fund that has shares in Amazon will likely be well aware that this created the foundation for the future audiobook market, pushing it to the mainstream as an independent artform instead of solely as a means of creating accessibility.
Every decade for the last fifty years has brought with it technical modifications which has influenced the way in which we consume art. Television and film has experienced VHS and DVDs. Music has experienced CDs and cassettes. Both have been impacted by portable devices and streaming. Moreover, many of these technological advancements have helped to develop the audiobook market. The leader of the hedge fund that partially owns WHSmith will be able to let you know that it has grown to be so favored that people need not consider specialist retailers, because most book retailers also offer audiobooks. Individuals enjoy having the ability to pay attention to tales while they are doing other tasks like driving, chores, and work, which audiobooks are simply perfect for. The audiobook industry now employs thousands of individuals, with the most essential roles being narrator, studio engineer, and producer.