I’ve enjoyed audiobooks for many years now, and since the first audiobook I reviewed, my interest has only grown. I’ve heard a lot of readers rave about audiobooks while others have condemned them. As much as I love audiobooks, my views on them fall in the middle of the spectrum. If you’re on the bench about getting into the world of audiobooks, read on.

Just like traditional books, there are many factors to consider when perusing audiobooks. Aesthetic appeal aside, you may focus on the quality of the binding, the formatting, and the content of print books. For audiobooks, it’s much the same, but instead of the binding and formatting, you’re basically judging the audio’s quality and the narrator’s skill in addition to the story itself.

In my opinion, the best audiobooks provide an experience you wouldn’t get from reading the book yourself. Audio quality should be high. Narrators should be easy to understand, and they should change their tone, pitch, and accent as needed to differentiate between characters and capture each situation. Exceptional audiobooks include sound effects for an even more immersive experience.

Audiobooks that don’t meet at least some of the above criteria, mainly for audio and narrator quality, likely won’t be as enjoyable. Such audiobooks are the reason for my middle stance. I think audiobooks are worth listening to, but only if they are of good quality. Before deciding what audiobook to try, it helps to listen to an audio sample, if possible.

It’s also meaningful to note that reading a print book or ebook while listening to its audio recording can help people improve their reading and listening abilities. This is especially true for those with learning disabilities and those just learning a language. Audiobooks can also prevent the eye strain caused by reading. Those are just a few benefits of audiobooks.

While audiobooks may come with some downsides, such as occasionally being harder to navigate and being more expensive than other options, I think quality audiobooks offer more pros than cons, and I encourage you to at least give them a try. If you’re interested in audiobooks but are turned off by their cost, there are libraries, apps, and websites that provide free copies.*

What are your views on audiobooks?

 

*You can find opportunities to obtain free audiobooks using your browser’s search engine. Some are just free trials, others do not require registration. There are plenty of legal options to choose from, and those are the ones I recommend. It’s up to you to determine the legality and safety of the sites and apps you find.