Audiobooks vs podcasts

The Church of Twitter finally delivered something to my feed worthy of a post courtesy of David Perell.
Audiobooks are hard to listen to because  the voice performances are too clean.

Real human speech is messy, imperfect, and emotional. 

But audiobooks are so robotic that we tune out and stop paying attention.
I have been wondering about reasons why I prefer podcasts to audiobooks, and this may be a key factor. My favorite audiobooks are autobiographies and bonus points if they are read by the subject. Even though it's a polished delivery, hearing the subject in his or her own words somehow adds to the experience. I agree that most audiobooks have narration that isn't interesting to listen to on its own.

When I started my podcast, I explored using a fancy microphone and trying to get the best quality and delivery. That experiment ended quickly because it was creating too much friction. It's a pain doing take after take for an episode, and I found it started to sound and feel too rehearsed. I like the off-the-cuff nature of my observations with all the nuances and mistakes of the delivery. Often times it's the way I say a word and not the word itself that makes me chuckle.

I will keep this in mind if I narrate more posts or decide to dip my toe into the water of doing voiceover work. Above all, I do not want to be boring.
Dan Carlin is a good example of someone who has some grit. Have you ever heard anything by him? His main project is the Hardcore History series.

PS i'm all for hating on the westboro pastors of the Church of Twitter, but people like Perell I feel get a pass. He's actually got substance on another level.
2021-04-09 13:57:28
I have had people recommend the Dan Carlin podcast but I have not listened to it. So that's your reference on Westboro, now it makes sense. 
2021-04-09 14:00:54
lmao yes. I got such a kick out of the reference to it in
dealingwith
's article about opinions that I like to use it.

2021-04-09 14:02:13
I'd like to add that another attribute that differentiates podcasts from audiobooks is the conversational aspect.
2021-04-09 14:07:30