Digital audiobooks for children and young people: characteristics in loan, distribution and sale platforms

Abstract

This work aims to analyze, compare and characterize the supply of digital audiobooks for children and young adults through the analysis of sales and distribution platforms and library loan platforms available in Spain, in order to point out their strengths and weaknesses. To this end, data relating to collections and search and organization interfaces have been collected directly from distribution and sale platforms (Storytel, 24Simbols, Odilo and Audioteca), both subscription and unit sale, and national (eBiblio) and regional library loan (eLiburutegia and Galiciale), as well as a selection of 250 selected titles randomly in each of them. The methodology used is descriptive and has allowed us to analyze the offer of digital audiobooks for children and young adults, languages and date of publication, most significant publishers, as well as to evaluate the search systems, the ordering of the contents in the interfaces and the information provided by the descriptions of the different platforms. Based on the data collected, it is concluded that, despite the increase in consumption and publishing of this type of format, titles for children and young adults have a scarce and secondary presence in catalogs, both from publishers and platforms. It is also necessary to adapt the interfaces and adequate classification to improve their visibility and location, and a standardization in the introduction of metadata and expansion of the information provided for each product.