Harry Potter Digital Audiobooks Debut Exclusively on iTunes Music Store  9/7/05

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today announced that the entire Harry Potter audiobook series is now available exclusively on the iTunes(R) Music Store, the world's number one online music service. For the first time ever, every audiobook in the series, including the latest release, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," is available as a digital download from iTunes. Customers can either download individual audiobooks or the complete Harry Potter Digital Box Set which includes a full color digital booklet as well as previously unreleased readings from author J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter fans can also purchase the complete Harry Potter Digital Box Set together with a Collector's Edition 20GB iPod(R) engraved with the Hogwarts crest.

"We are honored that J.K. Rowling has picked iTunes for the debut of the Harry Potter audiobook series," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're delighted to be able to bring these wonderful and wildly popular stories to iTunes Music Store customers."

The complete Harry Potter Digital Box Set is equivalent to almost 100 CDs, but customers can purchase this entire audiobook collection with just one click and then transfer all six books onto their iPod to take with them wherever they go.

Up to now, The Harry Potter audiobook series from Listening Library (a division of the Random House Audio Publishing Group) has been available only on CD and cassette. It is by far the best selling series in the history of audiobook publishing, with the six books selling over five million copies. The narrator of all six books available in North America, Jim Dale, won a Grammy award in 2000 for "Best Spoken Word" as well as earned three Grammy nominations for his work on the series. The audiobook series is available online for the first time exclusively on iTunes.

With Apple's legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac(R) and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.

Pricing & Availability

Individual audiobooks from the Harry Potter series are priced from $32.95 to $49.95 (US), and the Harry Potter Digital Box Set is $249 (US). Purchase and download of songs and audiobooks from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award- winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes an iPod are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. 

SOURCE Apple Computer, Inc.

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