Did you know that storytelling is one of the most ancient customs of human beings? What's more, oral tradition is the basis of social evolution, cultural identity and collective memory. From the gatherings around the fire already documented by archaeologists, our narrated stories have evolved from proverbs, riddles and simple tales to epics, epic poems, romances, myths and legends, to stories and novels, and even to the cinema... We love it because it transports us to other realities and stimulates our minds.
For all those who want to immerse themselves in narrative, the options are multiplying every day thanks to the Internet and recently thanks to websites that host audiobooks.
What is an audiobook?
Don't confuse it with an ebook or electronic book. An audiobook is a recording of a book read aloud.
It can have many levels of complexity such as effects, ambient sound or different narrators and characters, which has made this listening experience increasingly complex and complete.
To give you an idea, according to Deloitte studies, currently 18% of American adults (more than 73 million people) listen to an audiobook at least once a year. Globally, the number of current audiobook consumers exceeds 500 million and a 25% growth is predicted for 2021. If only out of curiosity, it is worth giving in to this practice.
Advantages of audiobooks.
The main advantages of audiobooks are the number of titles you will find and the possibility of listening to them at any time. You can practice listening on your phone while you go for a run, during your transport routines, while waiting... It's as simple as plugging headphones or speakers into your mobile device, tablet or computer and pressing play.
It is often cheaper than buying the same books in paper form, so it becomes a sustainable practice. It also doesn't take up space on our shelves and above all it is ideal for learning new things, including understanding and pronouncing other languages.
You lose the experience of touching and smelling the pages of the book, but you gain so many other things that it's worth it.
The best audiobook websites.
To help you turn listening into a routine that feeds your mind, we bring you a list of the best websites to download audiobooks. There are as many options as there are tastes, so be sure to try several of them.
Storytel
Its catalogue, with more than 40,000 titles, is gambling data russia phone number constantly being updated because it works with more than 150 publishers. In fact, it is the editorial team itself that selects the actors who narrate each of the stories. You can listen to them online, download them or buy the ebook. It also allows you to buy 1, 3 or 6 month passes to give to friends.
The only drawback we found with Storytel is that once your subscription expires, you no longer have the books, unless you have bought them as an ebook.
Amazon Audible has more than 180,000 books available in all languages and with two types of service: independent download of each audiobook or by paying a monthly fee with which you can listen to all the books you want. If you are still not convinced, you can join the 15-day trial period and if you are an Amazon Prime member, you should know that it is a service to which you already have access.
Its main advantage is that, even if you cancel your subscription, you keep the books.
LibriVox
It is a free, public, online digital library. 90% of the books it has are in English, although LibriVox itself produces its own audiobooks in up to 36 different languages. Most of the narrations are recordings by users themselves, some of them unfortunately not so professional.
Audio library
It's an audiobook app where you pay for each title with the option to listen to the first 5 minutes for free. Ideal to get an idea. You don't need to pay a monthly subscription but, in the case of some new titles, the price of each audiobook is very similar to its printed version, so Audioteka will be very useful if you want to access some classics.
Lit2Go
It is an online collection of free stories and poems under a Creative Commons license , with all languages available.
The good thing about Lit2go is that you can download some chapters in pdf. It can be very useful for a complete analysis of some very specific content.
Soundbook
It calls itself a “portal for dramatized audiobooks in all languages and genres.”
Like Storytel, it employs actors to narrate and uses sound effects and music, making the listening experience more like a radio soap opera than reading.
Sonolibro doesn't have a fixed fee, but instead offers direct purchase of audiobooks. If you're not completely convinced, try some of its free content first.
Internet Archive
As the name suggests, this is an audio archive, but it contains over 11,000 audiobooks from public domain or Creative Commons licensed works.
The particularity of the Internet Archive is that you will find recordings of old radio programs, alternative news, specific texts, etc. It is a real treasure trove for the most curious.
Youtube
It doesn't have its own service, but it does have its own free audiobook channel with 28,000 subscribers.
It started as a project to bring reading to people with visual impairments, but over the course of 6 years it has been extended to all audiences and has created a community around the book. Interesting if you are looking for good reviews or to generate debate around a book.
iVoox
It is a free podcast kiosk that allows you to play, download and share audios of any topic and genre. Among the many files you can access there are a large number of audiobooks and sound narrations, all of which are free to download.
Loyal Books
It is a library of free downloadable audiobooks and ebooks, organized by genre. It has more than 20 different languages, including Esperanto, and due to the large collection of children's books it offers, it is the perfect option for the little ones.
Now that you have so many options at your fingertips, there are no more excuses for not reading.
It is true that audiobooks are a good option to occupy your time with the acquisition of knowledge or simply for pure enjoyment, but they are not books. I mean that cognitive development occurs in a different way, but it is so stimulating and pleasurable that whether you use it as an alternative to picking up a book in your hands or if you become addicted to audiobooks, you will generate a precious habit that will bring you nothing but good things.
One day you will find yourself recommending its use to everyone around you.
It has happened to us.
