The presentation will cover the establishment and development of the audiobook market in Slovenia, including a description of its beginnings, the expansion of its scope, improvements in the quality of digital audiobook production, and collaboration with readers, copyeditors, recording studios, technical staff, authors, book publishers, libraries, and other stakeholders in the audiobook market.
The presentation will also cover the entire process of audiobook production – from the selection of literary works and production to their distribution via digital platforms and libraries. Special emphasis will be placed on the question of how audiobooks are created for the Slovenian market, where the small size of the language market and economic constraints make the coordination of various interests particularly important.
The key steps in the production of audiobooks will be described: content selection, handling of copyright and licensing issues, collaboration with authors and publishers, and production organisation. An important part of the process also involves selecting narrators, studio recording, directing, and editing, as the quality of the narration significantly impacts the user experience and the reception of the audiobook among readers and listeners. We will also address the time and financial aspects of production, as well as the challenges posed by the development of the audiobook market for a smaller language.
One part of the presentation will be dedicated to collaboration with libraries and the integration of technological solutions with the COBISS bibliographic system. We will present the challenges of library loan, user expectations, and the importance of promotion, improving accessibility, and digital literacy in the use of audiobooks, as well as the development of services that enable libraries to easily and effectively integrate audiobooks into their services.
The lecture will also shed light on the distribution and accessibility of audio content via mobile and web applications, as well as the importance of the user experience when using digital platforms. The presentation will cover the differences between the sales model and library model of content access, issues of content protection and licensing, and the importance of integrating various digital services and platforms with all stakeholders involved in the production, publication, distribution, and promotion of audiobooks in Slovenia.
