Why are audiobooks so expensive?!
As my classmates are aware (because I’ve been complaining A LOT), I’m attempting to go a full week without music. Starting tomorrow.
I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say I’ve been dreading this experiment. I may not survive.
But anyway, back to the point. For my week without music, I’ve decided to invest in some audiobooks. Just because I’m not listening music doesn’t mean I have suffer from (or in!) silence. And based on the recommendations of my 3-hr classic lit class, I’m going to listen to the entire series of Harry Potter, narrated by Jim Dale.
I’m not sure how much I thought the audiobooks would cost… but I was not expecting over $30. Which unfortunately is roughly how much one book-on-cd/mp3 costs (it depends on the store). Even iTunes charges over $40 for the newer books.
I (sort of maybe) understand that the physical audiobooks cost more, since there are actual CDs and all. But why do the digital editions cost so much?? I know that Harry Potter is amazing, and Jim Dale’s voice acting is superb, but seriously! How does an audiobook cost more than a multimillion dollar budget DVD? That’s a pretty big chunk of change that I won’t be getting back. And as a college student, I need all the change I can keep. I guess for now, I’ll just have to keep purchasing regular print books.
Image from PalmAddict.
Posted on October 7, 2010, in books, itunes, rants and tagged books on cd, expensive audiobooks, harry potter audiobooks, j120, laura jordan. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
the Little Red Bird 
That is ridiculous. I’ve never been one to listen well (I know, surprising right?) so I prefer to just read the books instead. I had no idea audio books were so expensive! I really wonder how they justify charging that much for a digital download, especially when songs are only around $1. Are there any free/cheaper books you could download instead (classics or something)?
Holy cow, that’s way more expensive than I would have anticipated too. If you’re looking for something to listen to (other than music), you could always check out some free podcasts.
I experienced the awesomeness of Jim Dale reading Harry Potter when there were no digital audiobooks–they were all on tape!
I can’t remember how much those cost, but I’m pretty sure they weren’t all that cheap either. I know it will be hard to suffer for a week without music (I know I’d never attempt anything like that) but a $30+ audiobook (even if it IS Harry Potter) is definitely too much for a college student.
ha i completely agree. I cannot wait to talk to you about the lack of music and see how horrible it was. I cannot believe harry potter audio books are so expensive. i wonder what the rates are for the audio books compared to the real books?
I love audio books. They are expensive to purchase, but most libraries now lend them out. Some libraries even have Playaways, which are pre-loaded digital audio books – just add batteries and plug in your headphones! Many libraries also provide free mp3 downloads of audio books. If you have a small library in your community, you can often obtain materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan (ILL) or use your community library card to join larger library systems. Check it out! Here’s a link to find your local library: http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/librarysearch/
The Des Moines Library has all the Harry Potter books on CD. Me and the kids have listened to them all. Just burn them to your computer and go. It’s free—and Jim Dale is so good.
I’ve never been a big audiobook fan in general and now this huge price point definitely turns me of from ever trying them in the future. nasty.
Completely agree. Plus, I don’t really see the need for audiobooks when you can get ebooks for half the price of print (and lots of times for free).
I just can’t see myself using audiobooks. Maybe for a road trip, if I’m alone. Maybe.