| People have been familiar with the concept of audio | | | | With the development of portable cassette recorders |
| books for ages, long before they started printing paper | | | | audiotapes had become very popular and by the late |
| books. Oral storytelling, ballads and poetry were the | | | | 1960s libraries became a source of free audio books |
| only means to pass knowledge from generation to | | | | on cassettes. Instructional and educational recordings |
| generation. | | | | came first followed by self-help tapes, and then by |
| In 1877 Tomas Edison announced his invention of a | | | | literature and fiction. In 1970 Books on Tape |
| rotating-cylinder phonograph. This new technology | | | | Corporation started rental plans for audio books |
| created the foundation for recording vocal | | | | distribution. The company expanded their services |
| interpretations of literature. | | | | selling their products to libraries. Audio books gained |
| In October 1899 Marconi made his first trip to the U.S. | | | | more and more popularity. By the middle of 1980s the |
| to broadcast results of the America's Cup race. In Jan. | | | | audio publishing business grew to several billion dollars |
| 12-13, 1910. De Forest arranges the world's first radio | | | | a year. The new companies, Recorded Books and |
| broadcast to public, directly from Metropolitan Opera to | | | | Chivers Audio Books, were the first to develop |
| several listeners in New York. | | | | integrated production teams and to work with |
| By 1915 daily weather reports for farmers were | | | | professional actors. And since libraries made up the |
| transmitted on the air. The history of Public Radio has | | | | largest segment of their market space, Chivers Audio |
| begun. The spoken word of literature started its | | | | Books established close connections with them from |
| penetration into households all over the country. | | | | the very beginning of the company's existence. |
| The Mercury Theater on the Air was probably one of | | | | In 1996 Audio Publishers Association established the |
| the most famous predecessors of modern audio | | | | Audie Awards for audio books, which is an equivalent |
| books. In 1938 Orson Welles' famous show "War of | | | | to the Oscar for the talking books industry. The |
| the Worlds" threw the nation into panic. Abbott and | | | | nominees are announced each year in January, and |
| Costello's immortal "Who's on First?" baseball routine, | | | | the winners are announced at a gala banquet in spring, |
| Jack Benny's hilarious "Your Money or Your Life?" - | | | | usually in conjunction with BookExpo America. |
| who can forget these spectacular shows? | | | | The quantity of the audio book enthusiasts continued |
| In 1931 the Congress established the talking-book | | | | to grow. They began joining into audio book clubs. By |
| program, which was intended to help blind adults who | | | | 1997 the Columbia House Audio Book Club had more |
| couldn't read print. This program was called "Books for | | | | than 150,000 members and the Herrik Company's |
| the Adult Blind Project". The American Foundation for | | | | Audio Book Club in Morristown, NJ had 215,000 |
| the Blind developed first talking books in 1932. One | | | | members. |
| year later the first reproduction machine began the | | | | Invention of CDs added to the convenience and |
| process of mass publishing. By 1935, after Congress | | | | flexibility of listening. But a truly new era for audio |
| approved free mailings of audio books to blind citizens, | | | | books began with the advent of the Internet, |
| the Books for the Adult Blind Project was in full | | | | broadband technologies, new compressed audio |
| operation. In 1992 the National Library Service (NLS) for | | | | formats and tiny portable MP3 players on flash |
| Blind and Physically Handicapped network circulated | | | | memory cards and microdrive hard disks. Now the |
| millions of recorded books to more than 700,000 | | | | popularity of audio books really soared. After many |
| handicapped listeners. All NLS recordings were | | | | other audio book download subscription services |
| created by professionals. | | | | began to grow as fast as mushrooms. OverDrive and |
| The Disney stories are part of our children's music | | | | NetLibrary opened their services to local libraries. Now |
| culture, and to exclude it would leave just part of a | | | | the listeners were able to effortlessly get any audio |
| story told. The vinyl era of Walt Disney began in 1934 | | | | book on line and download it onto their micro media |
| when RCA/Victor released the first gramophone | | | | players. That's where the real fun began, and William |
| records of Disney soundtracks. The series included 'In | | | | Swanson's famous words became as true as never |
| a Silly Symphony,' 'Dance of the Bogey Man,' 'Mickey | | | | before: 'Audio books are one of those happy |
| Mouse and Minnie's in Town,' and 'Who's Afraid of the | | | | marriages of art and convenience loved by frenetic |
| Big Bad Wolf?' | | | | Americans. The idea ... is to enable us to enjoy books - |
| In 1965 the Buena Vista soundtrack album of 'Mary | | | | a traditionally solitary and concentration-intensive |
| Poppins' was a super hit of all times and spent 14 | | | | pastime - while doing something else - mowing the |
| weeks in the No. 1 position on the Billboard chart setting | | | | lawn, cruising the interstate - often in the company of |
| up a company record. The recording won two | | | | others.' |
| Grammy Awards, Best Recording for Children and | | | | You can take a look at some illustrations to this article |
| Best Original Score. The sales exceeded 2 million | | | | and listen to phonograph and vinyl records sound |
| copies. In 1988 the soundtrack of 'Oliver & Company' | | | | samples at |
| marked the end of the vinyl era -- it was the last | | | | At this site you can also find and download free audio |
| Disney animated feature soundtrack to be released | | | | books and read about best mp3 players for audio |
| domestically on 12-inch disk. The CD revolution had | | | | books. |
| arrived. | | | | |