This growth can be accounted for by changing technologies and the need to multitask. Even popular novel series like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Game of Thrones now have audiobooks. According to the Association of American Publishers, in the first eight months of 2017, audiobook sales rose by 20%, print books by 1.5%, while e-books dropped by 5.4%. At present, audiobook sales are growing faster than both print books and e-books. Audio enhancers also grew in popularity, for pretty obvious reasons. It was not until the 1980s that the audiobook industry really boomed, with major producers of audiobooks growing from eleven to twenty-one. On another note, audiobook torrents can also be downloaded for free.

However, it is Caedmon Records that is considered to be the pioneer of the audiobook industry, with a recording of Dylan Thomas reading a collection of his own poetry released to the public in 1952. With further advancements in sound technology making it possible to have longer recordings, the American Foundation for the Blind started the “Talking Books Program” in 1931, with free distribution of audio recordings of books to visually impaired people. The first words he recorded on a phonograph was “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” making it the first sound recorded piece of literature. Did you know?ĭid you know that audiobooks, or “talking books,” were specifically created for blind readers? It was Thomas Edison who first envisioned phonographic books, after his successful invention of the phonograph in 1877. Thank you for sharing your experience! Your comment will be reviewed and published shortly.

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