The Use of Audiobooks on the iPod is on the Rise
iPod and MP3 players are becoming omnipresent. Everywhere you go, you see the familiar headphones in someone’s ears. And with the busy lifestyles we live, it is no wonder that audiobook sales are soaring. The combination of audiobooks and iPods are now making it possible for people to listen to their books on tape, or audiobooks where ever they go.
Apple and its many retail partners managed to sell 88 iPods per minute in 2006 which totaled 46,432,000 iPods sold. That is more then 1 iPod sold per second! The Christmas season from October and December were obviously the busiest of the year.
IPod sales look to continue to grow in 2007. In the first quarter of 2006, total iPods sold were 8.53 million. It is estimated that for the first quarter of 2007 iPod sales will be over 10 million. Some predict that the new iPhone will slow down iPod sales, but others feel the iPhone will not be competition due to its US $500 Price plus associated fees.
Audiobook sales have also been soaring. In 2005, audiobook sales totaled $871 million. Audio books are getting a boost in sales due to the rise in popularity of downloadable audiobooks which represented 9 percent of total audio book sales in 2005. While that number may seem small, it is a 50 percent increase in sales from 2004. It is fair to predict that audiobook downloads are going to continue to rise due to the rise in popularity of iPods and MP3 players.
Another reason audiobook download sales are going to continue to soar is that as of this year, almost all new cars are now capable of playing digital audio files. 97 million Americans drive alone to work everyday, and commuters are stuck in traffic an average of 62 hours per year. That is 32 percent of the entire U.S. population, and that does not even include those who commute by bike, bus, train or car pool. Now that audiobooks can be played so easily in cars and on iPods, it’s easy to see that audiobook download sales are going to skyrocket even further.
It is clear that with the rise in iPods and MP3 players, and the rise in audiobook downloads go hand in hand. Listening to your audiobooks on iPods is a great way to maximize your time. It seems to be harder then ever to find the time to read. We can now find time to read, or rather listen thanks to our trusted iPods and MP3 players.
We can multi-task by listening to our audiobooks as we exercise, clean the house, commute to work, or even just listen to as we relax. In fact, there are several audiobook titles that are designed to help you fall asleep and to relax.
Many businessmen love listening to their sales or motivation audiobooks. Students are listening to assigned literature on their iPods as audiobooks. People are learning a foreign language with audiobooks. And couples are saving their relationships by listening to audiobooks.
Audiobook downloads are priced far better then audiobooks in prepackaged CD’s, which another great feature. There are also many free titles to listen to and many quality websites let you listen to five minutes of your audiobook before making a purchase.
It is easy to download your audiobook off of the Internet. You simply select your title, make the secure purchase, then you are ready to download. The download takes seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of the file on most computers. If you have a dialup, you can select the smallest size file for each title which is not as good of quality, but still sounds as good as any audiobook CD you may have purchased from the store. Once you download your audiobook, you can play it on your PC, burn it to disc, or you can load it to your iPod or MP3 player.
After learning how easy it is do listen to an audio book on your iPod or MP3 player, what are you waiting for, go out there and listen to you audio book today!
If you are ready to start downloading your audiobooks today, the author recommends visiting http://www.audiobookstoreportal.com. If you own a website and would like to sell audiobooks through your site, visit http://www.audiobookstoreportal.com/affiliatesignup.html
Top Books to Hook Friends on Science Fiction
It’s a common question asked of science fiction fans – “Why do you read that stuff?” I’ve always found the best answer is to pick a great title and tell your friend to try reading it.
Of course, the right book depends a great deal on your friend’s personality. Take a roommate I had in college. She wanted to figure out what it was about science fiction that held my attention so, and asked me to let her borrow “Stranger in a Strange Land”.
I gave her “Starbridge” by A.C. Crispin. Why?
This was a very quiet girl. Innocent. She changed her clothes in the bathroom because she didn’t want anyone to see her getting dressed. Can you imagine her reading “Stranger”?
“Starbridge” worked perfectly. She was shocked, utterly and completely shocked that there could be sex in science fiction. I didn’t want to scare her completely off, fun as it might have been, by exposing her to anything more intense than the mild scene in “Starbridge”.
And yes, I laughed.
Of course, “Stranger in a Strange Land” is not something I would hand to most people for their first exposure to science fiction. Heinlein may be one of the great authors, but some of his works aren’t for the unprepared.
One of the first things to think about is whether to recommend a book that is more science fiction or more fantasy. The two get so intertwined, and which is really better can depend on what your friend is most likely to enjoy.
The first thing to do is go through your own collection. Knowing your friend, which is the most appropriate to hand over? There’s probably something.
If nothing comes to mind right away, I recommend starting out by thinking of some of the more popular authors. “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card may be a good choice. Same for “Nightfall” by Isaac Asimov.
The thing to consider is what kind of books, movies or television shows your friend likes already. Science fiction novels can have aspects of any other kind of fiction. The friend who loves historical novels may enjoy alternative histories. The romance reader may be more likely to enjoy the fantasy side of science fiction. The technology buff may enjoy hard science fiction.
Make your selection based on what you think your friend would like, unless you want to try to shock them. Many people are surprised to find out that science fiction novels aren’t all ray guns, bug eyed monsters and rockets that can make U-turns.
Stephanie Fosters shares her thoughts at http://www.sciencefictionado.com/ about her favorite science fiction. She reviews science fiction novels at http://www.sciencefictionado.com/book-reviews/ as well as television shows and movies on her site.
5 Reasons Audiobooks Rule
1) There are many different formats for you to enjoy your audiobooks and thus can be listened to in many different ways, and on many devices. After downloading off of the Internet, audiobooks can be played on computers, then can be burned to a disc, and can be loaded to an iPod, Zune or mp3 player.
2) I am now able to take in many more books per month compared to when I only read my books because the amount of time I have to sit down and read written books is very limited. Before discovering audiobooks, I was able to squeeze in about 2 books a month. I still do read about 1 per month, but now, I add another 2-5 audiobooks that I listen to on my iPod or while I drive on my cars CD player.
3) I am far more productive with my downtime due to audiobooks. One way that I am now more productive is better using my time on the commute to work. I rarely listen to mindless radio anymore; instead, I now listen to an audio book. I am big on customer service at my job and I am able to learn a log from business and relationship audiobooks. Ever since I started listening to these kinds of audiobooks on my drive to work, my productivity has gone up and my boss has really appreciated and implemented many of the ideas that I have picked up on my commute.
4) There is a former colleague of mine who was an avid reader who recently had a stroke. He is extremely pleased to have discovered the joy of audiobooks for himself. He can now keep his brain stimulated and can learn new things with out having to pick up a book and read it. His vision has been blurry so it is difficult for him to stay focused on the printed words of books. The visually impaired also greatly benefit from listening to audio books. This way, they do not have to strain their eyes over the tiny printed words, instead, all they have to do is hit play and sit back and listen.
5) One thing I really love about audio books is that you no longer have to kiss your book good bye when you loan it out to a friend. I am sure that this has happened to everyone, after loaning out your book, you never see it again. Now it is no big deal, you can easily burn someone an audiobook on CD and not have to worry about getting it back. You could also easily load your audiobook to a friend’s iPod or Zune.
In the past, you could purchase your audiobooks through catalogs or you could rent them from the library as books on tape. Thanks to advances in technology, these books on tape are now books on CD.
Today, the best, fastest and easiest place to find audiobooks is on the Internet. You can chose from many categories or genres which range from biographies, best sellers, juvenile, old time radio, thrillers, comedies, learn a foreign language, and religious titles.
You can download your audiobooks in both their abridged or unabridged form. It does not take long to download your audiobook either, anywhere from seconds to just a few minutes for the longest titles. If you are on a slow dial up modem, you can choose the smallest file which is still in surprisingly excellent quality. Virtually every title to choose from comes with a free sample download so that you can listen to the narrator before deciding to make the purchase.
I am confident that you will love audiobooks to if you have not already discovered them for all of the preceding reasons. You will free up a ton of time by listening to your audiobooks while you commute, walk the dog, or work around the house which really is priceless. I encourage you to check out how easy and affordable it is to download your audiobooks today.
The author recommends visiting http://www.audiobookstoreportal.com to discover the joys of audiobooks for yourself.
Have You Ever Heard of Books that Come Alive?
There are many different types of audio books around these days, literally something for everybody. Whether you prefer to be engrossed in a spooky tale, a romantic love story, a side-splitting comedy or a gritty crime story, there are thousands of audio books that you can choose from.
There is a lot of difference between reading and listening. Listening makes you feel that you are there and you can enjoy the story more. Perhaps, listening to audio books can bring out the best in books. Good audio books usually have many narrators perform as each character in the books.
Listening to audio books can be better when compare to watching films that based on the same books. You can relate to stories in books better using your imagination, something that cannot transfer from books to films (acting, directing, and mostly censoring of films make films somewhat distort from their original books.) If you have never tried an audio book, you really should give it a try!
In some ways, audio books are even better than traditional books. If you want to buy a particular book, you have to traipse around the shops trying to find it or order it on the phone or online and then sit at home awaiting the postman. With an audio book, you can download it immediately. You can decide what book you want to listen to and be listening to it within minutes. You can relax, shut your eyes (something else you can’t do with a conventional book!) and be absorbed in the story. Many audio books feature sound effects so you feel like you are really there. You can play an audio book over and over again and it does not get scruffy like a conventional paper book. An audio book can tell a story much better than a printed book. Imagine hearing a book being read by its author who is reading his words like they were meant to be heard. The characters really come to life in an audio book. If you lend someone a book, you might not get it back. To lend someone an audio book, you just need to copy it onto CDs or a DVD.
You could enjoy the biography of your favorite actress whilst walking the dog or washing the floor. You could listen to a gritty crime drama while driving home from work or in your house. You can relax wherever you are and enjoy your audio book and you can listen in total privacy on your headphones.
There are many other types of audio books apart from fiction. You can learn a foreign language, for example, using an audio book. A conventional book does not explain properly how a word is supposed to be pronounced. You could brush up on some Greek phrases for your vacation this year or learn some handy French or Spanish. Listening to a native speaker pronounce those words and phrases is a million times better than reading them in a book and guessing the right pronunciation.
If you fancy giving up smoking, losing weight or increasing your willpower, there are hypnosis audio books available and they have been scientifically proven to work.
You might want to consider audio books for your children so you can either listen to the story together or still turn lights out at 9PM and let them drift off to sleep while listening to their favorite fairy stories or exciting adventure.
When you have finished downloading your audio books, you can play it on your computer speakers, put it on your i-pod or mp3 player or burn it on to a CD for yourself or as a great gift for someone you love. That is how versatile audio books are.
Audio books are relatively inexpensive, especially downloadable audio books. Buying digital downloadable audio book is fun and couldn’t be easier. Have a look online and you will be pleasantly surprised at just how many audio books there are for you to choose from.
There is a library full of audio books ready for you to download at http://www.RightAudioBooks.com
Where you can listen before you buy! 30-day Money Back, Guarantee.
Reading Dr. Seuss Books Makes Better Speakers
After years of reading books and of also reading stories to children, I’ve found that books by the late American author Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel (1904-1991), are by far the most energizing and useful publications where exercising your vocal and acting techniques are concerned.
The works of Dr. Seuss present us with a wealth of tongue twisting, intellectually stimulating and highly unique pieces of copy to practice not only voice acting skills but preparation for any form of communications including public speaking, podcasting, storytelling and overcoming vocal difficulties such as stuttering and dyslexia.
Reading Dr. Seuss books aloud is encouraged and also an easily accessible resource with copies stocked in every library and bookstore in the world. You may already have a few of Dr. Seuss’ 42 world-famous children’s titles lining your bookshelf at home in a private collection.
All of Dr. Seuss’ books embody challenging vocal tasks that take preparation, skill and stamina. As with many things in life, these publications may look cute, but trust me, these children’s books pack a powerful punch!
Dr. Seuss was a smart guy who liked creating endearing characters, new words, rhyming passages and instilled didactic, cautionary techniques in his storytelling. It is these attributes and qualities of his books that have kept them on shelves and in print decades after their first go round at Random House in New York.
I mentioned that this fellow was a smart cookie, but just how smart? Although he wasn’t a real doctor, there’s no questioning his genius!
Dr. Seuss planned each page carefully as a vocal exercise that involves every inch of your mental power, acting ability, and vocal prowess.
Here are some of the benefits of a Dr. Seuss Workout:
- Better articulation
- Breath Control
- Phrasing and Timing
- Characterization
- Develops Sight Reading / Cold Reading Skills
- Interpretation
Another benefit I didn’t mention is that if you are reading these to your kids or children in your care, they will enjoy your storytelling and you will also enjoy the pleasure of having an appreciative audience to test your voice acting techniques out on.
If you’re looking for some Dr. Seuss books to help you develop particular skills mentioned above, I recommend the following:
Rhyming, Phrasing, Voice Acting: Hop On Pop, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
Phrasing, Breath Control, Articulation: Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat In The Hat (50th Anniversary 2007)
Characterization, Stamina, Emotional Variance: The Lorax, How The Grinch Stole Christmas
A Dr. Seuss book that comes highly recommended by prominent Los Angeles based voice over coach Nancy Wolfson for reading advertising copy effectively is “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish”.
According to Nancy, the Doctor Seuss book “One Fish Two Red Fish Blue Fish” contains hidden gems to help people perform commercial scripts with confidence, placing emphasis on the proper words in a line of ad copy so that they do not sound “announcery”.
Nancy Wolfson, who has been incorporating this resource into her curriculum for years, hints that there is one key trick buried in “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” that is 100% analogous to the necessary rhythms of ad copy, especially ad copy meant for television broadcast.
Just think the books that you read or have read to your kids could be making you money in the field of public speaking, podcasting or voice over acting.
The books mentioned above are just a sampling of the 42 books that Dr. Seuss had written and illustrated over the years.
Other Dr. Seuss books that you may be interested in discovering for practicing and developing your vocal technique include:
- And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street
- The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
- The King’s Stilts
- Horton Hatches the Egg
- McElligot’s Pool
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
- Bartholomew and the Oobleck
- If I Ran the Zoo
- Scrambled Eggs Super!
- Horton Hears a Who!
- On Beyond Zebra!
- If I Ran the Circus
- How The Grinch Stole Christmas
- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
- Happy Birthday to You!
- The Sneetches and the Other Stories
- Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book
- I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
- The Cat in the Hat Songbook
- I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! And Other Stories
- I Can Draw It Myself
- The Lorax
- Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
- Hunches in Bunches
- The Butter Battle Book
- Oh, The Places You’ll Go
Beginner Books
- The Cat in the Hat
- The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
- Green Eggs and Ham
- Hop on Pop
- Dr. Seuss’s ABC
- Fox in Socks
- The Foot Book
- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
- Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now?
- The Shape of Me and Other Stuff
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket
- Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!
- The Cat’s Quizzer
- I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
- Oh Say Can You Say?
Stephanie Ciccarelli is the Vice President of Marketing with http://www.Voices.com, an online marketplace hosting more than 10,000 professional voice talents from around the world. Stephanie is the author of The Definitive Guide To Voice-Over Success, and The Voice-Over Script Collection.