Lydlitteraturens værdier

Litterær (værdi)dannelse i en streamingtid

Abstract

The values of audio fiction: Literary values and valuation in the age of streaming

Audiobooks are more popular than ever before. The article examines how this so-called “audiobook boom”, as well as the communities, reading practices, and economic systems surrounding audiobooks affect how we ascribe value to books and reading. The article departs from a notion of literary values based in the sociology of literature. While its contribution is primarily conceptual, the discussion is based on results from two interview studies with, respectively, Danish and Swedish authors, publishers, and streaming service representatives. As the “audiobook boom” in Denmark and Sweden is connected to the distribution model of subscription-based streaming, the article presents an analysis of how this model transforms the ways in which we ascribe economic value to books. The article argues that these changes regarding economic values and valuation also impact the “content”, resulting in a turn towards genre fiction and what some informants see as a commercialization of literary culture. Turning towards the readers’ perspective, the audiobook significantly transforms how we use literature in everyday contexts – and who uses it. The audiobook is thus associated with social and practical values, while the value of the reading, and the knowledge we get through reading-by-listening is questioned. Thus, while the audiobook is socially valued because of its accessibility and its potential for lowering the threshold of literary culture, it is not accepted into the established value systems of that same literary culture. The article concludes that this leads to a polarization of the literary field with audiobooks (and the associated genres) on the one side, and print culture (and associated “quality” fiction) on the other. Based on the results, the article finally discusses what “makes a good audiobook” – and how the format impacts how we value literature in a digital book economy.