Podcasting Threat to Audible?

Does the radio keep people from buying music?
Does the library keep people from buying books?
Did VHS kill the movie industry?

No, no, and no.

Does downloading music for free keep people from paying for downloading music? No, it helped to show there was a market.

I for one certainly cancelled my Audible subscription - now that is so much free (and often better) audio content available. Aubible is good for long form - but the their magazine business is good as gone.

Adam Tinkoff
TINKOFF RADIO
http://www.tinkoff.com

- music and talk from around the world to your ears...

Standard and poor have a poor understanding of podcasting and audiobook content in general. Audible has had double digit growth over the last 20 quarters and the moble MP3 market is just at the tip of the iceberg with only about 10 million players in play. I buy books from audible, because the product is good. I listen to podcasts, because it is content I want. The two are not mutually exclusive and I am sure the team at Audible is smart since they were able to survive 10 years in a growing small industry. I will concide podcasting listening competes with audiobook listening, but I don't think it will impact sales of audiobooks, it will just make the consumer alot their listening time more efficiently.

I reconmend listening to a podcast by IT conversations where webtalk radio speaks with the ceo from audible Don Katz. Check out the link below:

http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail546.html

just my few cents

I wrote a blog entry recently that reflects somewhat on this:

http://twelveblackcodemonkeys.com/read/1307527.htm

I've been an audible.com subscriber now for about 5 years and while I've been listening to mainly podcasts in the last 6 months or so, I don't see this as being a big threat to Audible as long as they understand it and do something about it, which I think they are - at least based on what Don Katz said in his interview. I agree that for some things like NPR, podcasting may usurp those who use audible to subscribe to radio programming. However, I don't think this is a very large chunk of Audible.com's customers. I think most customers are there for the books, they 10, 15, 20+ hour unabridged books of great literature, current non-fiction, etc., etc. That isn't going to go away just now that people can download more radio-like programming to their portable device. I'm not planning to give up my subscription any time soon, but like other times where I've gotten momentarily distracted with current events and wanted to spend all my time listening to NPR, I eventually tire of it and want to listen to something with the substance, art, and detail afforded by a long unabridged book.

Interesting - but... from my experience it is the opposite. Audible got me INTO this, giving me the trusty MuVo. Of course, that made me look for the free content in podcasts and other places. But I think the podcasts *AND* audible content are the perfect complement.

I've listened to more free content, sure, but the Audible content is great stuff. I really like their daily NYTimes - I always follow it up wit the free daily Vatican Radio podcast. I won't be giving it up anytime soon.

I suspect my long-time love of audio books makes me appreciate Audible; anyone who has ever bough Audio books is sure to recognize the great deal a subscription makes!

I'm in agreement with mrklingon on this one. As more people get used to consuming their information via spoken word audio that will increase, rather than decrease, Audible's business will grow. I might be a bit biased here but it appears to me that there's an interesting trend where the amount of time people have to consume spoken word audio is growing (people have longer commutes and thanks to iPods can now listen while exercising and doing many other activities). At the same time, the quality and availability of spoken word audio is increasing (thanks to Audible.com, podcasts, etc.).

Jon Bischke
http://www.learnoutloud.com

Another threat to Audible? Recorded Books now has a netflicks-like monthly service for their top-quality unabridged book rentals, which are also still available for purchase. And another: Congress' recent declaration that there will be not enough time in the day.