Although the online audio book phenomenon has been with us
a while, many people remain unsure or unaware of what it's
all about or what audiobooks actually are especially online
audiobooks. I must confess I myself wasn't sure at all.
When I first came across audio books online, I found myself
asking a number of questions; now today as an audio book
site owner I hear a lot of people asking these very same
questions so I decided to publish some of the most common
audiobook question and answers.
You may very well have these same questions in your mind,
wondering how you can find the answers to them. If so, then
here some of them along with the answers:
1. What is an online audio book? It is simply a book in
audio format. Instead of receiving a physical hardcover or
paperback book that you have to read, you get a book in
audio. Traditionally they came on cassette and then CD. Now
the Internet has taken over as the biggest distribution
channel so most of them are bought and downloaded online
hence the term online audio book.
2. What formats do audio books come in? Way way back they
came on vinyl records, followed by cassette formats, CD
format and now in mp3 format or Windows Media Audio (WMA)
format. Both types will play on computers as well as mp3
players and iPods. You can also burn them onto recordable
CDs and DVDs for use in for example, car players.
3. So what exactly is an MP3 audio book? MP3 is simply a
compression technique that reduces the size, so that your
audio book occupies less space (sometimes as little as 80%)
compared to that of a cassette or CD. In this way a modern
MP3 player that has maybe a 1 gigabyte memory can carry a
small library of books!
4. How can MP3 audio books be played? Naturally on any MP3
player as well as Apple iPods. MP3 audio books can also be
played on any new version of CD player that supports the
MP3 technology. They an also be played on any PC that has
Microsoft's Windows Media Player or other related software.
5. What is an unabridged audio book? This is one that was
narrated word for word identically with the original
version. In other words nothing was removed from the
printed book. It has the exact same content as the printed
book, albeit in audio format. These can be very long, ideal
for audiophiles!
6. What is an abridged audio book? This is one which is
shortened and so doesn't contain the exact word for word
narration as the printed book. Imagine it as a film version
of a book. It's been cut and edited for purposes of times
and practicality. Ideal if you're short on time or don't
want or need the whole rambling tale.
7. What is a dramatized audio book? As the name implies,
this is a dramatized theatrical "play-life" version of the
printed book, with usual full cast, music and sound effects.
8. What is the best MP3 player for audio books? There are
many makes and models out there but a few pointers are: a)
At least 1 gigabyte memory as some audio books can be
large. b) Make sure it has mid track resume so that you
pick up where you left off when you have to turn off and on
again or your power runs out. c) Fast rewind and forward -
Like an old cassette player. Especially important if you're
doing things like learning a language. It's really
important to be able to go back and forth over words and
phrases. d) Make sure it supports Windows Media Audio (WMA)
format as well as MP3 as many audio books only come in this
format. If you have a player that does not (called a
passive mp3) then there are workarounds but they are time
consuming.
9. Where are audio books available online? There are many
stores on the Internet selling audio books. Just type
online audio book or mp3 audio book into Google and see
what comes up. If you have a specific title or genre in
mind type that in followed by the phrase mp3 audiobook.
----------------------------------------------------
From London, Nick now lives in Sweden Lena his wife, and
Gunnar a fluffy Border Terrier. He likes long walks which
he combines with learning Swedish from audio books. He runs
http://www.myaudiobookshelf.com where you'll find 8000+
audio books to download and links to a vast but little
known network of free audio book websites. .Sign up to his
email list or download an audio book and you'll get the
full list.
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