Amazon Subsidiary CustomFlix Announces Support for Audiobooks in
Standard and MP3-CD Formats
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2007--Leading online retailer
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced it has acquired
Brilliance Audio (www.brillianceaudio.com), the largest independent
publisher of audiobooks in the United States. The acquisition will
enable Amazon to work closely with the book publishing community to
further expand the number of books produced in audio format and
provide customers with an even greater selection of audiobooks to
find, discover and buy.
Amazon.com subsidiary CustomFlix also announced today that it now
supports both standard CD and MP3-CD audiobook formats via its Disc on
Demand service (www.customflix.com/audiobooks). CustomFlix complements
the acquisition of Brilliance Audio by providing publishers and
authors an easy and economical way to introduce new titles on an
inventory-free basis, or to keep physical formats of audiobook titles
available that may otherwise go out of production.
"Brilliance Audio has been delighting customers for more than two
decades with their world-class audiobook capabilities," said Greg
Greeley, vice president of books at Amazon.com. "With this acquisition
we can make it more efficient for authors and book publishers of all
sizes to expand the number of titles produced in increasingly popular
audio formats, offering customers a much broader selection."
The production of audiobooks has traditionally been limited to
best-selling titles due largely to the economics associated with
recording, producing and bringing audiobooks to market.
"Amazon's commitment to growing the audiobook category is a big
plus for audiobook customers," added Eileen Hutton, Brilliance vice
president and former president of the Audio Publishers Association
(APA). "We look forward to working with even more authors and
publishing partners in the future."
"Storytelling is an art and our audiobooks strive to capture the
nuance and complexity of our author's stories and bring the characters
and images to life in a way that fully engages the listener," said
Michael Snodgrass, founder and president of Brilliance Audio. "Our
singular focus on audiobooks and our commitment to provide the very
highest-quality products in the industry will not change."
Brilliance Audio will continue to operate independently under the
leadership of Michael Snodgrass and its operations will remain in
Grand Haven, Michigan.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc., (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in
Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers
Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most
customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover
anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its
customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers
offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories
such as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food,
sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs,
electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp,
www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms
include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context
indicates otherwise.
About Brilliance Audio
Brilliance Audio, located in Grand Haven, Michigan, was founded in
1984 by publisher Michael Snodgrass. It is the largest audiobooks-only
publisher in the country, offering a wide range of best-selling adult
fiction and nonfiction in both unabridged and abridged audio formats,
and sells to all classes of trade, as well as to libraries.
About CustomFlix
CustomFlix Labs, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com,
Inc., is the leader in manufacture on demand services for independent
and enterprise media content owners. CustomFlix was founded in 2002
with the mission of profitably connecting content owners to a
worldwide audience. Today, CustomFlix offers professional digitization
into the Future-Proof Archive service, as well as inventory-free
physical media distribution via both CD and DVD on Demand and video
downloads through Amazon Unbox.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ
significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others,
risks related to competition, management of growth, new products,
services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating
results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and
claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial
agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange
rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness,
inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud.
More information about factors that potentially could affect
Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, and all
subsequent filings.
CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
