Today I used Wordtracker’s Keyword Question Tool to find out what the most asked question is about audio books. According to Wordtracker,  the most asked question is: how to download audio books to kindle? The best answer I found is on the eHow website and was submitted by a user named John Rapp.  His directions are based on using a download from the Audible website.   I also posted a YouTube video showing off the latest Kindle release which sounds as if downloads would be even easier with.

1. Go to the Audible.com website and sign up for a free account. See the Resources section below this article for a direct link to download the AudibleManager software.
2. Choose the option “Listen on My Computer” as the primary method you will use to listen to your Audible files.
3. Download the free AudibleManager software onto your computer. The software is available for both Mac and PC.
4. Connect your Amazon Kindle to your computer using the USB port. You may have to wait a few moments for your computer to recognize that you have plugged in your Kindle.
5. Run the AudibleManager program and activate your Kindle. Click on “Activate” under the Devices menu and select “Amazon Kindle” from the drop-down menu.
6. Use the AudibleManager software to transfer audio books to your Amazon Kindle.

If you have a tutorial for how to download an audio book to kindle that you would like to share please comment below.

And the award goes to…

Wait.  Did you know the Audio Publishers Association hosts an event every year called “The Audies Gala”?  Oh yes, they do.  In fact this was the 15th Annual Audies Gala held this past May at the Museum of the City of New York.  Awards were given in over 30 categories.  I’ve got the results direct from the APA.

The 2010 Audiobook Of The Year goes to:

Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, By Nelson Mandela
Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, Don Cheadle, and Alan Rickman

Nominated Titles included:

The Time Of My Life, by Patrick Swayze
Narrated by Patrick Swayze

The Word Of Promise Audio Bible
Narrated by a cast of over 600 actors including Michael York

For a complete listing of 2010 audio book awards and nominee’s please visit the Audio Publishers Association.

Below is a list of the different categories awarded:

AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR
DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
FICTION
LITERARY FICTION
MYSTERY
THRILLER/SUSPENSE ROMANCE
SOLO NARRATION—MALE
SOLO NARRATION—FEMALE
CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8
CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8-12
TEEN
INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED FICTION
INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED NON-FICTION HUMOR
SCIENCE FICTION
BUSINESS/EDUCATIONAL
AUDIOBOOK ADAPTATION
NON-FICTION
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT ORIGINAL WORK
SHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS
CLASSIC
NARRATION BY THE AUTHOR or AUTHORS
MULTI-VOICED PERFORMANCE
AUDIO DRAMA
PACKAGE DESIGN
*HISTORY
SPANISH LANGUAGE

CD audio books have become quite popular for families in search of an alternative entertainment source.  It is a really great way to spend time together aside from the ‘ol sitting in front of the tube scenario.  The difference between watching the tube and listening to a story is that kids and parents alike get to use their individual imagination to visualize things like setting, costumes, and character appearance.  It also provides an opportunity to share ideas after listening and acting out their version of happenings.

This creative element is a great benefit for kids in the development of reading skills and pre-reading skills.  Many sources agree it improves kid’s literacy skills as well as listening comprehension.  It is a powerful experience to support the love of reading which is so important these days especially when learning to read is a challenge.

Parents can utilize cd audio books in the car on the way to and from school and also at bedtime.  At bedtime it is a convenient method of ending the day when everyone is tired and wants to just close their eyes and listen.  By selecting audio books together, parents have more control over what their kids are exposed to so it becomes a win-win situation instead of arguing over excessive TV time which on average is way over done in the US household.

One of the most popular titles, enjoyable for young and old, is the Harry Potter Series.  My family enjoyed listening to this one much more than reading because we had such a hard time with the different accents that by listening it created really rich experience that was fun for everyone.  I relate using audio books as entertainment  to a healthy version of a soap opera:  something to look forward to everyday but without all the TV garbage and drama.

Here are a few tips and sources for finding children’s audio books.

• Check out the latest award winning children’s audio books here.
• Download children’s audio books here

Did you know that Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year?  According to the U.S. Census Bureau the national average is 24.3 minutes one way per commute.  If you do the math, one could listen to a book a week, as the average cd audio book is 4.4 hours long.  As a matter of fact, the car is the most popular place to listen to an audio  book.

The Audio Publishers Association agrees that the primary usage of audio books is while traveling or commuting in the car.  They report that the average listener is over 30 years old, has a higher income than a non-listener, and are well educated and up to date on the latest book trends.

Want to know what these people are listening to?  According to Simply Audiobooks, the largest audio book company based out of Canada, their most shipped title is James Patterson’s Honeymoon.  The next most popular rental is A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, and the third most shipped cd audio book is Blink by Malcom Gladwell.  They also report that the audio book that has been “lost” is transit the most is Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.

A few more interesting nuggets of audio book trivia:

• The most popular genre is Fiction with the Children’s genre second, and Business coming in third.
• The majority of customers are an average age of 41 and are commuters.
• 20% of customers live in the state of California
• Customers are evenly split between the two sexes.

Although the data points to the fact that the average CD audio book aficionado is all grown up, many families are now choosing children’s audio books for in car entertainment as the children’s book genre is #2 in popularity.  CD audio books are the favorite means of audio book distribution although downloads are steadily increasing according to data.  Browse the titles available at Audible here.

Whether you love to read but don’t have the time or hate to read because it seems too boring you’ll love cd audio books.  Books on CD are great for people of all ages from young children to senior citizens.  There is something for everyone in audio books.  There are many advantages to buying, downloading or renting audio books.

• Educational – This method of using books is effective for teaching children how to read as well as many other things, helping older kids with essays and even helping you learn a new language.
• Time Efficient – Today’s hectic world can keep people from reading like they want to, so cd books are a great way to listen to their favorite authors on the go.
• No Eye Strain – For people who read a lot cd audio books are a valuable asset.  Instead of reading all the time and getting eye strain, you can listen sometimes and save your eyes.
• Affordable – It costs much less to download, rent or buy audio books than to buy “the book” you want.
• Family Interaction – Mom and Dad can listen with their children at bedtime or anytime for family bonding and interaction.
• Always Available – The ability to download or get audio books on CD means there is no chance of your favorite book being available like there is with regular books.
• Last Forever – There is no concern over torn pages or other damage that can happen with traditional books.
• Easy to Store – You won’t have to make room on the shelf for a CD like you do with novels and other books.
• Memberships – The best way to save the most money is to utilize free trial memberships.  If you like a particular website that offers audio books for download or on CD you can join and pay a monthly fee for various access plans.

The biggest advantage to using cd audio books is the membership option.  Not only does a membership ensure that you will be able to get the books you want, it also means you save a lot of money as well as getting access to new releases as soon as they come out. You can get new releases like the Twilight saga and start listening the same day.

More benefits of using a membership for your audio books include getting alerts to new releases, book reviews, free trial periods for rent or download, gift certificates for gift giving and even a free download every month.  There is so many advantages to buying, renting and/or downloading cd audio books via membership that it just makes sense to utilize this option.

Information and trivia about CD audio books including popular titles, where to find them, audio club membership, FAQ’s, and other resources.