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An audio book is a Recording of the contents of a Book read aloud. It is usually distributed on Compact Disc s (CDs), Cassette Tapes , or digital formats (e.g., MP3 and Windows Media Audio ). The term "audio book" has been synonymous with "books on tape" for roughly 20 years. Cassette tape sales still comprise roughly 40% of the audio book market, with CDs the other dominant format type. As of early 2006, downloadable audiobooks account for approximately 6% of the market. ''Unabridged'' audio books are word for word readings of a book, while ''abridged'' audio books have text edited out by the abridger. Audio books also come as fully ''dramatized'' versions of the printed book, sometimes calling upon a complete cast, music and sound effects. There are quite a few Radio Programmes Serialising Books , sometimes read by the author or sometimes by an actor, most of them on the BBC . The popularity of portable music players such as the IPod have made audio books more accessible to people for portable listening. With Optical Character Recognition , and Text-to-speech software it is simple to put any book into audio format. Audio books have been used to teach children to read, and increase reading comprehension. They are also indispensable for the Blind . Most new popular titles put out by the major publishers are available in audiobook format simultaneously with publication of the hardcover edition. There are approximately 25,000 current titles in cassette, CD, or downloadable format. The National Library of Congress in the US, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind both provide free audiobook library services to the visually impaired, where requested books are mailed out (at no cost) to clients. About 40% of all audiobook consumption occurs through public libraries, with the remainder served primarily through retail book stores. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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