Audible.com

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Audible.com
Image:Audible.com logo.png
Opened: 1999
Pricing: Variable subscription and a la carte
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Palm OS, Symbian OS
Format: AA format (.aa) variable bit rates
Restrictions: Single burn to media, streaming to authorized devices
Catalogue: 125,000+ hours of spoken audio programming
Preview: 10 minutes
Streaming: Purchased titles only
Trial: varies
Protocol: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http://)
Features: Bookmarking, Wireless distribution, Wish List, My Next Listen, author interviews, free downloads each week
Website: www.audible.com

Audible.com is an Internet provider of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming. Audible sells audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers. The company is listed on NASDAQ and operates under the corporate profile, Audible Inc NASDAQ: ADBL, a Wayne, New Jersey-based company. The approximately 200-employee company was incorporated in 1995 in Delaware, went public on July 21, 1999.[1] The web site offers approximately 125,000 hours of spoken audio programming from more than 293 different providers by means of an online music store.

The October 12, 2006, edition of The Record newspaper has indicated that the company will be relocating to Newark in early 2007.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Audible introduced one of the first digital audio players in 1997, several years before the introduction of the Apple iPod. The following year it published a web site with downloadable audio files in its proprietary .aa format. It holds a number of patents in this field, and the .aa format is compatible with over 200 makes of audio players and mobile phones. Its use of digital rights management on the .aa files has earned it some criticism,[3][4] and care should be taken into consideration when purchasing a portable player to ensure compatibility.

In 2000 Audible licenced the ACELP codec for its level 3 quality downloads.[5]

In 2003, Audible made an exclusive deal with Apple to provide their catalog of books on the iTunes Music Store. Books purchased on iTunes have a .m4b extension (a variation on MP4), and contain AAC audio protected by Apple's FairPlay Digital Rights Management.

Its founder, Don Katz,[6] gave a talk on May 9, 2005[7] that is recorded on IT Conversations about the early history of Audible. There is a brief profile[8] of Katz in AudioFile magazine. Katz gave a Keynote address[9] at the Podcast Expo on November 12, 2005. He was also featured in the March 2006 issue of Business 2.0.[10]

In 2005, Audible launched Audible®Air, software that makes it possible to download (copy protected) audio books over the air - wirelessly and directly to devices such as a smartphone or PDA. This eliminates the need to download copy protected audio books first to the PC or Mac and then transfer it to Palm OS, Windows, and Symbian Mobile devices. Audible®Air content updates automatically, chapters download as required and delete themselves after they have been listened to.[11]

The company also launched Audible®Education, based on the notion that listening to texts can be a powerful way to learn. The service offers lectures, study guides, skill builders, teaching aids, and test preparation resources, across a wide range of subject areas.

[edit] Summary Details

  • Pricing: Varies per title. There are two subscription plans where the user can buy 1 or 2 books per month for approx US$10-$15 per book.
  • Platform(s): Mac, Windows for downloads, hundreds of devices from more then 200 manufacturers can be used to play the files, including MP3 Players, Windows CE, Palm and Symbian devices.
  • Downloading: There are 4 quality levels, and you can listen online. Downloading requires free software that is available from the web site.
  • Burning/Copying: Most titles can be burnt to CD once (some leeway is allowed for bad media). Files can be copied to "authorized" devices.
  • Streaming: Streaming of purchased titles using Windows Media Player.
  • Radio: No streaming radio, but many radio programs can be downloaded individually or on subscription. The twice-weekly XM Satellite Radio program "This is Audible" is available for free download.
  • Format(s): 4 quality levels.
  • Digital Rights Management: .aa format files encapsulate sound encoded in either MP3 or the ACELP speech codec, but include copy protection by means of an Audible user name and password. Licenses are available for schools and libraries.
  • Preview: Extracts from titles are available in flash format, Approx 10 minutes per sample.
  • Trial: 1 month free, includes 2 audio titles
  • Catalog: Thousands of titles in all major genres. Audio editions of books, newspapers, magazines, radio programs and original shows. www.audible.com offers approximately 125,000 hours of spoken audio programming from more than 293 different providers.
  • Features: Wish List, My Next Listen(this feature no longer required for new Gold and Platinum memberships), author interviews, free downloads each week from six channels of audio. The audio files contain digital rights management, but play on hundreds of MP3 players, Windows Media players, Real Media and iPod devices.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Frequently Asked Questions, Audible Inc. Investor Relations
  2. ^ Audible heading to Newark, The Record (Bergen County), October 12, 2006
  3. ^ Why I Won't Be Adding Audible.com to My Xmas Card List, O'Reilly Mac DevCenter Blog, January 3, 2003
  4. ^ Scripting News, Dave Winer, June 24, 2005
  5. ^ Audible Chooses VoiceAge's ACELP®.net as Preferred Speech Codec Recognition of ACELP®.net by the Leading Spoken Audio Service on the Web
  6. ^ Donald R. Katz, Management Biography, Audible Inc. Investor Relations
  7. ^ Don Katz explains Audible.com's history, May 9, 2005 (Direct link to MP3: [1])
  8. ^ Don Katz Profile, AudioFile magazine, February/March 2003
  9. ^ The Podcast and Portable Media Expo Saturday Sessions, November 12, 2005 (Direct link to MP3: [2])
  10. ^ Audible Cranks It Up, Business 2.0, Paul Keegan, February 21, 2006
  11. ^ A Marriage of Bookshelf and Phone, New York Times, David Pogue, October 13, 2005

[edit] External links

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