OverDrive Plans to Distribute DRM-Free Audiobooks

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By Dianna Dilworth Comment

overdrive304Digital book distribution company OverDrive will discontinue the sale of audiobooks to libraries in the WMA format, and will only sell MP3 files.

This is a big deal because OverDrive is the largest audiobook distributor in the U.S. and it essentially means that most audiobooks in libraries going forward will be in a DRM-free format.

Here is more from the OverDrive blog: “This is in response to user preferences, widespread compatibility of MP3 across all listening devices and the fact that the vast majority of our extensive audiobook collection is already in MP3 format. This includes the audiobook collections from Hachette, Penguin Group, Random House (Books on Tape and Listening Library), HarperCollins, AudioGo, Blackstone, Tantor Media and dozens of others. Our publisher relations team is working closely with the very few remaining publishers who require WMA to seek permission to sell their titles in MP3 for library and school lending.” (Via BoingBoing).
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