Nearly 50 years ago, Books on Tape began making physical books available on cassettes. Over time, the New York-based company added countless bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction, catering to a global fleet of audiobook listeners.
Today, you can listen to audiobooks without a cassette player. From Amazon and Audible to Scribd and beyond, the audiobook industry delivers more books and podcasts every day. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the company that started it all.
Who are Books on Tape?
In 1975, Olympic gold medallist Duvall Hecht set up Books on Tape. The company made print books available to rent as unabridged audiobooks via mail order, thus pioneering audiobook narration and creating a new global industry. Books on Tape primarily started out serving schools and libraries.
In 2001, Random House purchased Books on Tape, and now it’s part of Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. BOT continues to forge partnerships with educational facilities and libraries. Its ground-breaking concept continues to reverberate across the globe, with the audiobook industry now ranking as one of the biggest.
Why are books on tape great?
If you want to check out the audiobook version of your favorite books for the first time, you’ll be glad to hear about the many benefits. Here are the five stand-out gains of listening to audiobooks.
Improved attention span and critical listening skills
Audiobooks help you develop a better attention span and improve your critical listening skills. As you enjoy the narration of your book, your brain focuses on those skills and refines them without you having to make a concerted effort.
Better mental health
Book lovers will tell you about the mental health benefits of reading, and audiobooks deliver them too. You can expect to be calmer and more relaxed during and after listening to an audiobook. Moreover, audiobooks transport you into a whole new world, at least for a while.
Easy reading for people with learning difficulties or visual impairments
Audiobooks have been a game-changer in the literacy development of people with learning difficulties or visual impairments. The abundance of available titles allows anyone to enjoy books and reap the intellectual and emotional rewards of reading.
Improved memory and critical thinking
Listening to audiobooks requires a reliable memory and critical thinking skills. The more audiobooks you enjoy, the more significant the improvement in these skills you experience.
Time-saving and multitasking
As you can listen to an audiobook anywhere while doing other activities, you reclaim some of the time you would spend reading a print book. Plus, dreary tasks such as driving or mowing the lawn become exciting by listening to your favorite book via Bluetooth.
Where can you get books on tape today?
The dawn of digital technology has relegated cassette tapes to the history books. Many companies now provide audiobook services. Below is your beginner’s guide to the world of audiobooks.
Apple Books on iTunes and via the app
Apple Books is available via iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch. The app is user-friendly, with titles displayed in genres for easy access.
Unlike other audiobook services, Apple doesn’t sell monthly subscriptions. Instead, you purchase the book of your choice, with title prices ranging between a few dollars for older titles and $30 for the latest page-turners.
Audiobooks.com
Audiobooks.com features thousands of books in all genres. After your 30-day trial subscription, you pay $14.95 (plus applicable taxes) and continue to enjoy access to exclusive member deals and VIP rewards. The monthly subscription service gives members two free titles each month. Non-members can purchase audiobooks too.
Amazon Audible
Amazon has been pushing its audiobook content on multiple fronts, directly via Audible and through the Audible audiobook app, Kindle app, and subscriptions such as Kindle Unlimited. It has even gone as far as offering Audible originals, i.e., titles exclusively available on Audible.
You can check to see if the Kindle books on your wishlist are available in audiobook format by using Amazon’s Matchmaker feature.
Members aren’t the only ones who can purchase Audible titles. By downloading the Audible app, you can access thousands of titles. An Audible monthly subscription comes with one free audiobook per month and costs $14.95.
Subscribers also get discounts on a library of audiobooks. Plus, they can carry credits forward for up to 12 months. Amazon also encourages members to share their audiobooks on social media.
Google Play
The Google Play Store doesn’t require a subscription. You can visit the audiobook library and purchase titles at varying prices.
Overdrive – Libby & Sora
Working with local libraries, Overdrive delivers audiobooks via the Libby and Sora apps, whereby readers access books free of charge for a rental period. The option to download titles is available. For the most part, however, Overdrive works like an audiobook library. Any library in the world that uses Overdrive has books available via the Libby App.
Sora is the student version of Libby.
Scribd
A monthly Scribd subscription costs $9.95, but unlike on Audible, you lose access to your titles if you allow your membership to expire. Like other audiobook providers, Scribd boasts an enormous selection of fiction and non-fiction titles, podcasts, and magazines.
Speechify
Available with a free and premium subscription, Speechify holds its own in comparison to other audiobook services thanks to its expansive audiobook selection and a host of great additional functionalities.
Audiobook prices depend on the length of the book, its popularity, and Speechify’s pricing structure.
Get a modern Books on Tape experience with Speechify Audiobooks
With Speechify, book lovers have access to many of the best audiobooks and audio files of their documents. The service is available in 14 languages via Android smartphones, iPads, and iPhones.
Check out Speechify’s expansive library of fiction and non-fiction titles. Best of all, when you sign up you get a free audiobook.
FAQ
How do you find books on tape in the 21st century?
Audiobooks are available through many channels, including Audible, Scribd, Speechify, Google Play, Apple iTunes, and more. The pioneers, U.S. company Books on Tape, now offer digital audiobooks too.
Are books on tape as good as reading?
Both reading and listening to audiobooks are beneficial to brain health. Whereas reading engages the areas of the brain processing visual information, listening sharpens the brain’s language-processing capabilities. Semantic information processing occurs during both.
Why are books on tape so expensive?
A lot of work by many professionals goes into creating audiobooks, including actors, sound engineers, producers, and proof-readers. Moreover, the equipment and use of recording facilities come at a high cost.
What equipment do I need to listen to audiobooks?
Audiobooks are available via all computer devices, including cellphones, laptop or desktop computers, Kindle devices, tablets, and smartwatches.
What are the best books on tape?
That depends on personal taste. While you may love Harry Potter on tape, your bestie might prefer Wuthering Heights.
What do you do if an audiobook is too slow or fast?
Audiobook providers allow you to select the reading speed. You can leave it at the normal speed or choose a slower or faster rendition within the settings.
Do I need to be listening to a book on tape while reading the text?
You don’t need to, but you can. Simultaneous reading and listening delivers plenty of benefits, especially if you have trouble decoding or are trying to learn a language.
