KOCHI: Author Jhumpa Lahiri once said, “That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
Her words are truer than ever now, especially due to the rising popularity of audiobooks. The way content is consumed has changed a lot, especially the when and where factors of it.
Youngster Sreeram K V uses audiobooks for this reason. “I don’t get much time to sit and read a book. And audiobooks give me the liberty to have access to words while doing household chores or driving. I would be able to finish listening to a book by the time I complete a long drive,” says Sreeram, who is a comic and busking artist.
He has been listening to audiobooks for almost four years now. “I started by listening to podcasts. In one episode, there was a mention of the availability of audiobook platforms and this led me to discover the medium,” he says. “If the story and the narration pique my interest, I can go on listening to an audiobook straight for five hours at least,” Sreeram laughs.
Like Sreeram, many in the country now have access to thousands of books on platforms like Audible, Storytel, Kuku FM, LibriVox, Ok Listen, Kitabo, Audio Compass, and a lot more platforms.
The rage is real
Dr Elaine, a marine biologist and writer, stumbled upon LibriVox, a Canada-based platform for free audiobooks while on a vacation in Goa. “I didn’t have much money to spare for books at the time,” she explains. “Of course, my first audiobook was Pride and Prejudice, my favourite” she smiles. Since then, she has cultivated a simultaneous reading habit, switching back and forth between her Kindle and audiobook.
Elaine says audiobooks are a great source to access books that are not available in print anymore. Books like Little Miss Grasshopper, published in 1918, and Illustrated Children’s Book available in Singapore are on Elaine’s ‘to-listen’ list.
“Last year, I listened to around 200. ANd I brought physical copies of th ebooks that I loved. I’ve always been choosy about buying physical copies. Now, I can afford to be so without missing out.”
She doesn’t believe that reading is complete only when one holds a book in their hand. “This way, I’m able to have access to various content by subscribing for less than `300.”
“It also encourages the idea of zero wastage and minimalism,” she adds.
For Sreeram, audiobooks help in another way. It counters his lack of attention span. “This is what I struggled with the most in physical copies. If the narration is good, it’s easier to concentrate,” he adds.
Boost for the industry
Publishers also have embraced the medium. Govind Deecee, Commissioning Editor at DC Books, says that in the past four years, the number of audiobook users has surged in Kerala. “There’s a growing curiosity among the younger generation to explore audiobooks. So far, it hasn’t caused a decline in the number of printed copies. In fact, it has helped us reach a different demographic, including those who don’t know the regional language.”
Audiobooks have also led many to search for printed copies, he adds.
Explosure to regional languages
Not just English books, audiobooks have now penetrated well into the Indian market with regional languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Urdu, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, and more.
According to Shailesh Sawlani, Country Manager of Audible India, India has been one of their growth marketplaces due to its expanse, diversity and love for stories. “The pandemic immensely contributed to our growth. However, post-pandemic, commute listening fuelled the consumption of audio content. In 2022, there has been a 39 per cent increase in paid member listening hours. Now, for many, audio is a mode of entertainment, relaxation, self-development and motivation,” he explains.
In Kerala, the concept of audiobooks found a place in 1995, when writer and film director C Radhakrishnan introduced the concept. “Audio film cassettes were moving, so I thought why not deliver novels and story books in the same format? I wasn’t aware whether the concept was already done in the West. I delivered 5,000 cassettes of my first novel Nizhalpadukal, but the idea didn’t work out the way I expected,” he says.
The writer says he initiated the idea at the wrong time with wrong technology. “However, now, a remarkable surge has happened in the industry. Since my books are available on these platforms, I get recognition and reviews from worldwide,” he says.
Teachers also explain that audiobooks can help students. KMA Salim, headmaster of a school in Manjeri, stumbled upon Storytel through Facebook ads. He promptly introduced the concept of audiobooks in his school, starting with Prof T J Joseph’s Attupokatha Ormakal. Salim believes audiobooks can be executed in schools. “Students will be able to enhance literacy skills, improve comprehension, and engage with diverse learning styles. Teachers can incorporate audiobooks into their curriculum and promote a love for reading. Listening to audiobooks can help students to reduce anxiety and alleviate stress,” the headmaster says.
Boon for the visually impaired
For individuals with disabilities, there are many ways to access written content, screen-reading software and volunteer readers at blind schools are long-established methods. However, audiobooks serve a distinct and vital purpose. Braille, while an option, can be prohibitively expensive.
Aswin E R, an office staffer at a private school in Palakkad, has been relying on audiobooks since 2016. “Not many books are available in Braille script. We have a group on Telegram and WhatsApp, through which links to multiple audiobooks can be accessed. If the narration is at its best, it is easier for us to visualise,” he says.
Devi Krishna, founder of Hidden Voices, has done audiobooks in almost 17 languages so far. “We render audio to content upon request on Telegram and WhatsApp. Let’s Record, Vasippom, Shravyam. Dwiithi are other platforms we use,” she says.
The craft
What makes audiobook experience special is the narration. It can significantly impact how deeply a listener connects with the story. According to Damodar Radhakrishnan, artist and founder of DR Audios, audiobook narration serves the same purpose as the text in a printed book.
“It is an art form. When we read a text, a voice plays in our mind. However, not everyone possesses the ability to effectively read a text and connect with it. It is a skill which requires practice and only individuals with strong reading habits can excel as narrators,” he says.
According to him, narration is a flexible art form, but liberty should be exercised only when it’s necessary. “Getting the pulse of the character is what is required,” Damodar explains.
Artist M D Rajendran, who has 30 years of experience in the field says the secret of getting it right lies in voice modulation. “When there are multiple characters, it the narrator who gives a distinct image to them. Narration is the soul of this medium,” he says.
The history
Audiobooks first emerged in 1932 with the formation of a recording studio by The American Foundation for the Blind, which created recordings of books on vinyl records. Each side held about 15 minutes of speech. Earlier the medium aimed at helping the visually impaired. Later, in the 60s and 80s, audiobooks grew with cassette tapes and compact discs. The trend caught on the Indian landscape only in 2010. However, there have been records of a gathering held in the household of Bangla novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay where he read out his first novel, Durgeshnandini (1865), this event could be an early precursor to India’s audiobooks.