Audiobook: a format for learning, having fun or disconnecting on a daily basis

The audio format is booming. Podcasts, audio books, sound creations… Listening to these new formats, initially boosted by confinements and the health crisis, has continued to increase in recent years, bringing audio listening into the daily lives of many French people. .

Booming

And if the audio book is not yet as popular as podcasts, its use has been growing for several years. According to one study of the Audible platform, which offers a large catalog of audiobooksconducted with OpinionWay, 27% of French people have listened to an audio book in the last twelve months.

Audio-readers were thus nearly 10 million in 2021, according to figures from the National Publishing Union (SNE), Sofia (the collective management body for library lending rights) and the Société men of letters. This is 8.7% more than in 2020!

The advantage of these dematerialized formats lies in the “consumption” flexibility they offer. Unlike physical books, they can be listened to at different times of the day and while on the move: on the way to work, on public transport, in the car, while jogging, shopping or even while cooking!

Cultivate or disconnect

In this market, the Audible application, created in 1997, has established itself as the benchmark player thanks, in particular, to its exceptional content offer. Novels, best-sellers, classics of literature, fantastic sagas, committed or feminist works, detective books, personal development, meditation, or even cooking, are offered by the platform.

A diversity that allows everyone to find what they like when listening to content. According to the Audible and OpinionWay survey, 57% of audio-readers see this activity as a way to cultivate themselves while it allows 45% of them to “disconnect”.

To further enhance the reader experience, some works available on Audible are read and embodied by famous voices, such as those of novelist Amélie Nothomb, writer Bernard Werber or actor Fred Testot. Exclusive content is also offered to audio-readers, such as the STYX sound series in which Dali Benssalah and Anna Mouglalis participated in particular. Conference or teaching programs are finally available on the application.

To listen alone or with others

Creations that can be listened to alone, using headphones, or shared, via a connected speaker. According to the joint study by Audible and OpinionWay, 37% of audio-readers listen to audio titles together.

Also according to this study, 56% of children consume this type of format. To meet this younger demand, the platform offers content specially dedicated to children and adolescents.

To test the Audible service, take advantage of a free one-month trial offer that will allow you to download your first audiobook for free. Then, for 9.95 euros per month, you can take advantage of the Audible subscription and access one title to download per month from among the 600,000 audio books, including 15,000 in French, offered by the platform.

Since September 2022, this offer also includes unlimited access to a selection of 1,300 books. The titles you have downloaded will then be available on tablet, smartphone, computer or MP3 player. And you can even access it without an internet connection!

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