13288: Is Listening To An Audiobook Less Than Reading A Book?
Hey there, hero!
Just want to get your opinion on this apparently very controversial issue.
I have my own thoughts, but I want to know yours.
Let’s discuss. Scroll down and fire away.
Is listening to an audiobook “cheating?” Is there something wrong with only listening to (or only being willing to read) whichever version of the book you prefer? Let me know in the comments below.
ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT IN THE PODCAST? EMAIL ME AT [email protected] and let me know.
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Raw transcript:
Raw transcript:
No big thunderous uh support or advice
or how-tos this week. Just one quick
question. Something that has been
popping up recently in my feeds and in
uh news outlets and so on. Stand by. I’m
going to ask you a question. Just tell
me your answer in the comments below in
this episode of the VO Heroes podcast.
So, if you’re watching the the podcast
episode, you’ve seen it in the title. If
you’re just listening, let me repeat it
for you. Are audiobooks less than other
platform books? Is listening to an audio
book less than reading the book?
So, I don’t know why this is a
controversy. I have my own opinions on
it. I think it’s six of one, half dozen
of the other. There’s advantages to one.
There’s disadvantages to others. You can
read when you’re, you know, when you’re
doing some things, you can’t read when
you’re doing other things. You can
listen when you’re doing other things.
You can’t listen when you’re doing
other, you know, I I feel like if
anything, it’s kind of even, but it’s
certainly not a lesser pursuit. But
that’s just me. So, let’s make this
quick and short. I want you to tell me
what your thoughts are. Is listening to
an audiobook cheating? Is listening to
an audiobook somehow less than a regular
book? Is listening to an audiobook an
enhancement of the regular book of the
print version or the visual version of
the book? In the comments on
vioheres.com where this episode lives,
let me know in the comments below. I
want you to rip into it. I want you to
tell me exactly how you feel. Now, I
realize some of you are audiobook
narrators and you might have strong
opinions about this. I want to hear what
you have to say. Some of you may not do
audiobook narration and just might be
consumers of audiobooks. I want to hear
what you have to say. Please let me
know. There was uh you know all kinds of
recent articles. There was all kinds of
on social chatter and everything. But I
want to know what you think. I want to
know what you the people who have come
here for this episode think. So, put
your comments below. Let me know what
your thoughts are. Is listening to an
audio book less than reading the print
version or the e version of the book?
Yeah, let me know. Uh, also forward this
along to uh anybody else that you think
might have a strong opinion about it and
let them come back here. If you’re on
vioheres.com, just go up to the address
bar, grab the link, and send it off. Um,
you can hit the like button if you like
what you’re hearing in these episodes.
We’ll get back to advice and everything
next week. Uh, subscribe to the channel
if you want to. You can click the
notification bell and be notified when
the next episode comes out. All those
things. Love if you’d do that. I’m David
H. Lawrence the 17th. I thank you so
much for watching and for listening and
I will see you in the next episode of
the VO Heroes podcast.
(from YouTube)
For me, it depends on the book. Fiction? Audiobook fine, maybe better. Light non-fiction? Fine, take your pick. Heavy non-fiction? Audiobook is definitely only a drive-by, but that might be what you want, but if you really want to consume the content, read the print version also.
Oh, and I suppose I should add here that I’ve personally recorded more than a hundred non-fiction audiobooks, a few in the “very heavy” category.
Both are equally valid from my point of view.
It is much faster for me to get through an audiobook versus reading the book.
To me, it’s just different sides of the same coin, not less. Sometimes you want to hear it, sometimes you want to read it. The expirience is different but it’s basically the same information, you decide wich one you want. Now, if you have a terrible narrator, yes, it is less, because I can’t listen to a bad narration. But if the narrator is good, then take your pick, do what YOU want, don’t listen to other people’s opinion, it’s not their expirience, it’s all YOURS.
Equally valid. I’m sure some books lend themselves better to the audio version (biographies) though for sure!! And vice versa. A good narrator can definitely enhance the quality of writing in certain instances.
I see this as other than…not more than or lesser than….just other than.
I got this from Bible studies but to keep somebody from letting religion getting in the way. Take studying the American founding fathers and America’s founding documents. Listening is a good way to bathe in the material or the flow of the thought…Listen to audio book of The Federalist Papers and you get a feel for where it is taking you. But, if I want to really study it, I feel the need to read it, slow down, digest the words used to form the thought, maybe study the words used and how they were used in that time period. For example, The Constitution of The United States does not have the word ‘woman’ in it. However, in the culture of the time the word ‘Man’ was used as in mankind, inclusive of the word woman, not exclusive of it. But you might miss that if you are just listening to it. On the other hand, listening to it gives you more of the passion behind the words. So not lesser than…not greater than… just other than.
I actually am new to listening to audiobooks as my previous jobs left me no time or opportunity to listen. In other words, I needed my ears to be an effective manager.
The first audiobook I listened to in the car while commuting for a while was The Four Agreements narrated by Peter Coyote. I enjoyed it very much.
Currently I listen to more audiobooks than ever before in my life. I am particular about which books I want in my hand and which I want to go to my ears. A good narrator can effectively share whatever story the book was written to tell, whether it be fiction or non. And I do appreciate the ability to do physical labor while listening to a book. So, I agree that one is not more or less than the other. Both can be enjoyed and treasured.
Definitely one is not less than or more than the other. As a neurodivergent person, there are times when hearing the story (read by a real person; it DOES make a difference to me) is so much better and I can get really immersed in the story. Other times, reading allows me to control the pace better, re-read parts quickly, and the physical book is very grounding. I always have to decide when considering a book what attributes are most important for that particular book and what environment I’ll be in. That said, I enjoy both equally.