Death By Unknown Event Released By Audible Originals

 What is a podcast? What is an audiobook? What's the difference?

  There have been numerous articles about Amazon's strategic moves into the podcasting space. It purchased podcast network Wondery and has expanded its podcast content via its Audible audiobook division.

 Audible Originals consist of exclusive content to Audible -- made typically in partnership with production companies -- that blur the lines between podcast and audiobook. Audible terms these hybrids as "genre-bending."

 Despite the issues relevant to Amazon dominance, Audible has given oxygen to an inevitable debate in the audio world. What is a podcast? What is an audiobook? What's the difference between a limited-run podcast true-crime series that runs 12 hours and a true-crime audiobook that runs 12 hours?

These hybrid audio productions, however, are often worthy of "ear time" by listeners because of the top-notch production value, narrative excellence, and the use of high-level talent.

Recent, notable Audible Originals include: My Body, My Podcast by Elizabeth Banks and Bad Republican by Meghan McCain.

In the true-crime genre, a notable Original was just released this week called DEATH BY UNKNOWN EVENT. 

It is the story of Cindy James’ enigmatic life and death. Cindy James underwent seven years of harassment that varied in severity from stalking phone calls to dead animals left on her doorstep to physical attacks. She reported nearly 100 separate incidents to police between 1981 and 1989. 

In 1989, Cindy James was found hogtied with her hands and feed behind her back, but police initially declared her death a suicide.
Her death resulted in the longest and most expensive coroner’s inquest in Canadian history at the time.

The 12-episode series dropped in full on Thursday, October 21^st, exclusively on Audible.

 Death By Unknown Event is a production of Skybound Entertainment and Audible, and it is Skybound's first audio release since signing with Audible in 2019.

 Skybound Entertainment is the company behind the long-running comic, The Walking Dead, created by Robert Kirkman. Since the company’s founding in 2010, Skybound has developed properties in traditional and new media, including comics, gaming, television, film, and digital media series. The company has since launched into the virtual reality space, and in 2017, created an in-house digital studio for online content.

Listen To The First Episode HERE