Libraries are largest digital audiobook customer
Posted by Jacque on May 20th, 2008
The 123,291 libraries in the United States are the nation’s single largest consumer of audiobooks, making up a whopping 32% ($295.4 million) of the total annual audiobook market (according to the Audio Publishers Association), says LISWire.
CDs are still the dominant audiobook format but the digitally downloaded audiobook format has been growing at over 50% a year since 2004, and modern libraries are leading the way when it comes to digital audiobooks.
I am not surprised at the numbers, being devoted to digital audiobooks and the free access I have to them through my library.
A popular audiobook series called The Freeway Guides sold into libraries nationwide and Jared Patrick, owner, states, “two years ago we would never have guessed how many people would be downloading the Freeway Guides directly from their local library websites without ever leaving their homes. Increased commute times, improvements in technology and the expectation of information on demand are driving this movement, and we are excited to see libraries leading the way.”
The industry’s leading magazine on audio trends, AudioFile Magazine, reports that audiobook use continues to soar. Libraries offering digital audiobooks via their websites have expanded their patron base, they say, because of the 24/7 availability and ease of access. Robin Whitten editor & founder of AudioFile states, “The amount of digital audio content purchased by libraries will only continue to increase.”
Digital audiobooks cover many topics and genres, including best-selling fiction and nonfiction. If you haven’t looked for them at your library, you may be missing out. The library audiobook services I am familiar with require an MP3 player rather than an iPod, but there are many players that are simple and inexpensive. Audiobooks are perfect for those on the go. On a recent trip abroad, I took 6 unabridged audiobooks with me on an MP3 player no bigger than a pack of gum.
