Ebooks might be the more popular book medium today, but audiobooks have a small but dedicated listener base that loves hearing stories come to life through narrators' voices.
But are audiobooks better than ebooks? In some ways, yes. From the convenience of multitasking to reducing strain on your eyes, here are several reasons audiobooks are better than ebooks.
1. Audiobooks Allow You to Multitask
Audiobooksare better than physical booksand ebooks because they allow you to multitask. You can listen while driving, cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry, or walking. This way, you can save time by reading while you do something else.
2. Stories and Characters Come to Life With Audiobooks
When you listen to audiobooks, you get to hear stories come to life through voice actor’s narrations. Depending on a voice actor’s voice, delivery, and production quality, an audiobook can transport you to the world of a story’s characters.
Audiobook narrators can make you feel the characters' emotions, and sound effects help immerse you in the story. In some ways, audiobooks can paint a more vivid picture of a story in your head than if you were reading it in an ebook.
If you’re looking for where to find quality audiobooks, give Audible a try. There’s a lot you shouldknow about Audible, and the platform has many audiobook versions of popular novels, both old and new, so you’re bound to find something you like.
3. Audiobooks Are Accessibility-Friendly
(Image credit: Pexels:https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-person-woman-coffee-6981040/)
Audiobooks provide an accessible book format for people with visual impairments, enabling them to enjoy books by sound rather than relying on visual text or having someone narrate for them.
Audiobooks are also ideal for people with learning challenges or disabilities, such as dyslexia, allowing them to enjoy access to various stories.
4. Audiobooks Improve Your Listening Skills
Listening to audiobooks takes effort; otherwise, you’ll skip backward often because you keep zoning out. Because listening to audiobooks requires active listening, it can help you hone your listening skills, unlike ebooks.
Improving your listening skills improves your comprehension and vocabulary retention and makes you a better listener in real-life situations. Listening to audiobooks can make you a great listener, capable of easily following conversations.
5. Listening to Audiobooks Helps You Avoid Eye Strain
Audiobooks rely on sound rather than vision, so they give your eyes a rest. Listening to audiobooks is a greatway to avoid eye strain, which can lead to things like headaches, eye pain or dryness, and blurred vision.
Ebooks, on the other hand, require a screen. And even with dark mode, you might still feel the adverse effects of staring at a screen for hours.
6. Audiobooks Are Convenient
Audiobooks offer you the convenience of listening to your favorite books while you’re on the move or doing other activities like cooking, cleaning, or gardening. Simply put in your earphones and go about your business.
You can listen to audiobooks while driving or in transit, but ebooks don’t afford this luxury. With ebooks, you can’t divide your attention between reading and driving, and if you’re prone to car sickness, reading in a car is not an option.
7. You Can Reach Your Reading Goals Quicker With Audiobooks
You canmeet your reading goalsfaster with audiobooks than with ebooks. Why? Because you’re able to listen to audiobooks while performing other activities to avoid sacrificing reading time.
Audiobooks can help you focus on stories by immersing you in your listening experience. Since you aren’t staring at a screen, you won’t be distracted by notifications or the sudden urge to quickly check another app before resuming your reading.
Fewer distractions means less time spent on a book.
Finally, if you want to read audiobooks in a shorter amount of time, you can increase their playback speed. Just be careful to avoid getting so caught up in trying to meet your reading goals that you forget to savor your audiobooks.
Listening to Audiobooks Is an Immersive Experience
Audiobooks offer a level of immersion that ebooks just can’t replicate. From how voice actors narrate stories to the sound effects, audiobooks can tell stories that resonate with us and transport us to vivid, fictional worlds.
Audiobooks elevate the art of storytelling, providing us with stories that come to life through the voices of others.
