Audiobooks: A new trend for Chinese readers

2015-09-24  chinadaily.com.cn

Himalaya FM presents their products  at the 2015 Shanghai Book Fair on Aug 20.

Audiobooks, or talking books, not introduced to China until the 1990s, have gained a user base of 130 million in less than 20 years, and in the near future, the estimated market sale will exceed two billion, according to a 2014 Nilson report on the Chinese book market.

Thanks to its convenience and adaptability, the audiobook has edged its way into Chinese people's lives, reshaping their lifestyles in a way that's hard to ignore.

"I used to read e-books on my way to work, but now I turn to audiobooks," said Xiao Sun, a Beijing office worker who spends about half an hour commuting every day. Sun said that listening to books doesn't strain his eyes.

Another fan of audiobooks, a Himalya FM user nicknamed Xiexiaotu, said that she listens to books while she's doing the chores, brushing her teeth and washing her face - "it perfectly fills up my pocket time".

In fact, audiobooks are not only popular with those who are seeking alternative recreation, it also serves as enrichment for people who lack access to regular books. As reported by Southern Weekly, there are about 700 books being published every day in China, yet for the 1.3 million visually impaired people, the number is almost zero.

Another source of great demand for audiobooks are farmers and migrant workers. "Audiobooks have a huge market for a country that has a big rural population like China as the popularization of smart phones enables farmers and migrant workers to 'read'," said Liu Yancai, editor of China Fangzheng Press.

Currently, China's audiobooks are mainly provided in mobile apps like Himalaya FM, Dragonfly FM and Lychee Fm. Yet, unlike the US, where books are read by authors and sold in online bookstores like amazon.com, audiobooks in China are not yet produced in a professional manner, with most of the books in audio format being network literature, provided for free.

The authorization is one of the factors that hinders audiobook production in China. To transform a book into an audiobook, one needs four authorizations from the author –the sublicense to adapt, to perform, to record and to spread, according to a report by Shandong Business Daily.

Despite problems facing audiobooks today, Internet companies - big or small - seem ready to embrace such a trend. Entrepreneurial firms, in particular, are running against time to develop such platforms and mobile apps to get their market share.

"With more and more Chinese starting to 'read', the Chinese audiobook market has become a huge goldmine yet to be excavated," said a spokesman of Himalaya FM. "And we expect the future market shares will reach 300 billion," he added.

As reported by China Economic Net, Himalaya FM has obtained adaptation authorization of most website literatures, and its copyright share has reached 70 percent.