A diversity of audiobooks are available on digital platforms (Photo: VietnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) – Listening to books has become a popular way for people to fill their days during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With just one click, readers can access a giant online library, the scale of which publishers are unable to provide with printed books, said Bach Lang, an outstanding artist working at the Thang Long Puppet Theatre in Hanoi.
In the digital era, audiobooks have gone from the latest trend in the publishing industry to an indispensable part of today’s reading culture.
Along with traditional printed books, audiobooks have become a vital source of distraction for readers during the pandemic as many entertainment services have been suspended and people spend more time at home.
With talented narrators, background music and sound effects, audiobooks are believed to be more interesting than printed books. (Photo: VietnamPlus). Readers becoming listeners
Xuan Nguyen, CEO of Fonos – one of the first audiobook platforms in Vietnam, said it would be a challenge for many people to spend between one and two hours each day reading a book in the modern world.
However, they can listen to audiobooks while waiting for a bus, train or a friend, or while doing exercise or household chores, she told VietnamPlus.
Apart from saving time, audiobooks can also help readers relax their eyes. Thanks to the mental and physical benefits they bring about, audiobooks are preferred by many, especially in the context of the pandemic, the CEO said.
According to Le Hoang Thach, CEO of WeWe that owns copyrighted audiobook app Voiz FM, many Vietnamese are not yet been willing to pay for audiobooks.
However, since its inception two years ago, Voiz FM has released over 2,000 book titles and attracted more than 300,000 users.
“This is a good sign and helps us feel more confident in the direction we have chosen,” Thach said.
With talented narrators, background music and sound effects, audiobooks are believed to be interesting than printed books, he said.
A studio of Fonos - one of the first audiobook platforms in Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Fonos) Xuan Nguyen said it takes her staff about one week to complete a recording for an eight-hour audiobook, adding that narrators are selected through casting.
Promoting audiobooks
Audiobooks are also a wonderful tool for visually impaired people.
Aware of this humanitarian value, Vietnam and Friends – a non-Governmental charitable organisation, has launched a project to record books for visually impaired people, with an initial target of 1,000 book titles that will be published through a special app.
As a project volunteer, Bach Lang, an outstanding artist working at the Thang Long Puppet Theatre in Hanoi, has recorded many Vietnamese literary works since 2002.
Artist Bach Lang (Photo: Photo courtesy of Bach Lang) Audiobooks help to open a new world to visually impaired people and increase connectivity in the community, the artist said.
Nguyen Le Chi, a translator and Director of Chibooks, said although it is easier for audiobooks and e-books to be licensed, many producers still show hesitancy due to low revenue, high cost and risks of their copyright being infringed upon.
She suggested stricter legal regulations in this regard, even criminal penalties on illegal publishers.
Nguyen Nguyen, head of the Department of Publishing, Printing and Issuing under the Ministry of Information and Communications, said State management agencies will work to complete the setup of relevant institutions, thus creating a favourable legal framework for the professional and modern development of the publishing industry.
The department will put forth policies encouraging investments in e-publishing while stepping up communications to raise public awareness of copyright law, he said, stressing violations will be dealt with strictly.
The State will also invest more resources in several publishing houses to boost the industry, he affirmed./.
