Libro.fm
{{Short description|Audiobook app}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Libro.fm
| logo = Libro.fm logo.svg
| type = Social purpose corporation
| founded = 2014
| hq_location_city = Seattle, Washington
| area_served = United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand
| website = {{URL|Libro.fm}}
}}
Libro.fm is an audiobook app that splits its profits with an independent bookstore of the customer's choosing.{{Cite web |last=Forristal |first=Lauren |date=2023-07-26 |title=Audiobook platform Libro.fm announces its international launch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/26/audiobook-platform-libro-fm-international-launch/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} In 2022, the company's publicity director Albee Romero told The Orange County Register that half of all profits go to the selected independent bookshop.{{Cite web |last=Pedersen |first=Erik |date=2022-06-18 |title=The Book Pages: What the audiobook boom means to Libro.fm |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2022/06/17/the-book-pages-what-the-audiobook-boom-means-to-libro-fm/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}} It has created apps for Android, iPhone, and Apple Watch and is free of digital rights management, meaning all books can be downloaded on other devices without restrictions.{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Saqib |date=2023-07-28 |title=New audiobook app supports local London bookshops |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tech/libro-fm-audiobook-app-support-london-bookshops-b1097374.html |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Evening Standard |language=en |archive-date=2024-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240404000711/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tech/libro-fm-audiobook-app-support-london-bookshops-b1097374.html |url-status=live }}
The Seattle-based company{{Cite news |last=Hayes |first=Molly |date=2020-03-31 |title=Libro is now in Canada and booksellers are taking advantage |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books/article-libro-is-now-in-canada-and-booksellers-are-taking-advantage/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}} is employee-owned and a social purpose corporation.{{Cite web |last=Spanoudi |first=Melina |date=March 9, 2023 |title=Audiobook platform Libro.fm to launch in UK |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/audiobook-platform-librofm-to-launch-in-uk |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=The Bookseller |language=En}}
History
In 2014, Libro.fm was co-founded by Mark Pearson (CEO), Carl Hartung (CTO), and Nick Johnson (creative director).
In 2020, Libro.fm expanded beyond the U.S. and into Canada. In 2020, Libro also partnered with Bookshop.org to direct its customers looking for audiobooks to buy directly from Libro.fm.{{Cite news |last=Knibbs |first=Kate |date=April 11, 2023 |title=How Bookshop.org Survives—and Thrives—in Amazon’s World |url=https://www.wired.com/story/books-bookshop-org-thrives-amazon-world/ |access-date=2024-04-07 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}
In 2023, Libro.fm expanded into the UK, Australia, and New Zealand and began to accept payments in EUR, AUD, GBP and NZD.