Audible and Harlequin Enterprises Announce an Exclusive Marketing and Licensing Partnership

WAYNE, N.J. & TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 2005--

Audible to Tap Into Harlequin's Vast Library of Romance and Women's Fiction to Produce Exclusive Audio Content for Download on PCs, Macs and More Than 130 AudibleReady Devices

“Harlequin is undeniably the world's premier publisher of series romance and women's fiction and we are delighted to have the opportunity to transform this incredible content into a new and rich spoken word experience for the millions of Harlequin and Audible customers”

Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBL, www.audible.com), the leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio, and Harlequin Enterprises Limited (www.eHarlequin.com), the world's leading publisher of series romance and women's fiction, today announced an exclusive marketing and content licensing agreement.

Under the agreement, Audible will be Harlequin's exclusive partner for digitally distributed audiobook publishing of its romance and women's fiction genres, transforming titles pulled from Harlequin's frontlist publishing schedule and vast library of works into a rich spoken word experience. Harlequin will provide significant direct marketing to its millions of loyal customers, while Audible markets and sells the content exclusively via www.audible.com and its distribution partners, including the iTunes Music Store and www.eHarlequin.com. The companies also expect to create, produce and co-market exclusive original romance and women's fiction content on a recurrent basis to consumers beginning later this year.

Today, Harlequin publishes over one hundred new romance and women's fiction titles every month by over 1,000 talented authors. Soon, Harlequin's readers will be able to experience a selection of these titles in a rich spoken word format created by Audible and easily downloaded to PCs, Macs, or any one of more than 130 AudibleReady(R) handheld devices and smartphones.

"Harlequin is undeniably the world's premier publisher of series romance and women's fiction and we are delighted to have the opportunity to transform this incredible content into a new and rich spoken word experience for the millions of Harlequin and Audible customers," stated Brian Fielding, executive vice president at Audible. "Not only does this partnership add significantly to the 70,000 hours of audio content already offered by Audible, but it further introduces us to a new and avid audience."

"Working with Audible--the foremost source for spoken audio on the Internet--is a wonderful and singular opportunity," declared Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin. "Harlequin novels are enjoyed by millions of women every year. By combining the power of the Harlequin brand with this exciting new format, we can provide our readers with the ability to enjoy the Harlequin experience in a convenient new way and we can introduce a brand new audience to the world of Harlequin."

The companies expect to begin publishing Harlequin's romance and women's fiction titles in digitally distributed audiobook format later this summer.

About Audible Inc.:

Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's leading premium spoken audio source. Content from Audible is downloaded and played back on personal computers, CDs, or AudibleReady(R) computer-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 70,000 hours of audio programs from more than 200 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's and the Apple iTunes Music Store's pre-eminent provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc. in the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business relationships are Apple Corp., Creative Labs, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, palmOne, Inc., PhatNoise Inc., Rio Audio, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments Inc., and VoiceAge Corporation.

Audible, www.audible.com, AudibleListener, and AudibleReady are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.

Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

About Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Harlequin Enterprises Limited is one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction. Its books are published worldwide in 25 languages and sold in 94 international markets. The company publishes over 100 titles monthly and publishes more than 1000 authors from around the world. Harlequin Enterprise Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.nv.b). Harlequin's Web site is located at www.eHarlequin.com.

This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.