Radio dramas always had this intimate flair when connecting with their listeners. Through overdramatic storytelling and exaggerated voice acting, the genre makes sure you pay attention to the story. But gone are the days when the young and old would have their ears glued to the radio during a hot summer afternoon, as they gravely wait for what happens next in their radio drama about forbidden love and infidelity.
However, radio dramas still manage to thrive in this modern era of vlogs and podcasts. DZRH, for example, continues to produce their own radio dramas the traditional way, which makes them one of the last few bastions keeping the genre alive.
With more people getting into audio-only entertainment in this day and age, audiobooks are rekindling everyone’s love of listening to stories, especially to those who used to tune in to radio dramas. Audiobooks, while certainly not a new medium, can instill the same feelings of curiosity, passion, and kilig that radio dramas did to our lolo’t lolas back in the day.
Narration in audiobooks is as immersive as the over-the-top acting in radio dramas
The acting and storytelling radio dramas are as immersive as listening to a close friend share their personal stories with you. This creates an intimate space between the audience and the narrator when listening to the story. This kind of relationship is similar when listening to the author’s words through an audiobook. The intimate and weighty narration of an audiobook builds a connection to the listener as well.
Listening to audiobooks is perfect multitasking—similar to listening to radio dramas
Radio dramas and audiobooks are also perfect for multitasking. There’s no denying that finding the time to listen to an audiobook is as hard as trying to fit “going to the gym” into your everyday routine. But unlike in the past, tuning in to a radio drama is basically a part of a person’s weekday schedule, since afternoon entertainment was still pretty scarce back then. Today, however, audiobooks offer a hands-free experience when listening to different stories. It’s entertainment that you can bring literally anywhere.
Audiobooks have more progressive stories than radio dramas
But what radio dramas have established, audiobooks have pushed further. As mentioned earlier, the former usually chronicles the love life of couples—heterosexual couples, to be exact. It’s understandable, as the genre was a byproduct of a less progressive time. Luckily, audiobooks bring stories from all walks of life, opening it up for more progressive and inclusive stories that are relatable to everyone such as the LGBTQIA+ community. One example is Adrian Carl Pescador’s Rainbow Hearts, which is available on Audiophile. The audiobook adapts Pescador’s story about two boys who fall in love in a costume shop during their summer break.
Audiobooks nearly have an infinite supply of stories to adapt. It’s not exclusive to romance fiction, unlike radio dramas, which are almost always about love stories. There are tons of audiobooks out there that also tackle other genres such as true crime, science fiction, and even autobiographies. It is a medium that further expands the stories and knowledge that you listen to.
If tuning into old-timey radio dramas is a hobby of yours, then listening to audiobooks will definitely feel like an upgrade. Even if you didn’t have a background with radio dramas, audiobooks can still elicit feelings through beautifully spoken words the same way the old medium did. And with more options presented to the audience, as well as an ocean of possible content, audiobooks present themselves as a brand new gateway to the wonderful world of literature.
Audiophile, Bookshelf PH’s audiobook platform, aims to elevate the Philippine audiobook industry through its wide selection of Filipino audiobooks. Choose from a variety of genres such as contemporary romance, LGBTQIA+ and Tagalog language drama, with more genres soon to arrive at our catalog. You can become a member of Audiophile by clicking on this link. Once you register your account, use the coupon code GETSTARTED to get a free 1-month trial to stream our audiobooks at your own leisure.