HowItWorks.net

The tradition of storytellers began early in human history. While their central role may have been as entertainers, these storytellers also served the critical function of preserving the heritage of the people by passing oral histories down the generations. Although the invention of the written word helped in the effort to record human history, never before the late 19th century was anyone able to preserve sound of any kind.  By the end of the 20th century, not only had humanity been able to establish a permanent record for posterity in its own true voice, but also people worldwide had gained a multitude of new ways to enjoy their ancient love of storytelling.

Early Years See Gradual Growth in Voice Recording

Thomas Edison patented the first recording-and-playback machine, the phonograph, in 1879, but the device was not mass-produced until the turn of the century, and was mainly used to record music.  It was not until the early 1930 is that the first serious projects to capture the human voice on records began. Congress established a “talking book program” in 1931 -- the Books for the Adult Blind Project, which provided funds for the free mailings of audiobooks to the blind throughout the U.S. It is still in existence, having grown by 2004 to a circulating library of over 23,000,000 items with a readership of 800,000 readers.

Scholars’ Pioneering Efforts to Record the Heartland in 1930’s

An anthropologist drove through the US over bumpy back roads to record the oral histories of the dwindling Native American tribes. His equipment was cumbersome:  he used aluminum discs on a turntable powered by his car battery.  In another noteworthy effort, a historian traveled the length of California carrying recording equipment weighing 50 pounds, preserving the personal tragedies of people in migrant camps who had fled the “Dust Bowl”. These rare historic recordings can be found today in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

First Ground Breaking Spoken Recording of Literature

Although the 1940’s saw some growth in voice recording, it was mainly for educational use in schools and libraries, and only occasionally sold in music stores.  The first commercial spoken recordings attempting to reach a wider audience were made in the 1950’s. A small company in New York began to market vinyl recordings of poets and authors reading their own works.  These records of literary greats, including Dylan Thomas, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot and Scott Fitzgerald, can be considered the first audiobook collection.

New Technology in 1960’s Mainly Favors Music, Not Speech Recording

Growth in spoken recording production was still very gradual in the 1960’s. Although greater fidelity of recording equipment had been achieved, the equipment -- using reel-to-reel magnetic tape – was unwieldy and heavy, and was mainly used for high-fidelity music tapes.

Talking Books’ Huge Breakthrough in 1970’s

Several developments combined in the 1970’s to create the perfect conditions for the recorded book to finally take off. First, the advent of portable audio cassette players and tapes rendered the reel-to-reel technology of the ‘60’s obsolete. Second, the popularity of autos with built-in cassette players soared. This happened quite rapidly because of the oil crisis of the ‘70’s, as Americans began importing Japanese cars -- in which cassette players came as standard equipment, (American-made cars did not).  Now, you could listen to talking books on tape by popping in a cassette at the start of a journey, whether your trip was for half an hour or half a day, you could expand your knowledge or just simply get into a very absorbing story, and before you knew it, you’d arrived at your destination.

Publishing Industries Largest Growing Segment

Recorded books expand through audio book clubs, libraries and bookstores. By the end of the ‘70’s, audiobook publishers had increased their list of titles, and had begun expanding their distribution by offering tapes on a rental basis; the customer would receive a set of cassettes through the mail and a prepaid box for their return.  Public libraries began adding whole sections of digital audio books to their shelves – educational materials, self-help books, and unabridged literary works. In the 1980’s, the number of audio publishers multiplied, and with their gathering strength, they mounted a widespread campaign to get their product accepted by retail bookstores.  Now for the first time, talking books were placed on regular store bookshelves rather than temporary, separate displays.

Audio Book Disc Players (CD’s) yet Another Advance in Portability

The late ‘80 has witnessed yet another advance in technology, the compact disc.  CD audiobooks offered even greater convenience than the cassette and provided another big boost to the talking book market. Today it’s still the most widely used technology for recorded books; however, it appears that audiobooks on CD will not maintain its there place position for much longer, considering the growth rate of a legion of newer portable audio book players now crowding the field:  the Internet, broadband technologies, new compressed audio formats and portable MP3 players on flash memory cards and micro drive hard disks.

Talking Books Become a Major Player in the 21st Century

Now that downloadable audio book subscription services are, widely available, recorded book popularity has surged phenomenally, as listeners can choose from a huge list of titles, and, with a few clicks, download audiobooks for iPod or some other micro media player.  According to a survey of talking book listeners taken by the Audio Publishers Association in 2007, nearly 1 in 4 Americans (24.6%) had listened to an audiobook in the previous year.  Adult fiction was by far the favorite of talking book fans, accounting for over 50% of new titles.

It is interesting to reflect that talking book listeners of today, who flock to the very latest 21st century playback devices are nevertheless utilizing them for a very old purpose.  Just like their ancestors, they are tuning in to that ancient love of the human being:  the simple art of storytelling.

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_books