Many times, sound on the web is just plain irritating. From the personal homepage with the obligatory MIDI file to the obnoxious talking ad banner, sound invades our ears and crashes our browsers. In addition, sound files are larger so they increase load time. The only place adult webmasters freely accept sound is in digital video or webcam feeds or maybe a Flash animation. This resentment towards sound on the web is one reason why audio content is so underrated.

"Some consider audio no different than text content, except it's bigger in file size and more expensive."

Our medium and our products are primarily visual. Audio content gets shoved in the filler spaces much like story content or games. We see that there’s greater demand for pictures and movies when it comes to adult content. So we go for what we perceive to be the bread and butter. We go for the pics. We use "the other stuff" to fill in the gaps.

Of all "the other stuff" audio content might be the most overlooked by Internet pornographers. Some consider audio no different than text content, except it’s bigger in file size and more expensive. Others don’t understand the myriad uses for audio content. They think that video is better because video is both images and audio. They think audio content is boring and bland.

First of all, audio content is not the same as text/story content. It’s true most audio content is just story content read aloud, but that doesn’t make the two the same thing. Text stories require the reader to concentrate and participate. You have to read a story to enjoy a story. With audio, the listener is passive. It’s easier to hear a story than it is to read a story. On that same note, audio content requires less imagination and brainwork to be enjoyed. The warmth and tone of the human voice creates the atmosphere and character of the spoken tale. Audio content is alive.

In some ways, audio content is the most portable adult content. It’s pretty hard to look at a hardcore video without sitting in front of some kind of monitor. The day will come when little cell phones can stream video as well as a PC but that day is not today. Besides, you still have to hold a cell phone or PDA in your hand to see the smut. The same with a text story. The surfer has to either read the story online or they have to print it out and deal with the pages.

With audio, the listener gets to hear the tale screen-free and hands-free. Both hands. The audiophile can save the story, and play it while they play or even while they drive the car. If you have your audio content formatted into MP3, your customer can transfer it to a one of many portable, passive listening devices. MP3s work in little players with headphones. They play in automobiles in stereo. They can even be heard through a DVD/CD player, patched through a television.

More importantly, audio content appeals to an audience who has no use for images on the web. There are millions of blind and vision-impaired people in this world. A lot of those people are adults who like sex as much as anybody. Audio content lures in those surfers you might otherwise lose with imagery. There are also those who are physically disabled in ways which make it hard to manipulate keyboards and mice. Listening to a story is the simplest task. If you put audio content on your site and you target the right market, you could find a whole new source of income.

As far as the two sexes are concerned, I’m not really sure it’s accurate to state that women would prefer audio porn over image porn. I supposed women might read more than men do but listening is not the same as reading. Maybe chicks dig stories but adult audio doesn’t have to be in story form.

Sometimes you’ll find audio content that doesn’t involve the reading of text. There is audio content where the performers act out the actual sounds of a fucking session. The slurps, the groans, the dirty talk. The "Yes! Yes!" as well as the "Suck it! Bitch!" I’ve heard audio consisting of one model, graphically describing what her listener can do to her body. Audio gives the benefit of sound and leaves more room for fantasy.

One could also say that audio is the key to the appeal of video/movie porn. After all, a porn vid without sound just isn’t as hot. Porn lovers like sound. They like audio. It isn’t irritating if it can make you money.