Easy listening

In nuclear family set-ups, most kids lack adult story-tellers. Busy, working parents and the absence of grandparents sometimes translates into children growing up without bedtime tales. This is where audiobooks can step in to fill the gap, feel those who have invested in the genre.

Karadi Tales, the most popular name in this segment, has been around for nearly 11 years. CP Viswanath, director of Karadi Tales, which has mythological stories, folktales and many others in the audio format in its kitty, feels while Karadi has managed to grab attention, the segment is yet to mature.

Yet, according to him, audiobooks have a substantially different experience to offer: “Reading has its place and so does listening. One can do a lot of interesting things on an audio book — background scores and emotive voices can help bring the story alive.” Karadi’s content is rooted in India, so it also provides a form of cultural communication. Speaking of the benefits of audio books vs paperbacks,Vishwanath says, “First, there’s the entertainment factor and second, it facilitates certain kinds of learning.”

Experts agree that audiobooks are a great way to expand a kid’s vocabulary. The way the narrator pronounces words and articulates the story acts as a foundation for early reading, says Viswanath.

Narrations play a significant role in audiobooks, and to ensure quality Karadi has always roped in actors or artistes as it adds credibility and also brings in calibre. Their first audiobook had Naseeruddin Shah and thereafter, they’ve had the likes of Girish Karnad, Nandita Das and Boman Irani bring the characters to life.
Popular FM station Radio City has just made a foray into this segment with A City of Tales with popular folklore. Apurva Purohit, CEO of Radio City, also resonates Vishwanath’s views about the market being nascent, but says there is immense potential for growth.

Purohit feels that since one can play an audiobook while on the move, it has tremendous utility value, the biggest advantage being it accelerates learning apart from being an entertaining option. But with numerous cartoon channels, there’s a lot to keep kids entertained, so why would one choose an audiobook?

Purohit says, “International cartoons mostly have western characters. Indian parents feel the need to provide their children with an Indian context and Indian audiobooks do just that.”

According to Purohit, audiobooks are priced at par with paperbacks and abridged versions of audiobooks cater better, as children are known to have  a shorter attention spans than adults.
Sivaraman Balakrishnan, deputy manager of marketing for Crossword bookstore, has noticed that while audiobooks have gained traction, the market is yet to take off in India.

Balakrishnan says the children’s section at Crossword across the country is the biggest revenue earner for the store, but the sales of audiobooks remains on the slow side.

He feels the absence of grandparents in the Indian cultural scenario has only transferred the role of storytelling to parents and though audiobooks allow the parent to play the CD, Indian parents would typically prefer reading to their kids.

At the same time, Indian audiobooks are finding popularity abroad. Karadi Tales’ audiobooks has a considerable presence in the West, not only with those of Indian origin but also with non-Indians who’re keen on giving their children a multi-cultural exposure.

Balakrishnan seconds this: “Audiobooks are acknowledged and accepted better abroad because they have been around for longer and also because there is a cultural stress on being self-reliant.”
While the market for audio books is yet to gain momentum in India, its advantages remain clear. The value-add it’s known to give children offers hope to serious players to stay put for now.