A Profile of Audible.com
The Large Retailer of Fiction and Non Fiction Audio Books
Audible are a major retailer of audio books and the range of books includes the latest bestsellers through to the classics. This profile looks at Audible in more detail
Background:
One of the major audio book sellers is Audible.com. Launched in 1997, Audible is now the market leader in digital downloadable audio books. Unlike traditional audio books, those purchased from Audible are only available for digital download via the Internet onto a computer. Once downloaded, books can be copied to an audio device such as an iPod or simply listened to via the computer.
The range of books available from the site is extensive with over 40,000 titles available for download. Contemporary bestsellers as well as classics are available, with new titles regularly added.
Digital Audio Books:
Audible audio books are delivered digitally. One of the attractions of digital downloads is the size. The Audible format means that a large amount of data can be held on a file. This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of unabridged audio books being recorded and sold. Books that at one time would have stretched over numerous cassettes now take up a fraction of space on a modern digital audio device.
Formats:
Audible supply the audio books on a file similar to MP3 but it is NOT MP3. This is explained by Audible as follows:
“Audible created and employs a proprietary technology solution for distributing copyright-secure audio files that can be downloaded or streamed from audible.com. Audible's secure distribution system and encryption prevents a customer from passing along duplicate digital audio files to another listener”. More information can be found on the Audible.com website FAQ pages.
To listen to an Audible file, free software needs to be installed onto the computer. Any device that the file is to be played on needs to be compatible with Audible. The website lists compatible devices and should be the first point of reference.
Downloading Audio Books:
The length of time it takes to download an audio book from Audible depends on the size and the speed of a connection. For instance a fast broadband connection ought to be able to download an audio file at the rate of approximately one hour of audio every 5 minutes. A 7 hour audio book would therefore take approximately 35 minutes to download. Dial-up connections or slow broadband connections will take substantially longer.
Buying From Audible.com:
There are two ways of buying audio books through Audible.
One Off Purchases: One off titles can be purchased through the secure shopping facility at the site. The ability to offer books by download instead of having to reproduce the audio on to cds or cassettes means that digital downloads of audio books are often cheaper to buy.
Subscriptions: The other way to buy audio books from Audible is to sign up for a subscription where for a set fee per month a number of credits are given. Generally one audio book ‘costs’ one credit. This can represent a significant saving and for someone who might purchase audio books regularly is certainly worth considering.
Some Points to Consider :
- Before buying from Audible or any online retailer of digital files, make sure you are happy and comfortable with buying and downloading files from the Internet.
- Make sure, if you plan to listen to the file on a portable listening device that it is compatible with Audible formats.
- This isn't like traditional audio books. As the download is digital there is nothing to 'touch and feel'.
- The files are encrypted and therefore subject to some restrictions when it comes to copying and distribution.
