What children listen to stories with today
Children love audio books and radio plays. They are known to stimulate their imagination and also contribute significantly to language development. They also stimulate imagination, empathy and cognitive skills. Parents can often make the following observation: While the child's head follows the protagonists far into the most diverse spheres, the body stays behind in the child's room, where at the same time they are colouring, playing with Lego or sometimes even tidying up.
Parents particularly appreciate the fact that children are not looking at a screen when listening to stories. In addition, audio formats still have positive connotations from our own childhood. Back then, however, a rickety cassette recorder or a radio with an integrated CD player had to suffice. Today, there is an ever-growing range of playback options.
The colourful audio boxes are particularly popular. They are all equipped with a basic device and additional physical audio elements. They work in a very similar way. Even three-year-olds can use them independently to listen to age-appropriate stories and songs. However, the manufacturers also attract children up to the age of twelve with programmes such as «TKKG», «The Five Friends», «Greg's Diary», «Inkheart» and selected non-fiction topics.
A large selection of audio boxes
The market leader is the Toniebox (approx. 90 Fr.) with eight million units sold worldwide. A so-called Tonie (approx. 15 - 20 Fr.) serves as the carrier medium. As soon as children place this play figure on the cube-shaped device, the respective story starts. Tonies look like the characters of the respective audio experience, such as Heidi, Maya the Bee or Hotzenplotz the Robber. Children can still play with them even when the box has long since been switched off. The Tonies also appeal to the collector's instinct - there are over 1000 of them. Although they are available in Switzerland, so far there are only two Tonies in Swiss German: Kasperli and Globi.
Although the competing Tigerbox Touch Plus (approx. 150 Fr.) looks strikingly similar to the Toniebox at first glance, it has a touchscreen. Instead of playing figures, manufacturer Tigermedia uses cards. These so-called Tigercards (approx. 12 Fr.) are simply pushed into the box. Just under 100 of them may not seem like a lot, but the device also opens up access to a further 15,000 titles if parents subscribe to the Tigertones ticket.
Three months of this streaming subscription costs CHF 44.90, six months CHF 74.90 and 12 months CHF 129.90. In terms of content, the service is much more focussed on Swiss needs. «In the Swiss Edition,» the website states, «the Swiss Card gives you access to hundreds of titles in Swiss German and exclusive Swiss German titles.» Children can also record their own stories using the Tigertones app.
The Hörbert (approx. 200 Fr.), a speaker made of high-quality wood, pursues a much more sustainable concept, which incidentally has a positive effect on the sound. According to the manufacturer, only two per cent plastic was used here. Over two hours of music and stories are included, pre-installed on an SD card. Additional SD cards (approx. 30 Fr.), including two in Swiss German, are available separately. Children can also record their own content using a built-in microphone.
Tip: Many public libraries have Tonieboxes, Tigerboxes or Kekz headphones in their stock. This saves a lot of money.
The Galakto (approx. 60 Fr.) is brand new and much cheaper, as it does not require an app. Children use one of the more than 100 graphically enhanced tokens (approx. 10 Fr.). In addition to stories and songs, they create a meditative atmosphere with rain sounds or forest noises. You will also soon be able to make your own recordings with special tokens. The only drawback: Galakto is not yet officially available in Switzerland.
Unfortunately, this also applies to My Little Morphée, but the approach is simply too interesting to pass up. The beautifully crafted device with its soft olive green portable radio design and wooden handle focuses primarily on tranquillity and the power of meditation. The four-language SD card (German, English, French, Spanish) contains soothing rain, campfire and beach sounds, relaxing music and stories. The length can be set to 8 or 16 minutes.
The Kekz headphones (approx. 80 Fr.) are quieter - especially for parents. They also work without an internet connection. To listen to the stories, one of around 100 colourful audio chips (approx. 13 Fr. each) with well-known characters is placed on the outside of the earpiece. Voice assistants such as Alexa also continue to play audio formats on demand. Some are free, but the selection only becomes more interesting with a subscription to an audio streaming service.
A lucrative business
If we take a closer look at the various playback formats, one question remains: who actually benefits from audiobooks and audio plays being available on competing and mutually incompatible platforms? It is the rights holders, i.e. large entertainment groups such as Disney, Paramount, Universal Music and Sony Music, but also the numerous book and audiobook publishers. Nowadays, it is extremely lucrative to repeatedly grant new licences for content once it has been created and to share in the revenue with this convenient «old wine in new bottles» strategy.
Conclusion: To find out which playback format is best suited to each child, here's a tip: many public libraries have Tonieboxes and Tonies, Tigerboxes and Tigercards and also the Kekz headphones in their borrowable stock. This also saves a lot of money later on.
