Amazon Acquires Audio Book Publisher

Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday it has acquired independent audio book publisher Brilliance Audio. The purchase will allow Amazon to expand the number of audio books produced and offer customers a wider variety of audio selections to choose from, Amazon said in a statement.

Separately, CustomFlix, an Amazon subsidiary, said it will support both standard CD and MP3-CD audio book formats via its Disc on Demand service.

"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," said Greg Greeley, vice president of books at Amazon.com, in the statement.

Previously, audio books were limited to best-selling titles because of the cost of recording, producing and bringing audio books to market, Amazon said.

"Amazon's commitment to growing the audio book category is a big plus for audio book customers," added Eileen Hutton, Brilliance vice president and former president of the Audio Publishers Association, in the statement. "We look forward to working with even more authors and publishing partners in the future."

Brilliance Audio will continue to operate independently, and its operations will remain in Grand Haven, Mich.