RBmedia buys ABOD and launches German arm

RBmedia has acquired leading German audiobook publisher ABOD and is making it's first foray into the German-language market under the new brand RBmedia Verlag.

The move will see RBmedia Verlag join W F Howes and Wavesound as audiobook giant RBmedia's international audiobook publishing businesses.

ABOD, which was founded in 2012, produces major titles in non-fiction, focusing on politics and economics. It will supply a range of titles to the new brand, including Cycles of Climate Change: How Climate Feedback Loops Can Destroy or Save the World by Greta Thunberg and the Dalai Lama, and Put Warm Clothes On, It’s Going to Be Hot: Understand Climate Change and Learn from the Crisis for Tomorrow’s World by Sven Plöger and Eckart von Hirschhausen. The audiobooks are published under the imprints ABOD and Hörbuch München and are produced in the company's own sound studios in Munich. 

"Since founding ABOD in 2012, I have put much work and care into building a first-rate audio catalogue," said Rudi Singer, founder and c.e.o. of ABOD. "With RBmedia’s vision, I am confident that we will see these efforts continue to gain momentum. Under good terms, our titles will be widely sold around the German-speaking world and with all key resellers. It's exciting to see the German market being part of RBmedia’s international growth plan.”

Miles Stevens-Hoare (pictured), general manager of RBmedia international, said: “We’ve been tracking the German-language digital audiobook market for some time and have seen consistent, sizeable growth. We believe it represents a long-term growth opportunity for us. The marriage of ABOD and RBmedia combines a well-curated successful catalogue with our skill and experience in growing audio businesses.”