In a world where stories are told orally and through printed words, book lovers have been enthralled by the heated argument between reading and audiobooks. Which media is best for immersing oneself in literature?

It may come as a surprise, considering that listening is just as effective and productive as reading, which has historically been the dominant skill. Hearing has existed for significantly more time in the past than reading has. Since the beginning of time, people have possessed this gift. A projection states that, in 2020, the global audiobook market can hit $3.50 billion, with sales in the US topping eBook sales at $1.2 billion for the first time. Many authors and publishers adapted it because of its increasing popularity among book lovers.

But What is an Audiobook?

Usually available for digital download, an audiobook is a book read professionally, narrated on a recording. Most consumers listen on their phones and acquire them via online audiobook stores or subscription services. To make famous stories more understandable to visually challenged people, the American Association of the Blind published 15-minute adaptations in 1932. This was the start of the contemporary audiobook market.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Apart from their adaptability and ease of use, audiobooks have become known for improving memory retention when reading. Extensive studies have revealed that audiobook users can remember more than conventional readers, proving the effectiveness of this auditory media in supporting improved memory retention. Research also shows that those who choose audiobooks remember material more precisely over time, confirming the advantages of this immersive learning process.

Astonishing statistics from the Audio Publishers Association reveal that listening enhances comprehension by a staggering 76% and boosts reading accuracy by 52%. Moreover, with an amazing 85% of what we learn from listening to audiobooks, they have become a powerful tool for promoting more thorough learning and memory of important facts. For information seekers and lifelong learners, audiobooks are absolutely essential since they provide ease and a clear improvement in memory retention.

What are the Differences Between Reading and Listening?

Reading requires your brain's left hemisphere for its cognitive function, unlike listening. Conversely, listening requires functionality of both sides of the brain. Understanding speech and its meaning while listening to an audiobook requires parallel processing. Although similar brain regions are involved in processing reading and listening, separate regions are involved in interpreting speech. Because of this, you are able to listen to music while reading a book. But you can't turn it around—using an audiobook while reading is impossible.

Secondly, listening to audiobooks may help develop a reader's sense of compassion. Experts agree that narrating a narrative aloud brings the plot to life and makes the characters more interesting. Users get more invested in the narrative as a whole, learning more about and growing to care for the central characters.

In addition, the audiobook is narrated by a human voice. It's a voice that makes you believe you're conversing with a genuine person. In addition, the narration incorporates acting, allowing listeners to better understand the book's underlying mood and tone. Their familiarity with mockery and sarcasm has improved.

Narration is one of the most important parts of a book since it has the power to make readers feel things. The author's voice can make readers feel the characters. Therefore, not only does narration include a social component, but it also helps readers better comprehend what is being spoken.

However, reading increases long-term memory retention. When readers can quickly get their bearings in a text or book, they are more likely to retain key data, according to experts. Digital media such as audiobooks and eBooks avoid this problem. It is shown that digital displays are incapable of providing this experience to readers. Highlighting and underlining phrases is another way that consumers may retain more of what they read. With audiobooks, this is not an option. Therefore, reading is unquestionably superior to listening when dealing with more intricate issues or novel ones. And most crucially, those who read tend to focus less on other tasks when reading. But hearing isn't like that at all. Many podcast and audiobook listeners do so while driving, cleaning the dishes, or running. All of these procedures serve to distract the audience from the main point. Listening to your favorite audiobook while doing these things might be relaxing, but it can hinder your ability to remember detailed information. As per many researchers, many individuals allow their minds to roam during book reading or listening. So, these kinds of pauses are important so your brain can get mental space to process and remember the information you're acquiring. Also, the mind is better able to concentrate after these little respites. Last but not least, the pace at which you read or listen makes a big difference. Reading it takes more time than listening to it. For instance, whereas you can read 300 words in one minute, you can only listen to 150 words every minute. An audiobook may be listened to in an hour, whereas reading the same book can take just half that time.

So What do you Need to Choose, Audiobooks or Reading?

There is no correct answer to it. Study after study has shown that reading and listening have equivalent effects on learning. It remains the same regardless of the learning style a learner adopts. Furthermore, a study conducted in 2018 by researchers at the University of Indiana found that learners often switch between preferred and non-preferred modes of instruction.

By comparison, reading and listening can both be difficult. Reading may be both a visual challenge and a dull activity at times. It takes practice to develop listening skills that allow you to process new information as it comes in. The use of sound and digital technology adds further complications. Problems with entertainment, focus on material, and juggling several tasks are all raised as examples. The inability to swiftly concentrate when the mind wanders or while contemplating a phrase is also a problem that prevents readers from grasping the author's meaning. This is a typical feature of digital audio and video formats. Hence, the experts recommend incorporating both learning forms to maximize their advantages.