Mystery, suspense, conspiracy, spooky stuff – that’s what’s going particularly well in the digital offering from audible, amazon’s subsidiary for audiobooks, audio plays and podcast series.
Audible was founded in the U.S. in 1995, Microsoft invested in the service in 1999, and from 2003-2017 audible exclusively supplied Apple’s iTunes store with audiobooks. Finally, in 2008, audible was bought by amazon for US$300 million and integrated into its digital distribution channels and later into its Prime subscription for regular customers. Initially, they also offered proprietary and compatible players that monitored rights management after the content was downloaded, which often came with restrictions for the user. Today, streaming and offline playback of content is fully integrated into the world of amazon apps and devices.
Combined with amazon’s kindle ebooks and audiobooks for the same publication, cross-device reading and listening to content is possible, depending on your current preference – both seamlessly continue at the exact point where you paused reading or listening on the other device. This also applies to compatible streaming providers such as the multiroom speaker systems from sonos, on which audible is integrated.
In the meantime, the range of American content alone has exceeded 200,000 titles and audible produces its own content of the highest quality in its own studios and with well-known actors and speakers.
audible entered the German market in 2004 as a joint venture between audible Inc. and the publishers Random House and Holtzbrinck. The German content currently comprises 30,000 titles.
The darker categories thriller, fantasy and science fiction are particularly in demand. The German productions “Audible Originals” from audible studios with German authors, directors and speakers receive the highest ratings from customers. Series by authors Ivar Leon Menger, Michael Tsokos or Sebastian Fitzek, as well as newly produced genre classics by authors such as Stephen King, Frederick Forsyth or Jo Nesbo with star speakers such as Uve Teschner, Devid Striesow, Simon Jäger or Detlef Bierstedt make you addicted to the next title or series continuation.
Best enjoyed in Twilight, then goosebumps arise.
