Audible, PortalPlayer plan audio book service

Not every mobile device for the frequent traveler needs to be wirelessly connected, and pre-recorded programming of books, news and music played on a pocket-size device appears to be the current hot item meeting a demand. Audible, Inc. and PortalPlayer, Inc., are planning to integrate listening features and audio format support for audiobook and spoken word audio fans.

PortalPlayer, the company that enabled the fast-growing music jukebox market, and Audible, a leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio, will work together on PortalPlayer's new Personal Media Player: Photo Edition development platform to optimize new portable audio players for playback of Audible's spoken word audio files.

"Portable personal media players are the ideal devices for storing and delivering spoken word audio such as books, newspaper stories, radio broadcasts, and more," said Michael Maia, vice president of sales and marketing for PortalPlayer. "Next-generation consumer electronics devices based on PortalPlayer platforms will be optimized to take full advantage of the breadth of content available to Audible customers."

The two companies said their agreement gives Audible the support of the leading manufacturer of the silicon and software found in today's most popular music jukeboxes, streamlining the technical process for making next-generation personal media players AudibleReady and allowing the devices to play all of the 34,000 hours of audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and magazines, and more available at www.audible.com.

Sales of MP3 players

"With research group In-Stat/MDR predicting sales of 37 million MP3 players worldwide in 2007, Audible and PortalPlayer are reacting to market demands by giving media player manufacturers easy access to the revenue-generating service that Audible provides," said Foy Sperring, Vice President Strategic Alliances, Audible, Inc. "Audible is pleased to work with market leader PortalPlayer to reach our goal of a day in which Audible is supported by all the leading media players on the market."

PortalPlayer claims that it is now positioned itself as a resource for any computer or consumer electronic original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or original design manufacturer (ODM) who desires to include AudibleReady functionality in their next-generation personal media players, and therefore add a revenue channel that is already appreciated by today's AudibleReady device and technology partners.

Audible is reported to be the Internet's largest provider of spoken audio services for content download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady computer-based mobile devices. Audible has 34,000 hours of audio programs and 135 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers.

Audio sales in Korea

Last week, Audible and YES24, Inc., Korea's largest online book, music, video/DVD and software retailer, announced the launch of YESAudible, an international marketing and distribution initiative. YES24 has 2.47 million registered users buying more than 25,000 books every day, which is more than Korea's largest conventional bookstore.

YES24 has linked its extensive foreign book database to Audible's content library. Korean Web users searching YES24's foreign book section will quickly see if the book they want is available in downloadable audio from Audible. Customers searching for a book that is also in Audible's library of 6,000 titles will see two icons next to the book jacket -- one linking to a special landing page at Audible.com and one linking to a 15 minute free streaming audio sample of the book, including a short introduction in Korean.

YES24 is launching a media campaign to promote the YESAudible service: targeted emails, banner ads, and newsletters to its foreign book customer base will introduce the YESAudible service and promote the benefits of Audible membership. YES24 is also developing co-marketing agreements with other highly trafficked Korean Web sites to extend the reach of the Audible service in Korea.

"We are pleased to introduce our customers to the Audible experience, enabling them to legally download and listen to over 34,000 hours of audiobooks and audio editions of leading English newspapers, magazines, radio programs, and original shows " said Chung Sang-Woo, co-CEO of YES24. "Our desire to partner with Audible Inc. reflects YES24's commitment to being Korea's leading Internet-based retailer of premium, value-added content and offering this innovative content in ways that are unencumbered by the economics of traditional retail stores."

"Joining forces with YES24 is an important step forward in extending the Audible brand in Asia. YES24's customers will now be able to listen to their favorite English content at their desktop or laptop computer, or enjoy full mobility by burning a CD-ROM or using an AudibleReady portable device such as Apple's iPod or Audible's Otis MP3 player," said Donald Katz, Chairman & CEO, Audible, Inc. "These mobile options will enable YES24's customers to listen to the English programs of their choice, in the car, on the bus or subway, at the gym, or wherever they desire."

"Korea has experienced explosive growth in its broadband Internet population, with high-speed lines now reaching significantly more than half of all homes with Internet access," said Ken Balick, President, RockBridge Global Advisors, who is assisting with Audible's international expansion. "The combination of Audible's unsurpassed leadership in providing spoken audio programs that entertain and inform anywhere, anytime, and YES24's dominant position as Korea's leading online bookstore, represents an extraordinary opportunity to extend Audible's presence into the world's highest broadband penetration market," Balick said.

Partnership in Germany

Last month, Audible and Die Zeit, Germany's leading weekly newspaper published by Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, announced a strategic partnership. Audible.com's 34,000 hours of downloadable audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and periodicals, and more will be marketed to the online and print readership of Die Zeit.

"As the only mass-media publication in Germany that is currently offering audio streams through an audio news portal, selling MP3 players, and mailing monthly audio CDs to our subscribers, Audible is an obvious partner for us,” said Andreas Arntzen, Managing Director, Die Zeit. We are eager to work with Audible to improve our audio content selection as well as our audio delivery options. Audible's service is easy to use and attractive to the type of busy professional we value as our subscribers."

Partnership in Brazil

And, last May, Audible announced a strategic partnership with Ricardo Samuel Goldstein, a leading Brazilian Internet entrepreneur, to launch www.audible.com.br, a Portuguese language information and entertainment audio download service.

Goldstein is developing affiliate relationships with leading Brazilian Web sites to market and promote Audible's English language audio content. This is the first step in a broader business relationship in which Audible will provide its broad digital spoken audio expertise to create a Portuguese language spoken audio service for downloading Portuguese audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and magazines, and more.

"We are pleased to be working with Ricardo Samuel Goldstein on the first of what we anticipate will be many international expansions of Audible's Internet audio service," stated Guy Story, Chief Scientist, Audible, Inc. "The combination of Brazil's 14 million Internet users, Goldstein's business experience and Audible's leading brand and expertise in delivering premium spoken audio programming promises great success."

"As a long-time Audible customer, I am very excited to take the lead in bringing this service to Brazil," Goldstein said. "Brazil's growth in Internet usage is among the fastest in the world and by far the largest in South America. I am convinced that this partnership with the leading spoken audio service will be attractive to Brazilian Internet users."