”HAR JAG EN BOK I ÖRONEN KAN JAG GÅ HUR LÅNGT SOM HELST”. En kvalitativ studie om användares relation till ljudböcker jämfört med tryckta böcker
Abstract
Har jag en bok i öronen kan jag gå hur långt som helst, or If I have a book in my ears, I can
walk as far as I want, is a qualitative study that explores users' relationship with streamed
audiobooks, compared to books in printed format. The choice of topic is driven by the fact
that digitalization has transformed literature as a medium and the book industry as an
enterprise. This makes it relevant and necessary to examine how, or if, the analog predecessor
will continue to exist with the increased popularity of streamed audiobooks.
The purpose of the study is to investigate users' motivations for listening to audiobooks
through various audiobook apps, in comparison to their motivations for reading books in
physical format. To address the study's purpose, three research questions are posed: What is
appreciated by users in their consumption of streaming-based audiobook services?; What
features do users appreciate when consuming printed books?; Why do users choose to listen
to audiobooks instead of reading a physical book?.
The background of the study discusses the book as a medium and brings up previous research
in entertainment literature. Previous research is categorized into four main topics: audio- and
e-books; streaming; convergence within streaming; ownership and power.
Two frameworks based on the uses and gratifications theory are used as a theoretical
background. To analyze the material in the context of books as entertainment, and in the case
of audiobooks entertainment through the smartphone, both Sundar and Limperos' (2013)
proposal on uses and gratifications theory focusing on 'affordances', with an extension
including Schrock (2015), and Bartsch and Viehoff's (2010) uses and gratification framework,
in combination of Rubin’s typology (1981; Griffins, 2014), linked to entertainment media are
employed.
The chosen method for the thesis is qualitative and consists of individual interviews with a
total of nine respondents. The selection criteria for respondents were that they should be
frequent users of audiobook services, but also have a relationship with physical books. They
should also be residents of Sweden, with age and gender being less important. However, it
should be noted that most respondents were women in their upper middle age.
The study found that users of audiobook services rarely listen without engaging in another
activity simultaneously. The reason for multitasking was related to underlying feelings of
boredom, escapism, and convenience. Users also considered audiobook services a way to use
their time efficiently, as there was a perception of not having time to sit down and read.
Physical books, on the other hand, were found to carry greater value among the respondents,
often associated with nostalgic feelings. There was also a consensus that readers were more
active and had more control while reading physical books compared to listening to
audiobooks. Physical books were also perceived to leave a stronger impression afterward. The
consumption of physical books had, for most respondents, decreased or completely
diminished after the introduction of audiobooks – a commonality among users was that they
listened to significantly more books than they read.
For most respondents, listening to audiobooks was part of their daily routines. The
subscription model was predominantly perceived positively and was linked to the quantity of
audiobooks consumed. It turned out that audiobook services were most useful for heavy
consumers than for those with a sparser book consumption.
Degree
Student essay
Collections
View/ Open
Date
2024-03-06Author
Lundkvist, Henrietta
Keywords
Digital konvergens, streaming, algoritmer, ljudböcker, plattformar, uses & gratifications, affordances
Series/Report no.
1239
Language
swe