Salman Rushdie Collaborates With Booktrack and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Booktrack Launches a New e-Reader Platform

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Booktrack™, the creator of a new and engaging way to read by matching synchronized music, sound effects and ambient sound to the text of your favorite eBook's, announced today that its edition of Salman Rushdie's "In the South," will be available for sale on February 7. The company also announced the debut of the Booktrack™ Bookshelf, which consolidates the Booktrack™ experience into a unified application. Now, users can browse Booktrack's™ entire catalog, try free previews, purchase new titles, and view their entire libraries - within a single app.

"Readers and writers have a natural inclination to be curious and engaged citizens of the world," said Salman Rushdie. "I love Booktrack, and I'm intrigued to see what it can do.''

Booktrack™ also announced that its "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band" was downloaded more than 100,000 times from the Apple iTunes App Store in 105 countries making it one of the most globally downloaded eBook of 2011.

Described as "a big leap forward" by Smithsonian, and "a thrilling prospect" by the Atlantic, Booktrack™ has received global press coverage since its launch in August. The company's first story, "In the South" by Salman Rushdie, premieres a new series, curated by Brooke Geahan - Booktrack's™ Vice President of Publishing - that will also feature "Solace" by Jay McInerney and "The Dungeon Master" by Sam Lipsyte.

"Short stories are a natural fit for Booktrack," said Brooke Geahan, "Creating music for stories is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood, when the moving picture incorporated with musical scores heralded a new form of entertainment: movies. As we launch this series with the Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie, collaborating with renowned composer John Psathas, with music by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, we are proud to showcase Booktrack's affinity for exceptional literature and music, and our ability to conjure a new experience for a new era."

"The consumer response to Booktrack has been amazing with 100,000 downloads for a single Booktrack title in just 10 weeks and glowing reviews and ratings in the Apple iTunes App Store," said Paul Cameron, Booktrack™ co-founder and CEO. "It is not until people try Booktrack that they understand the immersive element Booktrack brings to reading, and the new Booktrack Bookshelf application gives readers the opportunity to try Booktrack for free to experience it for themselves."

Booktrack™, currently available in the Apple App Store, Android market place, and PC operating system, represents a new chapter in the evolution of storytelling, and an industry "first" in publishing. By creating synchronized soundtracks for eBooks, Booktrack™ editions dramatically boost readers' imagination and engagement.  The company's proprietary technology combines music, sound effects and ambient sound automatically paced to an individual's reading speed. Funded by investors including Peter Thiel and Derek Handley – and created in collaboration with major publishing houses, best-selling authors, and award-winning composers and musicians – Booktrack™ is creating a new genre of entertainment. 

Salman Rushdie's "In the South" is available for $.99 during the month of February (after which it will be available for $1.99) is available on the Booktrack Bookshelf App, which readers may download for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, at   www.itunes.com/appstore, and http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/booktrack-bookshelf/id455861970?mt=8 directly, or for PC and Android tablets from www.booktrack.com.

For more information, visit  www.booktrack.com. or follow @booktrk on Twitter.

SOURCE Booktrack