Audio Books News Archives

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ Downloads for children. Audible Inc. on Monday launched a Web site where families can choose from over 3,500 children's listenable books that can be purchased and downloaded.

Listeners can also use the site, www.audiblekids.com, to share recommendations.

The audio books can be downloaded directly from the Web site onto mobile devices.

By BRAD STONE

Published: March 3, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO — Some of the largest book publishers in the world are stripping away the anticopying software on digital downloads of audio books.

The trend will allow consumers who download audio books to freely transfer these digital files between devices like their computers, iPods and cellphones — and conceivably share them with others. Dropping copying restrictions could also allow a variety of online retailers to start to sell audio book downloads.

The publishers hope this openness could spark renewed growth in the audio book business, which generated $923 million in sales last year, according to the Audio Publishers Association.

Random House was the first to announce it was backing away from D.R.M., or digital rights management software, the protective wrapping placed around digital files to make them difficult to copy. In a letter sent to its industry partners last month, Random House, the world’s largest publisher, announced it would offer all of its audio books as unprotected MP3 files beginning this month, unless retail partners or authors specified otherwise.

Penguin Group, the second-largest publisher in the United States behind Random House, now appears set to follow suit. Dick Heffernan, publisher of Penguin Audio, said the company would make all of its audio book titles available for download in the MP3 format on eMusic, the Web’s second-largest digital music service after iTunes.

OverDrive, Inc. (www.overdrive.com), a leading distributor of digital books to public libraries, has unveiled drawings and details of a traveling community outreach exhibit entitled the Digital Bookmobile (www.digitalbookmobile.com).

Starting in August 2008, the Digital Bookmobile will host hands-on, interactive training events at public libraries in cities around the United States, including Boston, Cleveland, New York City, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

The Digital Bookmobile, developed inside a high-tech tractor-trailer, will present programs that promote the host library's download digital media catalog and 'virtual branch' website.

The vehicle is customized for each library event and equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, high definition monitors, premium sound systems, and a variety of portable media players. Hands-on learning stations demonstrate how to search the digital media catalog, use supported mobile devices, and download and enjoy eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video from the library.

Mar 19, 2008 07:15 ET

CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - March 19, 2008) - OverDrive® (www.overdrive.com), the leading digital book distributor to online retailers, libraries, and schools, announced today that it will expand its catalog of download audiobooks to include titles in MP3 format without DRM.

Borders, Inc. will be the first bookseller to offer OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks without DRM at http://audiobooks.borders.com and at Digital Centers inside select Borders store locations.

OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks will be compatible with nearly every MP3 player and mobile phone on the market including iPod, Zune, iPhone, and Creative Labs products. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks will go on sale in May at Borders.com with thousands of best-selling titles from Random House Audio, Blackstone Audiobooks, Hachette Book Group, Books in Motion, plus dozens of other publishers.

The new catalog of MP3 titles for retail will be added to OverDrive's catalog of approximately 20,000 DRM-protected digital audiobooks and over 100,000 eBooks in popular formats.

Princeton Junction, NJ – March 17, 2008 —

The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced five finalists for the prestigious Audiobook of the Year Award. The five titles that have been selected are:

The ground-breaking audio Bible Inspired By…The Bible Experience (Old Testament),

The murder mystery serial The Chopin Manuscript,

The series-concluding blockbuster Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,

The satirical spoof I Am America (And So Can You!) and

The intricate children’s mystery The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Each title is also a finalist in at least one other Audies category. The Award will be presented at The Audies® gala awards ceremony on May 30 at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.