Interview with Blackstone Founder Craig Black and BIG Downpour Giveaway

Downpour.com, Blackstone Audio’s online audiobook retail site, is coming on strong. With easy downloads and competitive pricing compared to, yes, Audible, we wanted to feature Downpour in a big way. Today, we’re talking with Blackstone’s founder, Craig Black, and giving away ten three-credit packages courtesy of Downpour.

Exploring Downpour over the past few weeks, I found my enthusiasm growing with each search and purchase. Their selection is not as large as that found at Audible, true, but I definitely see Downpour as an attractive alternative for purchasing downloadable audiobooks. To me, the DRM factor is big – Craig will be giving you a full explanation of that enticement in our interview. I can purchase an audiobook and share it with my husband without worrying about the incompatibility of our iTunes libraries. And I  freely admit to being a technophob – please make my audio downloads easy. No problem – Downpour’s books were in my iTunes library without me having to do more than click on that download button. And finally, the price. Wow. I’m now an official fan of Downpour and it’s time to share my enthusiasm for this independent audiobook company – one of the largest in America today.

And today’s giveaway of those ten three-credit packages from Downpour? You’ll find the details and entry form below our interview.

Talking with Craig Black

Lea: Welcome to AudioGals, Craig.

We have been wondering about the news flying back and forth this past year about Blackstone and AudioGO. I first learned of AudioGO’s acquisition of Blackstone in late 2012 only to hear that Blackstone had purchased AudioGO in October 2013. Can you expand on what transpired?

Craig: Yes, we sold in December of 2012 to an audio publishing company based in Bath, England, with a US operation in Rhode Island. After just a few months into the merger, Josh Stanton, Blackstone’s CEO, noticed some alarming signs of mismanagement in the UK business. These problems threatened to take down the entire business, including Blackstone. Fortunately, before the entire business was placed into administration, I was able to convince the bank to carve-out Blackstone so that we could negotiate a repurchase agreement.

What I took away from this experience is that “retirement” is greatly overrated. I am elated to have the company back. I feel like a kid in a sandbox. And the icing on the cake is that I sold a company with a book catalog consisting of approximately 4,500 titles and bought back a company with a list of over 8,000 titles!

Lea: That’s quite an accomplishment! With the purchase of AudioGO, that increase in titles means you gained several audiobook libraries. Can you tell us about those libraries and what it means for the average audiobook listener?

Craig: The AudioGO library that was merged into Blackstone prior to the repurchase is rich in content. Included are numerous evergreens, such as Brave New World and Roots, as well as many bestsellers by such authors as Karen Slaughter and Suzanne Brockmann. What this means for the average audiobook listener is that these 8,000+ quality titles will continue to be available and easily accessible. Also, Blackstone will continue to publish at a rate of approximately 500 new titles per year.

Lea: Prior to AudioGO purchasing Blackstone, your company launched Downpour.com in 2012. What will our listeners find at your retail download site?

Craig: Right now, Downpour has over 30,000 titles and represents virtually all of the major audiobook publishing houses. You name it, Downpour probably has it, from bestsellers by James Patterson, David Baldacci, Suzanne Collins, and Ayn Rand to scholarly works by Plato and Thucydides. The title count will continue to grow at a rapid rate, and we have some exciting additional perks planned for mid-2014, though I’m not at liberty to discuss that here.

Lea: We’ll be on the lookout for those 2014 perks.

DRM – I know it’s a term we hear a lot these days both in terms of eBooks and audiobooks. I doubt, however, that many of our listeners understand just what it is and how it impacts their listening choices. Can you help us understand?

Craig: DRM stands for “digital rights management.” DRM is a system for protecting copyrights of content circulated on digital media by encrypting the data so that it can only be accessed by one—or at best a few—user. The problem with DRM is that it limits the number of devices a listener can use to play his or her book. I happen to own and use several devices, including a computer, tablet, iPod, and smartphone. All of Downpour’s content is offered DRM free, so I am able to seamlessly toggle between my devices. I believe this is what most customers prefer, and we are committed to providing our customers with the best experience possible.

Lea: Is it an apt comparison to say that Downpour is an alternative to Audible? Or do you prefer to make reference to it in another manner?

Craig: Audible is a fine company. They also pioneered digital delivery of audiobooks and have done much to expand the market. They are also a very large organization, and, as we know, large organizations have their limitations.

If Audible is a Ford, Downpour is more like a Range Rover. For reasons previously discussed, Downpour content is far more portable, and its playback capabilities are in a class of their own.

Lea: Okay, I have to say that I love the Range Rover comparison!

When buying downloadable audiobooks, it is crucial to me that the process be quick and easy without multiple steps. I want to download one file (or two) to a pre-selected folder on my computer without needing to worry about individual chapters. Is it that easy to download files from Downpour?

Craig: Yes it is. Click the “Download” button next to the title you want to listen to. Then pick either the MP3 or M4B format and start your single file download.

Lea: Does the process differ in any way for Apple users?

Craig: No, it is the same process. Although you will probably always choose the M4B format. The download is fully iTunes compliant.

Lea: And finally, the cost. I assume we will find competitive pricing compared to Audible?

Craig: Absolutely. Our membership plans start at just $12.99 per month for one credit, and we allow you to buy additional credits at that price at any time. That gives you savings of up to 70%. In addition, if customers don’t want to sign up for a monthly membership, we offer an everyday low price up to 30% off the regular price to everyone who shops on Downpour.com.

Lea: Well, I’m sold. Thanks for taking the time to visit with us today. Now I’m eager to hear back from our ten winners of this week’s giveaway after they give Downpour a try. I imagine they will discover just what I did – the ease, affordability, and the freedom of using more than one device spells a winning combination.

A final thought…

The ability to purchase a single credit for just $12.99 at any time is a large incentive for me to continually check with Downpour for the availability of a title. Although I purchase two credits monthly through my Platinum membership at Audible (at $11.48 each), once my credits for the month are gone, I have no choice but to pay more if I want to purchase another title (unless it is priced lower than a single credit) before my next month’s credits roll around.

With your Downpour Audiobook Club membership, you receive (buy) one credit a month for $12.99 and can purchase as many additional credits as you want – for only $12.99 each. You may also cancel your membership at any time. Given the flexibility DRM offers and the ease of use, Downpour proves itself to be a noteworthy alternative to Audible. As their list of titles grows, I’ll be turning to Downpour more. I hope our listeners will visit Downpour and give it a try as well. And, of course, our ten winners of this week’s giveaway will be trying out Downpour in a big way.

The Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a three credit package from Downpour. We are giving away ten of these three credit sets so pass the word on to your fellow audio listeners! The winner does not have to be a Downpour Audiobooks Club member to utilize these credits. Only a name and address are required for registration – no credit card information required.

It’s simple – just enter by midnight (CST) Thursday, December 19th. You will find the easy entry form below – no comments are necessary for entry although we’d love to hear your thoughts in the discussion area. You may only enter once. We’ll contact you the morning of the 20^th so watch your emails as we must have acknowledgement of your win within 24 hours. If we don’t hear from you, we’ll select another winner. Bloggers and reviewers, we welcome your entry. Non-romance listeners, we welcome your entry as well!

The giveaway has ended.

Lea Hensley