Audible.com Spoken Word Content to be Featured in the PhatNoise In-Car Digital Audio System

Business Wire, Jan 10, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2002

Award-Winning PhatNoise System to Offer Audible.com's(R) Downloadable Audiobooks, Audio Periodicals, Radio Programs and Original Shows

Audible, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBL) and PhatNoise, Inc. announced today that the companies have agreed to integrate Audible's(R) Internet audio service into the award-winning PhatNoise Car Audio System(TM) (CAS), the first high-capacity media jukebox designed specifically for automobiles.

AudibleReady(TM) PhatNoise CAS, which will provide users with hours of popular spoken audiobooks, periodicals, radio programs and more out of the box, will be available beginning in mid-2002.

Today, the PhatNoise CAS is available as a special limited edition which consumers can purchase directly from the PhatNoise website (www.phatnoise.com) for starting at $799.99 (20GB memory configuration), as well as through high-performance distributors. Upon availability of the Audible service, consumers who previously purchased PhatNoise CAS units will be offered a free software download via the PhatNoise website that will enable playback of content downloaded from audible.com(R).

"Our new partners at PhatNoise clearly grasp the power of the Audible service and feature sets to offer value to their listeners, and they will be able to articulate these benefits to the many high-end car stereo manufacturers with whom they will partner," said Guy Story, chief scientist at Audible, Inc. "We look forward to welcoming the much-lauded PhatNoise Car Audio System to the constantly growing number of product lines that are compatible with the audible.com Internet audio service."

"PhatNoise is continuously searching for services that will enhance the listening experience for consumers," said Sharon Graves, CEO of PhatNoise, Inc. "Audible's service, featuring premium spoken word content, is the perfect match for our car audio system and one that we're sure PhatNoise customers will truly enjoy."

About Audible.com:

Audible.com offers more than 32,000 hours of valuable spoken word audio for download. The site features daily audio editions of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, available on a subscription basis in time for the morning drive to work each day as well as The Economist, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American and C-SPAN. Audible.com also offers a powerful collection of audiobook best sellers and classics by authors such as Stephen King, John Grisham, Frank McCourt, Jon Krakauer, Scott Adams, Mary Higgins Clark, James Redfield, James Patterson, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen. There are also speeches, lectures, and on-demand radio programs including Marketplace, All Things Considered, Car Talk, Fresh Air and This American Life. All of the programs at audible.com are available for PC-based playback and on-the-go listening using numerous AudibleReady(TM) portable digital audio players offered by leading consumer electronics and computer manufacturers.

About The PhatNoise Car Audio System:

The PhatNoise CAS creates an entirely new in-car entertainment experience by seamlessly integrating new media technology with current car stereos. The desktop-to-driveway solution provides everything needed to enjoy an entire music or downloadable audiobook collection at home, work and in the car without the hassle of burning CDs, dealing with messy adaptor cords or replacing the car stereo system.

To use the PhatNoise CAS, the user starts with PhatNoise Music Manager PC software, which dynamically organizes their music or digital audio collections into custom playlists and converts existing CDs into digital music files using MP3, Windows Media Audio files (WMA) and other popular formats. The user then synchronizes their PC with the included 20 gig removable, digital media storage (DMS) cartridge using the provided USB docking station. The palm-sized DMS cartridge is capable of holding up to 6,000 music or digital audio tracks or approximately 500 CDs in MP3 format and even greater capacity in WMA format. Next, the DMS cartridge is inserted into the PhatBox(TM) in-car digital audio player, which is installed in the trunk of their car, under a passenger seat or in the center console and connects like a typical CD changer to the user's own in-dash, compatible car stereo system. Using familiar CD changer controls, the user can then easily access their digital music or Audible spoken audio selections and enjoy them while on the road.

About Audible, Inc.

Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download or playback on personal computers or AudibleReady(TM) PC-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 32,000 hours of audio programs and 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Card Access Inc., Casio Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.