Award-Winning Internet Audio Service to Reach Reading Disabled Population and Related Donors at www.audible.com/rfbd
WAYNE, NJ and PRINCETON, NJ-November 14, 2003-Audible, Inc. (OTC BB: ADBL) and Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®) announced today a co-marketing initiative that will generate funds for RFB&D and generate sales for the award-winning Audible.com® Internet audio service among people with print disabilities.
Audible.com is the leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio. RFB&D, a national nonprofit organization, is the leading provider of accessible recorded textbooks and educational materials for students of all ages with disabilities that make reading challenging or impossible.
"Audible has wonderful spoken word content that our members and donors appreciate and desire. We're pleased to feature Audible as a convenient and value-priced way to bring this wonderful content to anyone using a computer. Our members and donors win by helping RFB&D when they purchase an AudibleListener plan," said Barbara Vanderkolk, Senior Vice President of Development at RFB&D.
"Audible and RFB&D are mutually committed to using the power of spoken word audio as a learning tool for people with disabilities who cannot read standard print effectively," said Matt Fine, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Development, Audible, Inc. "We are pleased to work with RFB&D to help raise money for this extraordinary one-of-a-kind organization and to build Audible's growing customer base. We consider this type of agreement as part of our company mission, to engage the non-profit community in mutually beneficial growth initiatives."
Under the agreement, Audible will pay RFB&D a customer acquisition royalty for each new AudibleListener® member referred by RFB&D that remains active for more than three consecutive months. AudibleListener plans are priced at $14.95 per month, for a choice of one audiobook and one audio periodical, or $19.95 per month for a choice of any two audiobooks from Audible's 6,000 title catalog from virtually all major publishers.
Marketing plans include exposure of Audible.com's services at the RFB&D web site as well as outreach to its 117,000 members and more than 140,000 donors. The AudibleListener offer and fundraising message will also be used by RFB&D in its newsletters and other publicity vehicles. Audible will similarly promote RFB&D on Audible's website and through various marketing media.
About Audible, Inc.
Audible® (www.audible.com®) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady® computer-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 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. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Apple Corp., Casio Inc., Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Palm, Inc., Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
About RFB&D:
RFB&D is the nation's educational library for people with print disabilities such as visual impairment, learning disability or another physical disability. Founded in 1948 to assist blinded World War II veterans access their rights under the GI Bill, RFB&D now serves 117,000 students in kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its unique collection of 93,000 textbooks on CD and four-track cassette. For more information about RFB&D and ways to support its Learning Through Listening® programs and services, please visit www.rfbd.org.
Audible, www.audible.com, Audible Otis, AudibleListener, and AudibleReady are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. 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.