Its content would update automatically, downloading chapters as required that would then delete themselves after they had been listened to. Two years later, the service released 'Audible Air', which allowed users to download audiobooks directly to PDAs and smartphones. This agreement ended in 2017 due to antitrust rulings in the European Union. In 2003, Audible reached an agreement with Apple to be the exclusive provider of audiobooks for iTunes Music Store.

Development proceeded, however, leading to Audible licensing the ACELP codec for its downloads in 2000, and Amazon bought a 5 percent stake in the then-publicly traded company the same year. On October 24, 1999, Audible suffered a setback when its CEO, Andrew J. In 1999, Microsoft invested $11 million into the company. To use the player, consumers would go online to the official Audible website, download the audiobook, and put it onto the player. The company's first product was an eponymous portable media player known as the Audible MobilePlayer released in 1997, the device contained around four megabytes of on-board flash memory storage, which could hold up to two hours of audio. The service is owned by Audible, a wholly-owned subsidiary of, Inc., headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Audible is the United States' largest audiobook producer and retailer.

This content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model where the user receives 'credits' that can be redeemed for content monthly and receive access to a curated on-demand library of content.

Online audiobook and podcast service Audible, Inc.įire OS, Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web browserĪudible is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content.

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