Apple re-signs with Audible

THE COMPANY which specialises in downloadable audio books and radio shows - Audible.com - has renewed its contract with Apple's iTunes Music Store (ITMS).

The exclusive deal to work on Apple iPODs will now last to September 2010 instead of September 2007. It means that ITMS users and iPOD owners can still get their hands on 105,000 hours of downloadable audiobooks and over 16,000 Audiobook titles.

According to a report on Arstchnica, analyst George Mihalos from Gilford Securities reckons that Audible gets 22 per cent of its revenues from the iTunes deal.

He didn't explain why Apple was so keen to get its hands on Audible's content that it had signed up again before the contract expired.

Another point is, if Audible gets 22 per cent of its revenues from Apple, where does the other 78 per cent come from? One answer seems to be that you can go directly to Audible's site and purchase it there.

Plus it may even be cheaper to buy from Audible rather than through Apple's store. That hardly sounds like an 'exclusive' deal to the INQ.

More at Arstechnica. µ

L'INQ
Audible.