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Audiobooks vs Reading: Which is Better?
In the past, the debate was between physical books and e-books. This book debate had nothing to do with the process of reading the book itself but with its material or intangible form. It had more to do with the tangible sense of a physical copy of a book and an electronic document embedded in an electronic device’s software.
Nowadays, however, this discussion has changed direction with the advent of audiobooks. And this is where things take a whole different turn. While both the physical and electronic forms of books have to do with reading, audiobooks’ appearance has to do with the process of listening. So the question that arises is: Are people who use audiobooks considered readers or listeners?
The advent of audiobooks has apparently come to stay, as it offers several benefits, facilitating the process of “consuming” and studying books, several times speeding up the learning process itself. But let’s look at some essential factors to compare the difference between audiobooks and physical books effectively.
Contents
Comprehension of content
When discussing the meaning of a book, we refer to each individualized and preferred way of consolidating and learning its content. We are talking about a personalized form of learning because how a person can understand information that comes from a book can be achieved both by reading and listening.
For a large portion of the world, reading a book helps them focus more easily on the information provided in a book or text. On the other hand, by listening to the audiobooks, the author himself contributes to the narration, pouring “life” into the very characters that they have created themselves.
In such an audio experience, the reader remits the reading’s intensity and pace to the writer or voice actor himself. Specifically, a professional voice actor can give life to a particular character and fix the listener in a real situation, where the suspense and intrigue arouse the gained interest.
Especially in this day and age, where audiobooks or streaming platforms’ development depends highly to a large extent on their audio transmission. A voice actor’s profession is quite widespread today because there are more and more content creations, such as audiobooks, podcasts, advertisements, etc. The profession enables professionals to record from the comfort of their own home “studio.” With personal recording equipment, actors can develop their own material at any time, undertaking a larger volume of work.
This has allowed many people to enter this profession and try their hand at an ever-growing industry with many opportunities. Voquent is an agency of voice actors, which, realizing this general trend, is continuously looking for new staff members who would like to join its huge group, offering excellent employment and professional development opportunities to anyone interested.
Connection
When reading a physical book or listening to an audiobook, an emotional connection is created between the medium and the individual’s content. However, emphasizing the differences between a real book and an audiobook, we would say that there is a significant difference in the conceived general connection. This difference is that the reading experience is purely personal, while the listening experience can also be described as a social experience.
By reading a book, you create your own mind the images and emotions that a physical book provides you with – a highly personal experience. On the contrary, listening to the same text in audio form can be compared to the screening of a movie, where the voice actors are in the characters’ position, giving you their own version of the work.
In conclusion, we understand that there is no question about which form of content is best for consumption. The type and format of content should serve the user and his needs. The benefits of reading or listening to a book are innumerable, and we should focus more on them. Fortunately, with the development of technology and production, acquiring and purchasing a book has become easier than ever, creating the ideal conditions to enjoy our favorite art in ever-easier ways.
