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Physical Audio Books
In the modern age Audio books can be downloaded to be played on your computer, your phone or any other playing device. But unbelievably physical copies of audio books still exist, even more shockingly at least here in Australia they are a fucking scam!
Intro
Honestly I wasn’t sure if I was going to post this article. It is all based on my experience and all to do with Australian pricing for audio books so perhaps not the most relatable for all.
But then I figured maybe this is true in other countries. Failing that perhaps some people will enjoy learning more about me and perhaps enjoy my little rant.
Wear it began
This story starts 17 years ago in December 2000. For Christmas that year I got a gift I imagine many children received both in the years before and after that time. How ever my copy of Harry Potter was an audio book.
Being that I was 7 at the time I didn’t really care about the cost. But I loved the book.
I would get books 2 and 3 for gifts as well but when it came to the fourth book I decided to buy it myself. I had been saving money in a little box when counted I had 120 dollars. So my disappointment when I found at the cassette version of harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was 150 dollars.
Yes you read both parts of that right. I wanted cassettes and it was 150 dollars. Thankfully some one gave me the 30 dollars and I got the book.
But hear was my first experience with how expensive Physical audio books could be. 18 months later I would be left even more shocked when the fifth Harry Potter book would set me back 200 dollars.
Lets skip Ahead
Jump forward 8 years. We are now in early 2012 and in just a few weeks time the Soundwave music festival will be coming to Australia. In 2012 the big excitement was that the festival would be headlined by Slipknot and System of a down. Why is this important to a article about audio books. Well I am getting to that.
Just a few months earlier Lead singer of Slipknot Corey Taylor released his first book and while here in Australia he announced that he would be doing a book signing here in Sydney.
So finding this out I raced out trying to get my hands on the audio book for him to sign. After going to 3 Books stores I found one that had Audio books and could order it in.
The kicker it was 90 dollars which I had to pay up front. The worst part they said it would take 5 or so days. This was 3 weeks before the signing. It came in a week after the signing happened.
This was the last time I would pay for the physical copy of an Audio book.
I loved reading but I hated throwing money at books that I didn’t know if I would like.
The change
Over the past 5 years I have bought and read hundreds of books in audio format. how most of you have probably already worked out. Thanks to a fantastic site called Audible.
Audible changed the game for me. The monthly subscription fees are between 25 and 30 dollars a month depending on the exchange rate at the time and I get 2 books for that.
What’s more if I don’t have any credits to change for books It gives me the option to buy a few more at the same members price going rate.
This means all the books on there for members are just about 15 dollars.
This means those Harry Potter books I spent hundreds on are now much cheaper.
So what’s the problem
Well surely now with digital books so dam cheep the physical copies should have dropped down maybe not to the same price but at least reasonable prices. But no this isn’t the case.
I was left shocked once again today to find out that the complete collection of Harry Potter audio books would set you back 755 dollars if you want physical copies. Those same books can be bought on audible for just 110 dollars give or take 5 dollars.
When I found this out I went straight to a few online retailers of audio books here in Australia and was stunned to find out that Audio books in physical form are still stupidly expensive. ranging any where from 60 to 120 dollars these books could all be purchased on audible for some times 1 tenth of the price.
The shrinking number of book stores world wide as people turn to digital audio books and E-books may mean that this will all mean nothing as the physical form of books disappears.
But the fact that people can get away with charging prices like this in 2018 is fucking insane. I hope any one reading this has not fallen in to the trap of physical audio book cost in the past and I hope less or no one continues to get stuck paying these stupid prices in to the future.
Back before audible there was a store I would go to for audio books. They even did a rental plan like Netflix. I assumed they were shut down, but just checked and they are still open. This completely boggles my mind. I cannot imagine how they have kept alive in the current age. The prices were always outrageous, and I would expect they still are. Our prices here in the states aren’t as high, but you can still expect to spend $50 or $60 on a newly released audio book.