Tag Archives: Listening

5 Ways To Listen Better


In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, “We are losing our listening.” In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.

Julian Treasure studies sound and helps people and businesses to listen, speak and use sound well.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference. For the Silo, David J. Hensley.

Transcript


00:03
We are losing our listening. We spend roughly 60 percent of our communication time listening, but we’re not very good at it. We retain just 25 percent of what we hear. Now — not you, not this talk, but that is generally true.
00:18
(Laughter)
00:19
Let’s define listening as making meaning from sound. It’s a mental process, and it’s a process of extraction.
00:27
We use some pretty cool techniques to do this. One of them is pattern recognition. (Crowd noises) So in a cocktail party like this, if I say, “David, Sara, pay attention” — some of you just sat up. We recognize patterns to distinguish noise from signal, and especially our name. Differencing is another technique we use. If I left this pink noise on for more than a couple of minutes, (Pink noise) you would literally cease to hear it. We listen to differences; we discount sounds that remain the same.
00:56
And then there is a whole range of filters. These filters take us from all sound down to what we pay attention to. Most people are entirely unconscious of these filters. But they actually create our reality in a way, because they tell us what we’re paying attention to right now. I’ll give you one example of that. Intention is very important in sound, in listening. When I married my wife, I promised her I would listen to her every day as if for the first time. Now that’s something I fall short of on a daily basis.
01:28
(Laughter)
01:29
But it’s a great intention to have in a relationship.
01:32
(Laughter)
01:34
But that’s not all. Sound places us in space and in time. If you close your eyes right now in this room, you’re aware of the size of the room from the reverberation and the bouncing of the sound off the surfaces; you’re aware of how many people are around you, because of the micro-noises you’re receiving. And sound places us in time as well, because sound always has time embedded in it. In fact, I would suggest that our listening is the main way that we experience the flow of time from past to future. So, “Sonority is time and meaning” — a great quote.
02:08
I said at the beginning, we’re losing our listening. Why did I say that? Well, there are a lot of reasons for this. First of all, we invented ways of recording — first writing, then audio recording and now video recording as well. The premium on accurate and careful listening has simply disappeared. Secondly, the world is now so noisy, (Noise) with this cacophony going on visually and auditorily, it’s just hard to listen; it’s tiring to listen. Many people take refuge in headphones, but they turn big, public spaces like this, shared soundscapes, into millions of tiny, little personal sound bubbles. In this scenario, nobody’s listening to anybody.
02:51
We’re becoming impatient. We don’t want oratory anymore; we want sound bites. And the art of conversation is being replaced — dangerously, I think — by personal broadcasting. I don’t know how much listening there is in this conversation, which is sadly very common, especially in the UK. We’re becoming desensitized. Our media have to scream at us with these kinds of headlines in order to get our attention. And that means it’s harder for us to pay attention to the quiet, the subtle, the understated.
03:23
This is a serious problem that we’re losing our listening. This is not trivial, because listening is our access to understanding. Conscious listening always creates understanding, and only without conscious listening can these things happen. A world where we don’t listen to each other at all is a very scary place indeed. So I’d like to share with you five simple exercises, tools you can take away with you, to improve your own conscious listening. Would you like that?
03:55
Audience: Yes!
03:56
Good. The first one is silence. Just three minutes a day of silence is a wonderful exercise to reset your ears and to recalibrate, so that you can hear the quiet again. If you can’t get absolute silence, go for quiet, that’s absolutely fine.
04:13
Second, I call this “the mixer.” (Noise) So even if you’re in a noisy environment like this — and we all spend a lot of time in places like this — listen in the coffee bar to how many channels of sound can I hear? How many individual channels in that mix am I listening to? You can do it in a beautiful place as well, like in a lake. How many birds am I hearing? Where are they? Where are those ripples? It’s a great exercise for improving the quality of your listening.
04:40
Third, this exercise I call “savoring,” and this is a beautiful exercise. It’s about enjoying mundane sounds. This, for example, is my tumble dryer.
04:49
(Dryer)
04:50
It’s a waltz — one, two, three; one, two, three; one, two, three. I love it! Or just try this one on for size.
04:58
(Coffee grinder)
05:07
Wow! So, mundane sounds can be really interesting — if you pay attention. I call that the “hidden choir” — it’s around us all the time.
05:16
The next exercise is probably the most important of all of these, if you just take one thing away. This is listening positions — the idea that you can move your listening position to what’s appropriate to what you’re listening to. This is playing with those filters. Remember I gave you those filters? It’s starting to play with them as levers, to get conscious about them and to move to different places. These are just some of the listening positions, or scales of listening positions, that you can use. There are many. Have fun with that. It’s very exciting.
05:46
And finally, an acronym. You can use this in listening, in communication. If you’re in any one of those roles — and I think that probably is everybody who’s listening to this talk — the acronym is RASA, which is the Sanskrit word for “juice” or “essence.” And RASA stands for “Receive,” which means pay attention to the person; “Appreciate,” making little noises like “hmm,” “oh,” “OK”; “Summarize” — the word “so” is very important in communication; and “Ask,” ask questions afterwards.
06:18
Now sound is my passion, it’s my life. I wrote a whole book about it. So I live to listen. That’s too much to ask for most people. But I believe that every human being needs to listen consciously in order to live fully — connected in space and in time to the physical world around us, connected in understanding to each other, not to mention spiritually connected, because every spiritual path I know of has listening and contemplation at its heart.
06:46
That’s why we need to teach listening in our schools as a skill. Why is it not taught? It’s crazy. And if we can teach listening in our schools, we can take our listening off that slippery slope to that dangerous, scary world that I talked about, and move it to a place where everybody is consciously listening all the time, or at least capable of doing it.
07:07
Now, I don’t know how to do that, but this is TED, and I think the TED community is capable of anything. So I invite you to connect with me, connect with each other, take this mission out. And let’s get listening taught in schools, and transform the world in one generation to a conscious, listening world — a world of connection, a world of understanding and a world of peace.
07:29
Thank you for listening to me today.

New Charlie Brown Goes To The Nutcracker Christmas Album

Octave Records Celebrates the Holidays
With Two New Christmas Albums
 — Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker by Ron LeGault’s jazz quintet, and guitarist Alfredo Muro’s The Spirit of Christmas offer musical holiday cheer in stunning Pure DSD sound–
Boulder, Colorado, November, 2023 – Octave Records warmly invites everyone to celebrate the holiday spirit with two uplifting new releases: Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker by the Ron LeGault quintet, and The Spirit of Christmas by internationally-renowned guitarist Alfredo Muro. Ron LeGault puts a jazz spin on the beloved Charlie Brown soundtrack music and the holiday classic The Nutcracker, while Alfredo Muro brings a heartfelt intimacy and virtuoso performances to a wide range of seasonal favorites. Both albums are recorded with extraordinary sound using Octave Records’ exclusive Pure DSD high-resolution audio process.

Pianist Ron LeGault has been performing his Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker show to packed audiences at the St Julien Hotel in Boulder, Colorado for more than 10 years. “The band and I have wanted to capture the show for posterity, and Octave Records gave us the opportunity. We are thrilled to be able to present this music for everyone to now enjoy.” Recorded live in the studio, the album captures the confident yet relaxed interplay that only comes from years of playing together, with Ron joined by Andrew Vogt (tenor sax, baritone sax, clarinet, flute), Curtis Fox (trombone), Dave Weinand (bass) and Andreas Schmid (drums).The quintet performs a host of Charlie Brown tunes like the familiar “Linus and Lucy,” the “Charlie Brown Theme,” “Christmas is Coming,” and others, along with jazz-laced versions of pieces from The Nutcracker including the iconic holiday classic “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” Added to the mix, the quintet plays a wry, swinging take on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”Alfredo Muro is a concert guitarist, composer, arranger, and improviser. He’s been described as a Latin guitar virtuoso, yet his styles and tastes are far more wide-ranging, from the classical repertoire to folk, jazz, Brazilian and more. He noted, “The idea of the program presented on The Spirit of Christmas was to choose traditional Christmas themes, combined with Christmas music popular in Spain and South America. Many of those songs are connected to my heart – they are part of my childhood in Latin America.”

The selections range from holiday standards like “Silent Night,” “The Christmas Song” and “White Christmas” to spiritual works such as “Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude” (“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”) and “Ave Maria, and songs that are deeply personal to Muro including “Preludio de Adiós” and “El Noi de la Mare.” Muro’s Paco Santiago Marin classical guitar has a deeply rich tone with a wide color palette and superb dynamic nuances, all captured in remarkable fidelity. On “Villancico de Navidad,” Alfredo is joined by guitarists Robert Chirico, Adam Buer and Felicity Muench and bassist Allen Bossard, to close The Spirit of Christmas on a beautiful and graceful note.

The albums, available on disc or via download, were recorded, mixed and produced by Paul McGowan at Octave Records’ studio, with assistance from Jessica Carson, Alfredo Muro, Ron LeGault, and Terri McGowan. Both albums were mastered by Gus Skinas. Charlie Brown Goes to The Nutcracker and The Spirit of Christmas feature Octave’s premium gold disc formulation, and the discs are playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player. They also have a high-resolution DSD layer that is accessible by using any SACD player or a PS Audio SACD transport. In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download, including DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64, and DSDDirect Mastered 352.8 kHz/24-bit, 176.2 kHz/24-bit, 88.2 kHz/24-bit, and 44.1 kHz/24-bit PCM. (SRP: $19usd – $39usd, depending on format.)

About PS Audio
Founded in 1973, PS Audio has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in manufacturing innovative, high-value, leading-edge audio products. Located in Boulder, Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, PS Audio’s staff of talented designers, engineers, production and support people build each product to deliver extraordinary performance and musical satisfaction. The company’s wide range of award-winning products include the all-in-one Sprout100 integrated amplifier, audio components, power regenerators and power conditioners.
 
www.psaudio.com

Definitive Guide to Speaker Setup Now Available

Octave Records Debuts The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker, the Definitive Guide to Speaker Setup

–  New book and companion SACD disc/download dive into exacting, step-by-step detail on how to get the most out of any loudspeaker –

Boulder, Colorado, October, 2022 – PS Audio’s Octave Records label announces its latest release, The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker, a book and companion SACD/download that tells listeners exactly how to get the most out of their loudspeaker setup. Written by PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan, the book and its accompanying disc (also available as a download) offer the practical knowledge he’s gained through more than 50 years of high-end audio design and in setting up hundreds of speaker systems.


 
“I’ve had to come to the rescue of someone’s system time and again because it just wasn’t sounding right. It was almost always a setup problem. Like everyone else, I used favorite music tracks for system tuning. But now, with Octave Records’ recording studio at our disposal, we were able to create tracks that are ideal for system setup, and then write a book that tells listeners how to implement these tracks to their best advantage.”
 
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker is useful for both novices and experienced audiophiles who may benefit from bringing their setup to a higher level or musical realism.

The book begins by covering a variety of topics including the nature of sound, different speaker designs, the importance of choosing the right speaker for your particular needs and listening tastes, and one of the most critical aspects of speaker setup: the effect of the listening room on loudspeaker performance.
 
Next the book discusses where to place the speakers in the room, and how to deal with various types and shapes of rooms. The Guide notes that different placements may be appropriate for different speaker types – for example, stand-mounted “box” speakers versus dipole planar designs – and listening room configurations (such as whether to place speakers across the short or long wall of a room). Real-world aspects like accommodating living spaces that aren’t dedicated to loudspeakers, and taking into account the locations of furniture, are also considered.
 
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker (SRP: $58usd/ $79 cad – $68usd/ $93cad depending on format) then walks the listener through using the accompanying reference disc (or download) to fine-tune the system to perfection. The disc starts with some basic tests for channel orientation and moves on to exacting, step-by-step procedures (time to get out the tape measure!) for getting the best bass response and tonal balance, achieving a solid center image, finding the best seating position, maximizing dynamics, producing a believable soundstage, capturing subtle musical details, and ultimately, getting the speakers to “disappear” and create the feeling that the musicians are in the room with the listener.


 
The tracks on the disc are tailored to help the listener zero in on various sonic aspects, from the pluck of Chris Brunhaver’s acoustic bass and how it energizes the room, to the focused center image of Gabriel Mervine’s trumpet, and the resonance and spatiality of Bill Kopper’s acoustic guitars and a number of tracks featuring vocalists with a full band.

The Recording

Recorded over three months of intense work, The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker was the first recording project at Octave Records’ new state-of-the-art studios. Recorded in pure DSD256 and mixed by Paul McGowan and Jay Elliott, the tracks on this work were laid down with every effort to maintain not only the purity of recording, but the accuracy of mic’ing, distance, and purpose. The mic’ing on solo voice, piano, trumpet, and guitar was primarily handled with a single-point stereo microphone to maintain a sense of realism. In particular, Octave Records’ hand-modified AKG C24 was used throughout the many tracks. On other tracks, like guitarist Bill Kopper’s seminal work focusing on the beauty of ringing harmonic overtones, we blended the detailed stereo condensers of the single-point Telefunken with the dynamic impacts of a single-point stereo ribbon microphone. Engineers Jay Elliott and Zach Balch went all out to get the best recordings from an amazing drum kit.

The Ludwig Supraphonic snare drum used on many hit records.

The kit (the same kit used in The Audiophile’s Guide: The Stereo) consists of a Ludwig 1970 Blue Sparkle 20” kick drum, 12” rack tom, 16×16” floor tom, 14 x 6.5” Ludwig Superphonic John Bonham LM 402 snare drum, Zildjian New Beats Hi-hat 70’s era 14”, Custom Dark Crash Kerope by Zildjian Crash 18”, and a Kerope by Zildjian 22” ride. To capture this kit, Jay and Zach employed their favorite setup for close mic’ing: a Shure Beta 52 for the kick-in and a cardioid patterned, phantom powered, large-diaphragm FET Soundelux U195 by David Bock for the kick-out. The top of the snare was handled by a Hypercardioid Beyerdynamic M201 with its phase flipped while the snare’s bottom was a Telefunken M80. The rack tom was captured by a Shure SM7B Cardioid dynamic microphone and the floor tom, an Audix D4 hypercardioid dynamic microphone.

The earlier Shure model SM7 was used to record Michael Jackson’s vocals for the Thriller album.

To capture the ambient room response, a pair of calibrated DPA omnis were used for the overheads, and the stereo AKG C24 in a Blumlein configuration was placed twelve feet into the room for space recording. All microphone preamplifiers were Manly vacuum tubes with a small smattering on the overheads using Forsell preamps. The tracks were all mixed in Octave Records’ custom mixroom on PS Audio’s aspen FR30 loudspeakers powered by an all-PS Audio system.


 
The Audiophile’s Guide: The Loudspeaker SACD is playable on any SACD, CD, DVD, or Blu-ray player (an SACD player is required to play the high-resolution DSD files on the disc). In addition, the master DSD and PCM files are available for purchase and download in formats up to 352.8 kHz/DSD256 from psaudio.com at this link.

4 Ways To Fortify Your Marriage & Manage Your Differences

Marriage is a complex, ever-evolving relationship that challenges partners to remain active in their efforts to maintain the relationship.  While the components of a healthy relationship – passion, commitment and intimacy – may seem abstract, I have found specific actions through my practice as a clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist that couples can do to prioritize their relationship and make it last.

Continue or learn to communicate well. We all know to be polite to our bosses at work or strangers we meet, but it is often with those we are closest to that we slip into unhealthy habits of disrespect or inattentive listening. Most likely, at the point in your relationship when you plan to get married, you feel close and communicate well with your partner. It is over time that partners become busier, more distracted or simply make fewer efforts to communicate respectfully and openly with their spouses. But communication is a critical component to a healthy marriage. Couples must schedule time to check in with each other weekly. This “weekly check-in” may seem less necessary in the early years of marriage, but you will appreciate the habit later when work hours become longer and kids enter the picture. Use this time to coordinate schedules, check in about any issues in the relationship, and take time for each other away from technological distractions (that means no phones or TV in the background).

Create a budget agreement. One of the most common areas of newlywed conflict is managing a joint budget. Even if you cohabitate with your partner before marriage, it is unlikely that you pooled all of your resources, and there is a lack of education about shared budgets. But money is important for your personal and relational well-being. Talk with your partner about your financial goals and concerns. Your spouse should be an equal partner in financial decisions. It is helpful for partners to regularly check in with each other about financial changes and decisions (you can easily incorporate this into your weekly check-ins). I advise couples to set a monthly personal budget – say $500 – that each partner can spend on individual expenses without consulting the other. If a partner wants to make a purchase that goes above the agreed-upon amount, he or she should wait until the other partner is consulted and agrees. By forming healthy spending habits and open communication about finances, partners can avoid one of the most common areas of marital conflict and feel closer as equals.

Share responsibility for maintaining intimacy. In the early years of a relationship, intimacy seems to come naturally, so many partners take for granted the importance of actively maintaining a sense of emotional connection. This is not the responsibility of one partner, but a requirement that both spouses maintain an interest in fostering intimacy and keeping tabs on ways the other partner wishes to feel loved and cared for (because this does vary from person to person and over time). Date nights are a simple way to establish time to reconnect during a busy week, and they are essential in the early years of marriage and beyond. Take turns planning an evening for each other, and do not get trapped in thinking it has to be extravagant. If your lives are incredibly busy that week, find a time to relax at home or try to cook a new meal together.

Remember that human beings like novelty, so be willing to try new things together.

Never be afraid to manage your differences. If I had to pick one major takeaway for couples considering marriage, it is to ensure that you are able to tell your partner when you are upset with him or her. That way your partner stands a chance of trying to fix the problem. Without this, resentment takes root and will continue to grow over time until it is addressed. This is so important because resentment often underlies any deficit in the previous points I made. It may sound basic, but it is often difficult for partners to place themselves in a vulnerable position where they can voice their concerns about the person closest to them. For couples to manage resentment, it is essential that partners create a safe conversational space where each can be heard and listen without feeling defensive or attacked. It is inevitable that you will have a different perspective than your partner at some point – whether regarding the family budget, division of household labor, or even the right way to show intimacy. Use any and every opportunity in the early years of marriage to practice talking with each other when one partner is upset with the other. Skills such as empathy, active listening and managing anger and frustration can be learned and need to be regularly utilized in couple conversation.  For the Silo, Dr. Anne Brennan Malec.

Dr Anne Malec

Audio-Technica Wireless Earbuds Offer High Performance And Style

The audio world and mobile world have been coming together by virtue of shared technologies.

One recent example that continues to trend are wireless earbuds. Once considered a ‘low fi’ alternative to audiophile ear covering headphones, high bit rate digital files and improved bluetooth protocols have opened the doorway to mobile hi-fidelity. Case in point: Audio-Technica SONICSPORT Model ATH-SPORT7TW and Model ATH-CKR7TW.

ATH-CKR7TW

When you take a moment to search what others are saying about these models you quickly realize everyone is impressed with their audio performance. Personal devices are highly subjective. Some of us prefer touch sensitive controls but others like physical micro-switch controls. If you are in the former read on and learn what these earbuds have to offer. With the exception of noise-cancellation technology, they are loaded with features.

SONICSPORT

The sound

In general terms both models sound about the same- that’s because they each have large diaphragms (a larger 11mm driver for the CKR7TW), superb DAC digital to analog converter circuitry and robust headphone amplifiers. The CKR7TW goes one step further by supporting both AAC codec (a high quality form of audio signal that can exist in various bit rates and frequencies making it a near audiophile format) and Qualcomm aptX (a low latency, super high quality bluetooth format that allows for audiophile 24 bit signal playback over bluetooth). Since the ATHSPORT7TW is designed for outdoor and active use (such as gymnasium or jogging in the rain) it makes sense that the aptX format is not included. After all, a noisy city street or busy country road is not the ideal place for long periods of scrutinized listening.

For comparison we avoided the usual reviewer method of “A-B” testing using the same source and decided instead to stream various audiophile files and test signals from YouTube- both in AAC and aptX. In our opinion a lot of this becomes a process of splitting hairs since high frequency AAC sounds about the same as low frequency aptX.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bOQbaH1_pU

What matters most is the fact that both sets of earbuds get the job done and sound great.

The looks and comfort

Both models come with 4 sizes of Ear tips to help you get the perfect fit. The ATHSPORT7TW also includes 4 sizes of Ear fins and Ear tips that have trademarked Sweatguard technology. If you haven’t guess already, the sport model is also sweat and water resistant with a IPX5 rating. That means full on high powered splashing of water won’t affect the model and that’s reassuring. Water is the absolute worse enemy of earbuds. The SONICSPORT ATHSPORT7TW looks very tasteful too- an all greyish-white colouring with a slightly subdued brand logo is anything but gaudy.

CKR7TW

Not to be outdone, the CKR7TW includes 3D loop support ensuring that long periods of listening are comfortable. We also slightly prefer the looks too- the brushed Rose gold accents paired with the grey coloring makes for a very attractive look and will have you standing out from the crowd.

Charging power a plenty

With all that high powered amplification and bluetooth functionality (Fully smart music controls and phone controls including a built-in microphone for answering calls) you’d be forgiven for thinking that these models are high drain on their battery. Would you believe 17 1/2 hours playback time (using the charging case) for the SONICSPORT and 15 hours playback time (using the charging case) for the CKR7TW? The charging case is almost jewelry box like in that it is beautifully designed and has a magnetic holding area that offers a very satisfying “click” when you insert the Ear buds for a charging session or for travel storage. Of course USB cables are also included if you prefer to charge from umbilical.

Phone use

Flawless. Crystal clear audio playback and a superb quality microphone. Not a single person we called complained about ‘echo voice’ or ‘long distance sound effects’.

Safety

Hardly ever mentioned in an Ear bud or headphone review is safety consideration and if you are a cyclist or jogger you know what I am talking about. The ability to hear audio cues from fast moving traffic or approaching vehicles is an essential part of safe outdoor exercise. The SONICSPORT alleviates this concern with a special pass-through circuit. This option can also be turned on to allow for listening of conversations.

Price

Just like in the automotive world, quality does not come cheap. Now that’s not to say that these models are prohibitively expensive, in fact, they are very competitively priced especially when compared to similar models from other manufacturers. With the Audio-Technica brand you know you are getting something special. The company has been an innovative player in recording studios and on stages worldwide for decades. That history and experience with both capturing and playing back sound is present here.
MSRP SONICSPORT ATH-SPORT7TW $200usd
ATH-CKR7TW $249usd. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Audio-Technica Offering Innovative 2020 Audio Products

At CES 2020 Audio-Technica will introduce a host of innovative products including headphones, turntables and mics across a wide variety of categories, from high value to ultimate-performance.

New QuietPoint truly wireless in-ear headphones combine next-generation truly wireless technology with digital hybrid active noise-cancelling electronics. The result is improved high-fidelity sound with superior noise cancelling performance.

A new belt-drive turntable combines an exceptional vinyl listening experience with a stunning, high-gloss piano black finish that complements any music system. The turntable includes a VM95E phono cartridge, built-in phono preamp and accessories.

Audio-Technica will introduce four all-new high-end headphones. The on-ear models combine beautifully crafted exotic woods with superb sound. The in-ear model features an exclusive hybrid multi-driver system for unmatched in-ear listening. All offer Hi-Res Audio quality.

Two Sonic Sport in-ear headphones will make their debut. One model features a built-in portable music player for the ultimate in on-the-go listening convenience. Both headphones offer a host of fitness-friendly features and powerful, immersive sound.

Audio-Technica’s newly upgraded ATR Series microphones feature improvements such as USB-C connectivity, high-performance internal A/D converters and restyled designs. They’re ideal for streaming, podcasting, recording, live performance and more. For the Silo, Frank Doris.

If you find yourself in the area, please visit us at CES Booth 20648, South Hall 1, Las Vegas Convention Center to hear these and other products.

Why We Have A Romantic Conception Of Reverberation

Reverberation. Why are its effects so pleasing to our ears and how is reverberation designed and controlled?

Audiobooks Are A Quickly Growing Industry In Canada

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.