Canada is in the midst of an audiobook boom. Though sales numbers aren’t available yet, they’ve been growing rapidly in the United States, and north of the border, there’s been a substantial influx of publishers entering the audiobook market.
Why Do Canadians Listen to Audiobooks?
What’s behind their growing popularity? It all comes down to the pleasure of listening. Canadians are busy, stressed out, and looking for a way to slow down. Carving time out of the day to sit back and listen to a book is a chance to clear out the cobwebs, recharge, and rebalance. You can listen to audiobooks at the end of a long day, on your commute, on a lazy Saturday morning, or while you’re cleaning up and doing the dishes.
There’s also the appeal of the narrator. Talented voice actors bring great stories from the page to the speaker. They can bring a different personality to a book and new life to a story you already love.
While not every author has a voice made for narration, some of the best audiobooks available are narrated by the authors themselves. Neil Gaiman is a standout in this category. A natural-born storyteller, Gaiman has narrated a number of his own audiobooks and graced other works with his signature voice, though he’s not alone. Writers like Jenny Lawson, Christopher Hitchens, and Seamus Heaney have all made names for themselves narrating their own books.
Indie Canadian Publishers Getting into Audiobooks
It’s not just international publishers that are producing audiobooks in Canada. Independent publishers like House of Anansi and ECW Press have entered the audiobook market, producing some of their own award-winning titles and making them available on various audiobook platforms.
Titles like Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers, Eden Robinson’s Song of a Trickster, and Cherie Dimaline’s bestselling Empire of Wild are just some of the titles available as audiobooks thanks to the recent uptick in the Canadian market.
Great Canadian Talent
Canada has been relatively slow to enter this market, but it’s uncovered a hidden talent pool. As independent publishers have looked toward local actors, they’re discovering Canadians have a knack for narrating. Some audiobook producers are hoping more Canadians will make it easier to find great voice actors for their titles.
How Audiobooks Are Changing Book Clubs
Audiobooks have also opened up new opportunities for book clubs, moving from solitary reading to listening as a social activity. Clubs can now appreciate titles together and talk about what they think chapter by chapter. Club meetings can even be hosted online.
How Do Canadians Get Their Audiobooks?
Subscriptions have become the preferred way for Canadians to get their audiobooks. They work like a “book of the month club.” For example, a subscription with Audible gets you credits to pick one audiobook each month. You can buy more if you’re a voracious listener, and there are usually other membership benefits, such as access to podcasts.
With fast-growing sales and increased production, Canadian book-lovers can look forward to lots of new Canadian titles making the transition to audiobook format.