Despite the prevailing popularity and benefits of audiobooks, there are people who still don’t love them or see their significance.
While readers have praised audiobooks explaining how interesting they are, when asked whether listening to audiobooks is the same as reading books, they respond differently.
Some readers respond with a ‘big yes’, while others respond negatively.
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the sale of audiobooks. This is an indication that audiobooks are here to stay.
If you have never listened to audiobooks before and are considering trying one or two titles, it is important to understand the benefits and downsides associated with audiobooks.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of audiobooks:
Table of Contents
Advantages of Listening to Audiobooks
1) Time-Saving
In this busy life, it is not always easy to find time to read books and expand your knowledge.
But with audiobooks, you can listen to them as your drive and do other physical work. This will help you save a lot of time.
2) Occupy Little Space
Although books can make a room look good, it might not be the case with someone struggling with limited space.
Audiobooks are easy to download on your phone, laptop, or computer, and will take no space in your room. You may check the audible audiobooks review and see some other devices that you can use for audiobooks.
You can enjoy reading your favorite titles without worrying about the storage space and shipping means.
3) Environmental Friendly
Audiobooks are made using modern technology that does not require ink or paper to be produced.
Production of paper needs cutting of trees, a lot of ink, colors, and many other resources that are not environmentally friendly. By using audiobooks, you are conserving the environment.
4) Improving the Reading Experience
Audiobooks will add something to your language, pronunciation, and your reading experience in general.
You will enjoy professional actors reading your favorite book, which will make the book even more interesting.
Also, audiobooks are the best for learning a new language plus many other reading advantages.
5) Accessibility
Libraries have many book collections that may not be easily accessible due to limited reading space, library rules, and many other challenges.
Audiobooks are easy to download as long as you are connected to the internet, you have a phone, or a computer with some space. iPhone and iPad tablets have many audio titles to choose from.
Many readers can access audiobooks at the same time, thus exposing the readers to many new existing novels.
Disadvantages of Listening to Audiobooks
1. Cost
Despite the availability of many free titles that you can borrow to read, some audiobooks are not free and must be bought.
They may seem cheap but it is not the case to many people, especially when they buy something they cannot touch or feel.
2. The Phone’s Battery Life
Audiobooks are very enjoyable to listen to while traveling or doing other physical works, but they largely depend on your phone or tablet’s battery life.
Playing audios on your phone can drain the battery, thus locking you out the connection while on commute.
3. Distractions
As much as you can enjoy audiobooks, you will still have to deal with the effects of distractions.
When you are distracted, you may think of other things and miss some parts of the narration, which will force you to go back and listen to them again.
4. Technology-Based
Technology has significantly made life a lot easier, but it has its downsides as well.
For you to access audiobooks, you must have a phone that can play audio, connect to the internet, and have sufficient storage.
And there are chances that an electronic device can get lost, be damaged, or even corrupted. In such a case, you may lose valuable books that you bought if you had not made a backup.
The cost of buying another gadget and buying books again can increase your budget.
