Audible hopes to score with downloadable learning

Audible, which sells audio books and periodicals, has teamed up with publisher Pearson Education to bring more downloadable learning products to college students.

Under the deal, announced Friday, audio products developed by the two companies will be available for download on Audible.com, the companies said. Learning materials can be downloaded to different devices such as smart wireless devices and portable music players including Apple Computer's iPod.

Some universities have been introducing high-tech perks such as download services and iPods in an effort to give students access to newer technologies. As the popularity of MP3 players increases, more colleges are recognizing the role that such devices could play in the classroom. Language and music courses in particular can benefit from downloadable audio content.

Companies such as Audible are latching onto the trend and are firming up deals to make educational content available in digital format as well.

The companies said the first set of audio products may be available for download for the 2005-2006 academic year, while educational audio products for the general public will be available this year. Pricing details were not released.