Audiobooks seem very expensive

bainbridge

bainbridge

bainbridge

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I've really got into listening to audiobooks in the car when commuting and have run out of free places to get them from (using podcatching software and Librevox). The free stuff is mostly really old, being out of copyright and therefore in the public domain, so I'm looking at Audible.

£4 for one book seems really dear, I'd get through that in 3 days so will be looking at least 6-7 books per month.

Compared to buying a hardback title audiobooks are cheaper, probably cheaper than a popular paperback too and I understand the writers need to be paid their dues but even so just I begrudge paying for digital content!

Maybe I'm just really miserly :p

Edit: Saying that my Steam account seems to grow with every Steam sale :)
 
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The thing is you're not really paying for the digital content, but the time the writer, editors, readers and sound engineers have spent on it :)

IIRC audiobooks are more expensive to do than almost any other form of book because you have to have the complete original book, and then pay for what can be tens of hours of time in a studio for the reader and various additional personal, for what is a very small market compared to the print version.

I like the idea of audiobooks myself (and radio plays such as the Big finish ones for 2000ad and doctor who), but rarely manage to sit quietly without something else for long enough to listen to them.
 
Werewolf said:
The thing is you're not really paying for the digital content, but the time the writer, editors, readers and sound engineers have spent on it :)

IIRC audiobooks are more expensive to do than almost any other form of book because you have to have the complete original book, and then pay for what can be tens of hours of time in a studio for the reader and various additional personal, for what is a very small market compared to the print version.

I like the idea of audiobooks myself (and radio plays such as the Big finish ones for 2000ad and doctor who), but rarely manage to sit quietly without something else for long enough to listen to them.
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You're right, many other people do a lot of work so I can have a book channelled directly into my ears without having to physically read it, so that all needs paying for.

Since starting audio books I've not picked up a single real book to read. As well as listening to them when driving I've found that listening to them when doing things like housework or the garden are great too.
 
How is £4 a book expensive? Paperbacks are around £5 new, unless you want it straight away then it's expensive.
Audible same price regardless of when you buy it. I pay £15 for two a month then probably 3 times a year take up there three for £17 which they have on, almost permanently, it's well worth the cost, marginally more than paper backs. But god does it make driving for hours more bearable.
Really should do the 24 credit one, but it's the upfront cost.
 
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Glaucus said:
How is £4 a book expensive? Paperbacks are around £5 new, unless you want it straight away then it's expensive.
Audible same price regardless of when you buy it. I pay £15 for two a month, it's well worth the cost, marginally more than paper backs. But god does it make driving for hours more bearable.
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Once you've got a title have you got it forever or does it disappear at the end of the month?

I love re-reading my favourite books every so often.
 
bainbridge said:
You're right, many other people do a lot of work so I can have a book channelled directly into my ears without having to physically read it, so that all needs paying for.

Since starting audio books I've not picked up a single real book to read. As well as listening to them when driving I've found that listening to them when doing things like housework or the garden are great too.
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I do the same, although I read printed books as well. Audiobooks are for when I'm doing something else, like housework, shopping, etc.

Libraries lend out quite a few audiobooks and now have an arrangement with a digital distributor. Pop onto your local library's website and you'll probably find a link to Oneclick Digital. If you create a Oneclick Digital account through your library, you can borrow audiobooks for free via digital distribution. The selection in my library area is ~1200 audiobooks. It's not a big selection, but it is professional quality with proper voice actors and that's a huge benefit over something like Librivox. You can get more on physical media, but of course you have to go to a library to fetch and return them.

You mention that Audible costs £4 per book (on the "you're allowed 1 book per month" plan). That's only for the first 3. It's usually £8 per month/book. Which is still quite cheap for audiobooks, but it's quite a bit if you read/listen a lot.
 
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