In as much as the audio book phenomenon isn't too new, there are still lots of people that don't know certain things about it.
I must confess that I was also ignorant about certain aspects of audio books myself, especially download audio books!
During my early days of audio books, I had to ask certain questions and today I can hear a lot of people asking such questions.
Who knows, you might also have such questions and you really want to find the answers to them.
If yes, then below are some of these questions and their answers:
What's an audio book?As I'm sure you have already worked out yourself, and audiobook is just a book, but it is in an audio format.So, instead of receiving a normal book in the post, you will get a CD, cassette or mp3 version of the book. Many of the online stores will also allow you to purchase downloadable audio books, that you can download straight to your PC.
What formats do audio books come in? Audio books come in normal cassette formats, CD formats and MP3 formats which can be played on cassette players, cd players or MP3 players respectively.
What is an audio book in mp3 format?Although it sounds a little confusing, mp3 is just a method of compression to makes the files a lot smaller so that they don't take up as much space as CDs and cassettes.
I hear you asking, but just how can mp3 audio books be played? If you do purchase an mp3 audio book on CD, most up-to-date CD players now support the mp3 technology, so you shouldn't have any problems.75 diameter disk.
They an also be played on any PC that has the Microsoft's Media Player or other related software.
What is an unabridged audio book? An unabridged audio book is one that was narrated word for word. In such an audio book, nothing was removed from the printed book. It has the exact content with that of the printed book, albeit in audio format.
What is an abridged audio book? An abridged audio book is one that is shortened and doesn't contain the exact word for word narration as the printed book.
What is a dramatized audio book?As the name gives it away, it means that the book has been read like a "play" in a dramatic way with a full cast and music.
Are there any stores online where audio books can be purchased? There are many audio book stores on the Internet. Some of them are SpokenNetwork.com, Amazon.com, BarnesAndNobles.com,
and Talking-Book-Store.com, to mention a few.
How can I find the audio book I need online? Major audio book stores will definitely hold a copy of all the top selling audiobooks, along with many many more.
A great source I have found for audio book downloads is Spoken Network. You can find them at:
www.spokennetwork.com?cam=ama0010