Audiobook
Why are Audiobooks so Expensive on Amazon?
Audio books are recordings of books that are read aloud. The books can be novels, non-fiction, or textbooks. Audiobooks can be download from the Internet, or you can purchase them as CDs. They can also be available in libraries and bookstores. But the only problem is audiobooks are much more expensive for these reasons. In this guide, we will discuss why audiobooks are so expensive.
Cost of Making and Producing Audio Books
The cost of producing an audiobook is much higher than producing a printed book, meaning that the price must be higher to compensate for the cost of production. The process involves hiring actors (or voice artists) and recording studios and paying for editing and mastering costs.
Many publishers consider audiobooks a loss leader; they cost more to produce than they make in revenue, so they try to keep them affordable for customers to attract them into the rest of their catalogues.
Public Domain Titles
Another reason is that public domain titles are often not as expensive as new titles because there are no royalties or licensing fees associated with them; hence, there’s no need for publishers to make up the difference through higher prices.
Public domain titles are those published before 1923 or whose copyright has expired due to non-renewal or failure to meet other requirements set forth by U.S. Copyright Law. Many public domain titles are available to download from websites without charge or copyright restrictions by their authors or publishers.
The Price of Popularity
Audio books are popular among all kinds of readers. That’s why the market for them is so large. And when there’s a large market, many suppliers compete for your business. The result is that the price of an audiobook tends to be lower than other forms of entertainment. A movie ticket costs about $10, but you can get an audiobook for $1 or less from Audible with a 30-day free trial.
Audible has made it clear that it’s not about the price of the book itself; it’s about the author’s or narrator’s popularity. The more popular an audiobook is, the more likely you will pay more.
Cost of Publishing for Profit
Publishers charge so much for physical books because they have to print them and ship them out to stores across the country — often internationally as well! The same goes for ebooks, although it’s easier to distribute digital information than physical goods because there are no shipping costs involved. But they must somehow recoup those expenses to make money off an audiobook (or any other product).
So what happens? They sell their products at higher prices than necessary just to profit after covering all their costs and paying their employees.
Subscription-Based Services
Article writing services or subscription-based services are another reason you will pay more for an audiobook on Amazon.com. These services are like cable television but focus on books instead of TV shows. You can choose any book you want and listen to it anytime, but you’ll have to pay a monthly fee.
These services are often term as “audiobook clubs” or “subscriptions,” but they all operate similarly. A person or company offers access to a library of audiobooks for a monthly fee, allowing users to download as many books as they want each month without purchasing them individually. The library is usually quite large and includes a wide variety of genres and titles; many subscribers find this aspect of subscription-based services particularly appealing.
Audio Books Pack More Value
The expert book writers for hire reveal that it’s a common misconception that audiobooks are expensive because they’re not sold as often as physical books. But the truth is audiobooks pack more value than their paper counterparts.
Audiobooks are a great way to get more out of your favourite books. You can listen while you drive, while you clean, or while you exercise. Plus, they’re an excellent way to enjoy classic works no longer in print. The only problem is that audiobooks can be expensive — sometimes as much as $35 for a single title. But there are several reasons why audiobooks cost so much:
Audio Book Narrators Get Paid
Narrators for audiobooks are often celebrities or professionals in their field who the book’s publishers have hired to read it aloud. Some famous narrators include Stephen King and James Franco (of course). These narrators get paid very well for their time, which is why the price tag on each title is so high.
Furthermore, audiobook narrators get paid well. According to the Audio Publishers Association, a single narrator can make anywhere from $100 to $300 per finished hour of narration. That’s a lot more than the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, and it’s why audio publishers have been able to increase the price of their products over time, even as ebooks become more popular and less expensive.
They are limited
There’s a limited supply of audiobooks, which are expensive to produce. Audiobooks produce in two ways: the author reads it herself, or the publisher hires an actor to read it. Either way, it’s a lot of work. The author usually reads his/her audiobook because they want to make sure that their work is properly represented, but this means that fewer people can afford to produce an audiobook.
Authors want to make more money
Authors get royalty payments for each sale of their books, but if you buy an audiobook directly from the author, you don’t get any royalties. Most authors would rather make more money than not have their work professionally produced by a studio rather than do it themselves (although some authors prefer self-publishing) or hire a memoir writer.
Publishers want to make more money
Publishers want to make more money, and they’re not going to cut the price of the hardcover or paperback. So Amazon has to pay that money for the audiobook. And then there’s overhead for producing it and paying the narrator. So it’s not cheap.
Conclusion
The cost of audiobooks is a bit higher than print books. If a listener chooses a book that is abridged and on CD, the price will be higher, as with “The Diary Of A Young Girl” by Anne Frank. The narrator in this audiobook truly brings Anne’s story to life for listeners, making it worth purchasing, even at the higher price point.
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