This article addresses 35 most asked question about audiobooks for people who want to get started with audiobooks.
If you want to know about audiobook format vs physical books, popular audiobook platforms or how to get into audiobooks, this article covers all basic questions that you might have.
You can also visit get started with audiobooks in 5 steps article to start your audiobook journey.
35 Most Asked Question about Audiobooks
Without further ado, let’s start. If you have any other questions, you can ask in the comments section.
1. When were audiobooks invented?
Audiobooks were invented in 1932 by a recording studio established by The American Foundation for the Blind.
Books were recorded on vinyl records, with 15 minutes of narration on each side.
The following year, Congress passed a bill allowing the Library of Congress to begin producing audiobooks.
Read More: A short history of audiobook
2. How popular are audiobooks?
Audiobooks are fastest growing format in book publishing, according to Writer’s Digest.
Digital Journal projected that audiobook industry is expected to grow to a staggering USD 19.30 Billion by 2027.
According to Statista, 53% of adult Americans have listened to audiobooks at least once in last 12 months.
3. Are audiobooks as good as reading?
According to Discover Magazine, research by US Berkeley scanned the brains of nine participants after they read and listened to different stories and found that stories stimulated the same cognitive and emotional areas, regardless of their medium.
4. Is listening to an audiobook faster than reading?
Reading is a clear winner when it comes to speed. An average reader reads around 250 words/minute or 15000 words/hour while an audiobook covers around 9000 words/hour.
By reading, we can cover 40% more content in an hour than listening. If you want to cover more books in less time, reading is the best option.
Multitasking (listening to audiobooks when doing other things) and increased narration speed can help you cover more audiobooks in less time.
5. How are audiobooks useful in our lives?
According to Psychology Today, audiobooks disrupt negative thinking, reduce depression and anxiety, and boost our moods.
Listening to audiobooks is a therapeutic activity that replaces negative thinking and helps relax our eyes by using our ears.
6. Do audiobooks make you smarter?
According to the Audio Publisher Association, audiobooks help build and enhance vital literacy skills such as vocabulary, language acquisition, fluency, comprehension, pronunciation, and phonemic awareness.
These are skills that often boost reading scores.
7. Are audiobooks good for the brain?
There is plenty of scientific research and studies that highlight the mental benefits of audiobook for our brains.
According to a study by University College London, participants showed a more intense physiological and emotional reaction after listening to audiobooks than watching TV or films.
When we listen to audiobooks, our brain creates a scenario and imagery to support the words which is a mental workout and promotes brain health.
8. Are audiobooks good for kids?
According to Mary Carrol, a reading specialist at The Children’s School New York, listening can expand vocabulary and following along visually while listening can enhance word-recognition ability among kids.
According to APA, “young students’ listening skills are a minimum of two years above their reading skills” and “audiobooks allow a child to delve deeper into complicated topics”.
9. Why is it hard for me to listen to audiobooks?
Listening is an art and it takes time to grow on you. One of the main benefits of audiobooks can also be a disadvantage for many.
Avid book readers find it hard to focus and concentrate on audiobooks while multitasking.
Your eyes and brains are committed to the book during a reading session which makes it easy to focus, as compared to listening.
10. How can I focus better while listening to an audiobook?
Listen in short intervals and have listening sessions where no one disturbs you. If you have a focus problem, do not multitask (do other things) when listening to a book.
Listen to a book where you can focus better. Listening during a commute or while driving is better than listening in noisy places.
Stop if you can not concentrate because you are tired or feeling sleepy.
11. What can I do while listening to audiobooks?
Audiobooks provide a nice distraction while doing things that are mentally taxing. Audiobooks will keep you entertained during your gym session, walking and running, while you are doing laundry or gardening.
Some people love audiobooks while cooking or housekeeping, others enjoy them while coloring or painting.
It all depends on your hobbies and routine.
12. How to get used to listening to audiobooks?
Start slow and have dedicated listening sessions. Start by listening to short audiobooks and books that you have already read and enjoyed.
Learn to focus and concentrate and experiment with narration speed.
Do not replace reading with listening at the start. Listening is different than reading and it takes time to get used to.
13. What are some of the pros and cons of audiobooks?
The audiobook format has many benefits over physical books. Here are 5 of them
- Multitasking: Listen to audiobooks while walking, driving, during a gym session, or on the commute to work.
- Portability: Carry as many books as you want during travel, not possible with physical books.
- Accessibility and Availability: Get the book on your phone with a few taps. No need to visit a book store or a library. Audiobooks do not go out of stock because of their format.
- Ideal Medium for People with Disabilities: Visually impaired individuals and dyslexia patients can enjoy books in audio format.
- Environment Friendly: Save trees
And many more benefits.
There are some disadvantages of audiobooks including high costs and focus problems.
You can check a complete list of advantages and disadvantages of the audiobook format to decide if audiobooks are for you.
14. Why audiobooks are expensive?
Audiobook production is more like producing a movie that writing a book. It requires a team of professionals to create an audiobook including narrators, sound engineers and editors, proof listeners, and audiobook producers.
The average basic cost per finished hour is $300 to $400.
You can save money on your audiobook purchases by subscribing to a service like Audible. Also, check out 5 ways to get audiobooks on discount article for ideas to save on your audiobook purchases.
15. What should be the first audiobook I listen to?
I recommend starting with a book that you have read and loved. Go for short audiobooks at the start.
Choose a title from a genre that you like.
Biographies and memoirs are great to start with, there is nothing like listening to a person narrating the story of their life.
16. Are audiobooks available for free?
You can get classic audiobooks for free from LibriVox. They have thousands of free audiobooks in public domain but the narration quality is amateur as they are done by volunteers.
You can also get/ rent audiobooks for free from your local library using Libby or Hoopla apps.
Some audiobook services offer free audiobooks to get you started including Audible, Audiobooks.com and Chirp.
17. Does Audible have free audiobooks?
Yes, Audible has a Free Listens section where you can access hundreds of audiobooks for free, without any membership or trial signup.
Note: Audible is one of the 5 major audiobook services that offer a free trial
The Free Listens include some new releases, best-selling titles and celebrity memoirs.
Refer to 2 ways to find free audiobooks on Audible article for more
18. How to access free audiobooks on Audible?
Follow these instructions to listen to free Audible books.
- Download and install the Audible app on your phone
- When you open the Audible app for the first time, sign in using your Amazon account. If you don’t have an Amazon account you can create one for free in minutes.
- Next, tap on the Discover option from the bottom navigation bar and search a title by tapping the Search icon on the top right of the screen. I will search for Around the World in 80 Days, a title from Audible’s Free Listen section. Tap on add to library
- Next, tap on the Library option from the bottom navigation and tap on the audiobook to download and listen
You can also sign up for Audible’s 30-day free trial and get unlimited access to the Plus Catalog with over 70,000 free audiobooks.
19. How to get free audiobooks on Chrip?
Chirp has a list of audiobooks that you can listen to for free. You can either stream free audiobooks using Chirp’s web player or listen to them on Chirp’s mobile app [Apple | Android].
20. How to get free audiobooks on Amazon’s Alexa devices?
Start by linking your Amazon/Audible account to your Alexa device. You can use the voice commands below to access free Audible content
- ‘Alexa, what’s free on Audible’
- ‘Alexa, read [free audiobook name] from Audible’
Explore more of Alexa’s voice commands to access Audible content on your device.
21. How to get free audiobooks on my iPhone?
You can download the Libby app to access free audiobooks using your library card.
If you have the Audible app for iPhone, you can listen to all Free Listen titles or sign up for Audible’s 30-day trial to access thousands of books for free.
Other audiobook platforms such as Chirp also offer a list of free audiobooks that you can access using their iPhone apps.
Further Reading: Getting started with Libby app
22. How to buy audiobooks without a subscription?
You can purchase the Audible books from Amazon or the Audible website without a subscription.
All members get a 30% discount on their audiobook purchases so it will cost you more without a membership plan.
You can also buy audiobooks from Chirp without a subscription or a membership plan.
23. Where can I buy cheap audiobooks?
Chirp is by far the best option to purchase audiobooks for the cheapest rates. They have thousands of deals under $5.
You can also get audiobooks through Audible sales if you have an Audible membership.
Check out other ways to save money on Audible purchases.
24. Where to buy Audiobooks?
You can purchase audiobooks from all major audiobook retailers including
and other audiobook services.
25. What’s the best place to buy audiobooks?
If you want to purchase an audiobook, I recommend checking all major platforms and getting the best price.
Audible is the most popular platform because of its large catalog but you can check other retailers for better prices.
26. What are the best audiobook services and platforms?
It depends on your requirements. Here are some of my favorite options.
- Libby/ Hoopla: To get audiobooks for free using your library card.
- Audible: Audible (by Amazon) is the most popular audiobook retailer with a vast collection of audiobooks. Whether you are looking for a new release or a bestseller, Audible is your best bet.
- Chirp: The best place to get audiobooks for less, without a membership or commitment. They have thousands of deals under $5.
- Everand: For $9.99/month, you get access to audiobooks, ebooks and more. The audiobook catalog is not as big as Audible.
- Audiobooks.com: Audiobooks is a top competitor to Audible with a vast library of audiobooks. They have a free 30 days trial and offer many sales and deals to its members.
Other popular services include Spotify, Blinkist, Libro.fm, and more. Most platforms offer a free trial so you can get an idea of what to expect.
27. What’s the best audiobook subscription service?
In my opinion, Audible is the best audiobook subscription service because of its vast collection of audiobooks, Audible originals, and the Plus Catalog with access to over 70,000 titles.
You can check out my review article to know more about Audible.
28. How do audiobooks work on Amazon?
The audiobooks that you purchase on Amazon can be downloaded and listened to using the Audible app.
You can download the free Audible app on your mobile and sign in using Amazon account details. The purchased audiobooks are visible in the Library section of the app.
You also have the option to listen to audiobooks without the Audible app; on your computer, using your iPad or Alexa device.
29. How to buy audiobooks on Amazon?
To purchase an audiobook from Amazon, go to the Amazon’s website and search for the audiobook from the top search bar.
Select the audiobook you want to buy from the search results.
Select the audiobook format. You are asked to get the book for free by joining the Audible trial or you can go ahead and purchase with cash.
You can also listen to the audio sample before buying and have an option to gift the audiobook to others.
30. How to buy audiobooks on Audible?
If you do not have an Audible membership, head over to buy Audible books without a membership plan article.
You can purchase audiobooks from the Audible website or Amazon and they will end up in your Audible app’s Library section.
31. How do people listen to audiobooks?
According to a recent survey, 44% of audiobook listeners prefer smartphones to listen to their favorite books followed by laptops, tablets, and personal digital assistants.
32. What is the best way to listen to audiobooks?
The best way to listen to audiobooks is by using your mobile phone. All major audiobook services have mobile apps for Apple and Android users.
You do not need to carry an additional device for audiobooks and can access your books whenever you want to listen.
33. How to listen to audiobooks from the library?
You can use Libby or Hoopla apps to access the audiobook from your Library. Audiobooks are available for free through these apps and you only need your Library card to access them.
34. How can I listen to Amazon audiobooks on an iPhone?
When you buy an audiobook on Amazon, you can download and listen to it using the Audible app. You can sign in to the Audible app with your Amazon account details and the book will be available in the Library section.
35. Are audiobooks worth it?
Audiobooks are great for entertainment and learning, and make you a more attentive listener in general. It’s storytelling at its best.
For Harry Potter fans, there is nothing like sitting in a room, eyes closed listening to Harry Potter, narrated by Stephen Fry.
Your imagination paints the settings and creates magic.
Have any other question about audiobooks? ask in the comments below.
Sohail Ahmed
I love Audiobooks and this blog features my first-hand experience with all major audiobook apps and services … Know More