1. A method for presenting an interactive audio publication to a user, the method comprising: enabling a subscriber to access a subscriber portal to generate a custom audio publication template used to generate an audio publication for the subscriber, the subscriber being a subscriber to the audio publication, said enabling comprising enabling the subscriber to define one or more custom audio publication templates, the custom audio publication templates being configured to be used to generate one or more custom audio publications from one or more source audio publications, and the custom audio publication templates including one or more custom sections, such that each custom section contains one or more audio content item assignment rules; receiving a plurality of content items that includes at least one text-based content item or speech-based content item; converting the received plurality of content items into corresponding audio content items that each include digital audio data corresponding to a spoken representation of a corresponding text-based content item or speech-based content item, and audio content item metadata indicating a structure of the included digital audio data, the audio content item metadata including a plurality of markers designating boundaries of a title segment, a summary segment, and a story body segment of an audio content item; assembling the audio publication from one or more of the audio content items according to the custom audio publication template, the audio publication being organized into one or more sections; generating audio publication metadata that defines a structure of the audio publication, said generating comprising customizing the audio publication metadata for at least one user; and distributing the audio publication to the subscriber for interactive presentation, the distributed audio publication including the audio publication metadata and the one or more audio content items.
1. A method for presenting an interactive audio publication to a user, the method comprising: enabling a subscriber to access a subscriber portal to generate a custom audio publication template used to generate an audio publication for the subscriber, the subscriber being a subscriber to the audio publication, said enabling comprising enabling the subscriber to define one or more custom audio publication templates, the custom audio publication templates being configured to be used to generate one or more custom audio publications from one or more source audio publications, and the custom audio publication templates including one or more custom sections, such that each custom section contains one or more audio content item assignment rules; receiving a plurality of content items that includes at least one text-based content item or speech-based content item; converting the received plurality of content items into corresponding audio content items that each include digital audio data corresponding to a spoken representation of a corresponding text-based content item or speech-based content item, and audio content item metadata indicating a structure of the included digital audio data, the audio content item metadata including a plurality of markers designating boundaries of a title segment, a summary segment, and a story body segment of an audio content item; assembling the audio publication from one or more of the audio content items according to the custom audio publication template, the audio publication being organized into one or more sections; generating audio publication metadata that defines a structure of the audio publication, said generating comprising customizing the audio publication metadata for at least one user; and distributing the audio publication to the subscriber for interactive presentation, the distributed audio publication including the audio publication metadata and the one or more audio content items. 14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: performing the assignment rule, including using a search engine to locate audio content items from one or more of the source audio publications that are relevant to at least one user-designated audio content item, and including the located audio content items in a custom section of the one or more custom sections.