Though audible.com has been in business as a public company since 1999 (they incorporated in 1995), I have only recently discovered the pleasure of their acquaintance.
They provide audio versions of books, newspapers, educational materials, radio shows, etc. for a reasonable fee.
Actually, I think their fees are more than reasonable, because they are cheaper than buying audio copies of books in the bookstore, and they also allow you to copy these purchases to your iPod or other digital audio device as well as make CD copies of your purchases if you want to listen to the CDs in your car or to serve as a backup of your purchase.
You can buy digital versions of books, newspapers, or magazines straight away, or you can sign up for a membership plan, with varying price points. They include content for more than 40,000 titles, and the basic membership plan provides for $14.95/book pricing for most books. Some books do cost more than this, but in general, for the $14.95/month membership plan you get 1 credit per month, and most books cost 1 credit. Subscribers also have the option to purchase books without credits for a 30% discount.
When I subscribed, I got a free membership to the Wall Street Journal, and listened to this recording during a morning jog. Audible.com also provides some content for free, such as political speeches, government hearings, and the 9/11 Report Speech.
The current version of iTunes plays their .aa format files directly, and downloading purchased books is effortless and easy.
The first book I downloaded is the popular Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
So far I am very happy with this service.
Subscribe to this site!