Fact Sheet
Introduction: OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks are an additional download audiobook format that OverDrive has added to its vast eBook, audiobook, music and video catalog. It is our hope that the OverDrive MP3 Audiobook collection will attract millions of new library patrons to discover, download, and enjoy the benefits of downloadable spoken word audio. The District of Columbia Public Library is the first library in the nation to offer its patrons download titles in the OverDrive MP3 Audiobook format (http://overdrive.dclibrary.org), with more libraries to follow in the coming weeks and months. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks are compatible with Apple products including the iPod®, iPhone™, and iPod Touch as well as nearly all MP3 players including those from Creative, SanDisk, Sony, Samsung, and most mobile phones that support MP3 files. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks are delivered with the same superior listening and usage experience that OverDrive WMA Audiobooks provide (using the free OverDrive Media Console™ v3.0 software): Audiobooks are divided into parts for easy download and transfer Navigation (e.g., jump directly to specific sections, skip back 15 seconds, bookmarking) Adjustable playback speed (and other accessibility features for the visually-impaired, such as compatibility with text-to-speech screen readers) Easy transfer of media files to portable devices for listening on-the-go The OverDrive MP3 Audiobook Opening Collection: The initial OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks catalog features more than 3,000 popular novels, children’s books, foreign language learning titles, and classics and is growing rapidly. Participating publishers currently include Books in Motion, Blackstone Audio, L.A. Theatre Works, Gildan Media, Audio Realms, CSA Word, Phoenix Books, and several others. The catalog of OverDrive MP3 Audiobook titles complements OverDrive’s existing catalog of digital media, including approximately 20,000 audiobooks in the OverDrive WMA Audiobook format and more than 80,000 eBooks in popular formats. OverDrive library partners will continue to select and offer download audiobooks in both OverDrive WMA Audiobook and OverDrive MP3 Audiobook formats. Library patrons will continue to enjoy and use OverDrive WMA Audiobooks, which represent a larger collection of titles. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks are available under the one-book/one-user license model. Differences Between Formats (OverDrive WMA Audiobooks and OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks): OverDrive WMA Audiobooks are DRM-protected. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks do not contain Digital Rights Management (DRM). This means they are compatible with a wide range of devices that support the MP3 format (including iPods and most cell phones). WMA files are smaller than MP3 files; accordingly, OverDrive WMA Audiobooks are significantly smaller than OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks. The smaller file sizes of WMA titles offer benefits to users including faster download times, faster transfer to portable players, and the ability to fit more audiobook content on a portable player. An OverDrive MP3 Audiobook is approximately twice the file size of the same audiobook in the WMA format.
© 2008 OverDrive, Inc. All rights reserved.
OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks Fact Sheet (June 2008)
Introducing OverDrive Media Console Version 3 To use the new OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks, patrons will be prompted to upgrade or install the free OverDrive Media Console Version 3.0. OverDrive Media Console v3 provides users with an optimized audiobook listening and navigation experience with newly-added support for easy transfer of OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to iPod, iPhone, and iPod Touch. This new release also includes a Burn Wizard for creating audio CDs from download audiobooks. Library users can download the free OverDrive Media Console 3.0 software by visiting http://overdrive.com/software/omc. OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks – Permissable Uses and Introducing ‘MORAL MP3™’: OverDrive has licensed permission from publishers and rights holders to permit your library to lend OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to your patrons. We are proud to have worked with our publishing and library partners to develop the rules and procedures to enable this new service and format. Each and every OverDrive MP3 Audiobook is covered by U.S. and International copyright laws. Similar to all other materials available for borrowing from the library, the download and use of OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks is provided as a service to patrons under specific rights and permissions. To enable the DRM-free format, OverDrive is working with participating audio publishers and OverDrive library partners to reinforce the copyrights and permissions associated with download lending of OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks. To respect the interests of authors, publishers, producers, narrators and others contributors to these materials, OverDrive has implemented a new program entitled ‘MORAL MP3’ (Media Operation & Rights Access License for MP3). MORAL is an OverDrive service developed to encourage honest usage of copyrighted content that complies with the Terms of Use. Library partners that add OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to their collection will have their websites refreshed with a new step to the checkout process for patrons. If a library patron selects an OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, s/he will be prompted to review and accept the MORAL MP3 Terms of Use before completing the checkout process. If the patron does not accept the Terms of Use, s/he can check out available titles in other formats, but will not be able to check out any titles in the OverDrive MP3 Audiobook format. In addition to changes on the library’s website, OverDrive Media Console reinforces the permitted uses of the digital content. Specifically, after the lending period expires, the OverDrive Media Console software prompts the user to delete the expired OverDrive MP3 Audiobook files from his/her PC, and to delete or destroy any transferred or burned copies of the title in accordance with Terms of Use. Digital Content Provided by OverDrive – Restricted Uses To make premium digital content available to our library partners and their patrons, OverDrive is working with the library community to develop the best practices that respect the rights of our content suppliers. We rely on their cooperation to avoid situations that would frustrate the intentions of the owners of the licensed materials. For OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks we are working to prevent practices where digital content is made available to a user other than the patron that checked it out using his/her library card. Examples include restrictions for inlibrary downloading from public Internet terminals except as permitted under license from OverDrive. If a library is lending and circulating portable MP3 players, each title loaded or checked out onto the player must be for a specific patron who checked out the selection.
Summary We are excited to offer the OverDrive MP3 Audiobook format and know this will increase usage of your Virtual Branch website download services. OverDrive is grateful to our forward-thinking publishers and library partners. We expect OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to be a great addition to your library. If you have any questions, or would like to add OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to your library, please contact info@overdrive.com or your project manager.
© 2008 OverDrive, Inc. All rights reserved.
OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks Fact Sheet (June 2008)