Listenable content is here to stay
Audiobooks, like many other countries, have gained great popularity in Finland in recent years. Audiobooks have kept company and provided entertainment for commuting both in one's own car and on public transport. Listenable content is constantly growing in popularity due to its versatility: audiobooks can be used in a wide variety of situations when listening can be done alongside other activities.
The coronavirus changed people's consumption habits a lot, also in terms of listening. According to Yle's news, The number of new users of BookBeat increased by more than 100% compared to the previous week after the first coronavirus restrictions imposed by the government. Now audiobooks are enjoyed throughout the day.
The idea of a website that could be listened to came from a personal need
For Johanna Pelkonen, the founder of Voice Intuitive Oy, listening to audiobooks and podcasts alongside other activities has been a habit that led her to look for the listening feature on the website in early 2018. To Johanna's surprise, however, the audio feature was not found on the websites, and it was not easily offered for use elsewhere either.
In recent years, audio applications have become more common, and the use of audio content has increased significantly in a couple of years. Audio content responds to new kinds of needs. The content to be listened to is suitable for situations that a "traditional" book or text is not suitable for. Reading is not dependent on time and place, as the content can be listened to anywhere, Johanna explains. It is about the usability of audio applications. Added value is created by the ease of use.
The sensational popularity of audiobooks and podcasts reflects a permanent change in the consumption trend. The growth of the audiobook market alone has been phenomenal in recent years, and the coronavirus epidemic has further increased the consumption of audiobooks. With the coronavirus, users who are not previously used to them have also found their way to digital services and audio content.
More and more often, content is consumed by listening. Sound can also be used in voice messages and voice control systems in cars. Sound is here to stay and is changing habits.
Accessibility brings online services closer to users
It is estimated that there are 1.2 million people in need of accessibility in Finland, which means almost a quarter of the entire population. The group consists of people who have difficulties with, for example, vision, concentration, reading, perception or motor skills.
"Almost a quarter of Finns Needs accessibility. However, everyone benefits from accessibility."
With the voice service, we want to offer the opportunity to consume content effortlessly – regardless of whether the website user has some restrictions in terms of usage or not. At best, up to 5.5 million Finns can benefit from the feature, when we can enable the consumption of content even in situations where reading is not possible.
Listenable content benefits everyone online
When talking about accessibility, the analogy of a ramp is often used. In a physical operating environment, stairs are not a problem until you break your leg and have to walk with canes. Then you will notice that walking on the ramp is much easier. Accessibility aims to build ramps on websites to make them as easy and effortless to use as possible.
The sound feature is useful in a wide variety of situations. Anyone may need accessibility in their everyday life. Reading a text may be difficult, for example, due to bright sunshine, or the situation may require you to focus mainly on something else, such as driving or household chores. In this case, the text you are listening to reaches people better – reading and listening complement each other by serving people in different situations.