Streaming service BookBeat expands English-language offer with RBmedia deal

BookBeat, an audiobooks streaming service, has entered a distribution agreement with global audiobook publisher RBmedia.

In the autumn, BookBeat will increase its audiobook catalogue with almost 40,000 English-language titles from RBmedia’s audio brands, including Recorded Books, W F Howes, Authors Republic, and Highbridge. 

Earlier this year, BookBeat launched in Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, and has said it will continue to contract international publishers to increase its selection of English titles.

BookBeat c.e.o. Niclas Sandin said: “We are so pleased to offer the audiobooks from RBmedia to our users. Not only are English titles demanded by our English-speaking users, but also by many of our users in our core markets. RBmedia will be an important publisher for us going forward. 

"With great authors such as Julia Quinn, Lucinda Riley, Danielle Steel, Diana Gabaldon and Pierce Brown, we know many of our users will be very happy about this new addition."

RBmedia said it has seen demand for its English-language audio content expand rapidly around the world, including in regions where English is not the primary language. 

Miles Stevens-Hoare, m.d. of RBmedia International and W F Howes, said: “Adding BookBeat as a new distributor of our English-language audiobooks will enable RBmedia to expand our reach in those markets. We look forward to continuing to grow our base of global listeners for our titles with BookBeat.”