Audible Announces Enhanced Strategic Relationship with RealNetworks
biz.yahoo.com
Audible Plug-in Allows Secure Streaming of Audible content with RealPlayer(R) G2; Audible
Premium Spoken Audio Packages Now Available at RealNetworks' RealStore.com
WAYNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 16, 1999-- Audible, Inc. (Nasdaq ``ADBL'), today announced a
relationship with RealNetworks©, the recognized leader in media delivery for the Internet, to provide users of the
RealPlayer© G2 with instant desktop access to Audible's 17,000 hours of Internet-delivered premium spoken audio for
playback on personal computers.
As part of the agreement, exclusive content packages from Audible's content library can be purchased at RealNetworks'
online marketplace, www.RealStore.com. In addition, Audible will become a featured advertiser at www.Real.com. A
portion of the co-marketing campaign will invite users to sample Audible audio on their RealPlayer Plus G2 for free.
All of Audible's programming will be available for copyright-secure streaming playback on the RealPlayer G2, where the
content cannot be passed along for unauthorized usage, through a plug-in developed by Audible and freely available from
RealNetworks.
``We are thrilled to be working with Audible to make their spoken audio library easily accessible to the over 72 million
recognized users of RealPlayer,' said Jed Lewison, director of Consumer and E-commerce division, RealNetworks, Inc.
``Top selections from audible can also be purchased at RealStore.com.'
``This relationship will now make Audible's premium content available to a much larger audience,' said Foy Sperring,
vice-president of Marketing at Audible, Inc. ``The four exclusive Audible content packages, including Bestsellers, Self
Improvement, Business and News, available through the RealStore, provide an enhanced streaming audio listening
experience at greatly reduced prices compared to more traditional cassette tape- or CD-based premium spoken audio
formats.'
Audible.com(TM) offers premium content from more than 100 leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and
newspaper publishers, business information providers, and educational and cultural institutions. Audio consists of
subscriptions to daily audio digests from The New York Times; subscriptions to regularly recurring audio magazine digests
from Harvard Business School Publishing, The Economist magazine, and Forbes magazine; audiobooks from Harper
Audio/Caedmon, Random House AudioBooks, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audiobooks, Time Warner AudioBooks, Simon
& Schuster Audio, Books on Tape, Penguin Audiobooks, Recorded Books, Dove Audio, and many others; a range of
content from Nightly Business Report, Gartner Group, Technologic Partners, Stanford University and Pimsleur Language
Programs; and subscriptions to public radio programs such as Sound Money, Fresh Air, Car Talk, Marketplace, and
Garrison Keillor's monologues from A Prairie Home Companion.
About Audible:
Audible is one of the Internet's largest and most diverse providers of premium spoken audio content for playback on
personal computers and mobile devices. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Wayne, N.J., Audible allows customers
to take better advantage of their commute, travel and desktop computer time by delivering premium information and
entertainment when their eyes are busy but their minds are free. Audible's content partners include more than 100 leading
audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers, business information providers, and educational
and cultural institutions. Visitors to www.audible.com can browse, sample, purchase, subscribe to, schedule and download
more than 17,000 hours of audio content. The Company's technology partners include AT&T Corp., Casio Inc., Compaq
Computer Corporation, Creative Labs Inc., Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc., Everex Systems Inc., The Intel
Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Philips and RealNetworks, Inc. Audible 's mission is to focus on audio content
sourcing, development, packaging, delivery, and playback, as well as the advancement of platform, tools, services, and
varied licensing opportunities afforded by the Audible Internet audio service.
RealNetworks, RealStore and RealPlayer are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc.
Statement from Audible: The statements contained in this release which are not historical facts may be deemed to contain
forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements
as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of
losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and
uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Contact:
Jonathan Korzen
Audible Inc.
(973) 890 4070 ext. 218
jkorzen@audible.com |
