Amazon is readying itself for a big push into original radio programming through its Audible service.
The online retail giant purchased audiobook company Audible for $300 million way back in 2008. Now Amazon is looking to increase its investment in podcast and radio-style content.
A recent report from Bloomberg suggests that Audible has been recruiting comedians and podcast producers to create fresh content for the service. The project is being overseen by a former National Public Radio executive, Eric Nuzum.
One of these fresh shows will apparently be Bedtime Stories, which sees comedians rewriting fairy tales.
Essentially, Amazon intends to turn Audible into a Prime Video for radio content, supplying unique content to accompany its roster of 250,000 pre-existing audio programs.
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The report points out that Audible is recruiting for 100 positions worldwide, including software engineers, user experience designers, marketers and lawyers. There’s clearly a big push from Amazon here.
As the report points out, Amazon’s investment in Audible would also seem to tie in neatly with its recent work with the Amazon Echo speaker. The cylindrical device (which is reportedly set to be joined by a more compact model) acts as a personal assistant as well as a portable speaker and radio.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.