Partnerships between audiobook publishers and digital delivery companies are on the rise. In a deal announced last month, MediaBay, which earlier this fall teamed with MSN Music to be exclusive distributor of audiobooks for that service, said it has joined forces with HarperCollins to offer downloadable editions of titles in the HarperAudio and Caedmon audiobook catalogues. In early 2005, the HarperAudio and Caedmon libraries, which contain such popular authors as Michael Crichton, Dylan Thomas, Elmore Leonard and Lemony Snicket, will be available on MSN Music.
These titles will also be among the offerings within Larry King's On-line Audiobook and Entertainment Club, which MediaBay will launch in conjunction with talk-show host King by the "end of first quarter or early second quarter," according to MediaBay CEO Jeffrey Dittus.
Dittus said that HC is the first audiobook publisher to formalize a rights agreement with MediaBay, but added that several others deals are pending. "A number of things are happening at once, but I can't talk about them yet," he said. "We've had a great reception from the publishing industry. They've seen success with other industry partnerships like Audible and iTunes. Now, with us, they can reach the 350 million unique monthly visitors on the MSN sites."
The deal is nonexclusive for HC; the company's audio titles are also available for download via Audible.com and other digital audio retailers (Amazon.com, BN.com). "This allows us to sell our books via additional retailers and proves the health of this format," said HarperAudio publisher Ana Maria Allessi. "It won't change how we publish our titles, but it will increase the likelihood that someone will find our titles."
MediaBay has also signed an agreement with Cleveland, Ohio—based Loudeye Corp., a firm specializing in business-to-business digital media. The deal makes MediaBay's catalogue available to Loudeye partners, currently a roster of more than 70 Web storefronts and music services throughout the U.S., Europe and Australia.
In other digital audio news, OverDrive Inc., another Cleveland company, has signed agreements with 20 additional publishers to distribute downloadable audiobook titles to a growing network of public libraries. OverDrive has already been carrying titles from Brilliance Audio, among others. New publishers joining the partnership include Blackstone Audiobooks, Penton Overseas, Listen & Live Audio, Hay House, Audio Bookshelf and Twin Sisters Productions. These additions bring OverDrive's Digital Library Reserve service up to approximately 10,000 titles.
