Three months ago, Blackstone Audio spun off its consumer arm and branded it "Downpour". As part of the spinoff, they're offering a subscription service similar to Audible. Blackstone still exists, but only for libraries and retailers.
So as far as consumers are concerned, Blackstone Audio is now Downpour.
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Blackstone Audio Launches Downpour.com!
Forgive me if I sound like a father gushing over the birth of his first child, but I’m over-the-top excited about the launch of our new e-commerce site: Downpour.com. Aside from the fact that our customers can now download audiobooks published by Blackstone and most of the main publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins, and Recorded Books, the site is just so slick and incredibly easy to navigate. It offers search and download experiences that are second to none.
If you’re an audiobook enthusiast—and I have reason to believe you are, since you’re reading this blog—you really should give it a try. There are numerous real benefits that Downpour offers. In my opinion, the fact that all of the audiobook downloads are offered in DRM-free (that’s Digital Rights Management–free) format is huge. With DRM-free audio, customers can transfer their books from device to device, and thereby avoid the hassle of being tethered to a single device. For those listening on Apple devices, they will have the option to order m4b versions, and this format allows for great advances in bookmarking and maneuvering.
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