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Audiobook Recommendations for Publishers

    Creator: Accessible Publishing

    Date of Update: January 18, 2023

    Overview

    The Audiobook Recommendation for Publishers provides guidelines for creating accessible audiobooks. Audiobooks are considered to be accessible, but they are not inherently so. Library staff can use sections of this resource to evaluate the accessibility of audiobooks during procurement.

    The information in this resource is summarized from the Audiobook Recommendations for Publishers webpage.

    Quick Facts

    Not all recommendations in this resource apply to libraries. We have listed the guidelines below that library staff can use to review audiobooks to ensure they are accessible. These include the following:

    • Each chapter, section, short story, and poem (if a book of poetry) should be a single audio file. The audiobook should not be one large file.
    • The file names should begin with a number and in chronological (1 through however many files there are).
    • All the files should be saved in one folder with the book title.
    • Almost all sections of the book should be recorded – from the front cover to the bibliographies.
    • Images, if integral to the book and it wont detract from the audiobook narration, should be properly described. If the images do detract from the narration, they can be recorded separately and added to the book folder.
    • The narrator should announce each section (table of content, chapter number and title, etc.) at the beginning of the recording.
    • Ensure that the audio is clear, the volume is consistent, and it does not contain buzzing, hums, etc.
    • The file size, recommended by this resource, should be 128-193 kbps for books with stereo effects and 64-96 kbps for audiobooks without effects.
    • The audiobook should contain metadata (e.g., title, author, year, copyright, etc.)

    Review the Audiobook Recommendations for Publishers.

    Reference

    Brochu, L., & Accessible Publishing. (2021, June 21). Audiobook Recommendations for Publishers. AccessiblePublishing.ca. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://www.accessiblepublishing.ca/audiobook-recommendations-for-publishers/