Audiobook Producer/Distributor Audiobooks.com Acquired by RB Media

Authors who distribute their audiobooks through Author's Republic are finding out today that the company has been acquired by a new holding company, RB Media.

RBmedia, a newly launched global leader in spoken audio content and digital media distribution technology, today announced its acquisition of Audiobooks.com, an innovator in the on-demand audiobooks sector. With Audiobooks.com, RBmedia not only produces bestselling spoken audio content, it also offers a technology platform that distributes more than 700,000 digital media titles. RBmedia has unparalleled consumer reach through Audiobooks.com, 10,000+ library partnerships, and consumer digital resellers.

An app-based subscription service, Audiobooks.com provides access to more than 100,000 bestsellers and classics.

RB Media also owns Tantor Audio, Recorded Books, WF Howes, and Christian Audio, and through Audiobook.com it distributes to a lot of devices including Android Wear and Sonos speakers.

But the main reason today's announcement caught my attention is that Audiobooks.com also owns Author's Republic. This subsidiary launched in 2015 to help authors create and distribute their audiobooks.

So rather than just being a footnote in industry news, this change might directly affect authors through changes in policy.

It's definitely worth future attention.