RBMedia
{{short description |Audiobook publisher}}
{{Infobox publisher
| name = RBMedia
| image = RBMedia logo.png
| caption =
| parent =
| status =
| traded_as =
| predecessor = Recorded Books
| founded = {{Start date and age|2017}}
| founder = Shamrock Advisors
| successor =
| country = United States
| headquarters = Landover, Maryland
| distribution =
| keypeople =
| publications = Audiobooks, Books
| topics =
| genre =
| imprints = Recorded Books
HighBridge
Tantor Media
Kalorama Audio
Christian Audio
Ascent Audio
W.F. Howes
WaveSound
BookaVivo
GraphicAudio
| revenue =
| owner = {{ubl|Shamrock Advisors|{{smaller|(2017–18)}}|Kohlberg Kravis Roberts|{{smaller|(2018–2023)}}|H.I.G. Capital|{{smaller|(2023–present)}}|Francisco Partners|{{smaller|(2023–present)}}}}
| numemployees =
| url = https://rbmediaglobal.com/
}}
RBMedia is an audiobook publishing company with sales globally. Headquartered in Landover, Maryland, it claims to be the largest audiobook publisher in the world.{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/82376-at-the-center-of-it-all-rbmedia-spreads-its-wings.html |title=At the Center of It All: RBmedia Spreads Its Wings |work=Publishers Weekly |author=RBMedia |date=February 10, 2020 |accessdate=September 18, 2020}}
The company was founded in 2017 through the acquisition of independent audiobook companies, which now operate as imprints of RBMedia. Among them are: Recorded Books, Tantor Media, HighBridge Audio, ChristianAudio, Gildan Media, W.F. Howes, Wavesound, GraphicAudio.
With studios in New York and elsewhere, it is based near the former Recorded Books headquarters. After being assembled by Shamrock Advisors and controlled by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, it was acquired in September 2023 by H.I.G. Capital and Francisco Partners.
History
=Recorded Books=
Recorded Books (later to be the "RB" in RBMedia) was founded in Maryland in 1978 and was a pioneer in the industry.{{cite book |title=Information Literacies for the Twenty-First Century |chapter=Something New Has Been Added: Aural Literacy and Libraries |publisher=G. K. Hall & Co. |author=Virgil L. P. Blake |year=1990 |page=205 |quote=Recorded Books and Books on Tape, pioneers in this new sound recording format, recorded unabridged versions of books on cassette.}} When it was acquired in December 1999 by Haights Cross Communications, the company operated as its division.{{cite web |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20040906/30323-an-independent-spirit.html |title=An Independent Spirit |work=Publishers Weekly |author=Shannon Maughan |date=September 6, 2004 |accessdate=January 12, 2014}}
Eight months after purchasing HighBridge Audio from Workman Publishing,{{Cite web | title = Recorded Books Buys HighBridge Audio | work = PublishersWeekly.com | accessdate = 2014-09-15 | url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/62155-recorded-books-buys-highbridge-audio.html }} the division announced the acquisition of Tantor Media in January 2015.{{Cite news | last = Milliot | first = Jim | title = Recorded Books Buys Tantor Media | work = Publishers Weekly | accessdate = 2015-02-01 | date = 2015-01-06 | url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/65188-recorded-books-buys-tantor-media.html }} Later the same year, Recorded Books was sold to Shamrock Advisors, a private equity firm.{{Cite web| title = Shamrock Advisors Buys Recorded Books| work = PublishersWeekly.com| accessdate = 2016-04-11| url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/67690-shamrock-advisors-buys-recorded-books.html}}
=RBMedia=
When it was organized in April 2017{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/audio-books/article/73754-how-rbmedia-came-to-life.html |title=How RBmedia Came to Life |work=Publishers Weekly |author=Shannon Maughan |date=May 26, 2017 |accessdate=October 22, 2017}} and became known as RBMedia, its imprints included Recorded Books, HighBridge Audio, Tantor Media, ChristianAudio, Gildan Media, W.F. Howes (UK), and Wavesound (Australia).{{cite web |url=https://www.recordedbooks.com/About/News/A-new-global-powerhouse-takes-center-stage-in-spok |title=A new global powerhouse takes center-stage in spoken audio and digital media distribution technology |website=recordedbooks.com |author= |date=April 11, 2017 |accessdate=September 26, 2017}} It would sell or distribute titles directly to customers through Audiobooks.com, libraries, and resellers such as Audible.{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/audio-books/article/73754-how-rbmedia-came-to-life.html |title=How RBmedia Came to Life |work=Publishers Weekly |author=Shannon Maughan |date=May 26, 2017 |accessdate=March 10, 2020}}
In the month that its new name was revealed, the company acquired Audiobooks.com,{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/rbmedia-launches-and-buys-audiobookscom-become-worlds-biggest-audio-publisher-534761 |title=Newly formed RBmedia buys Audiobooks.com |work=The Bookseller |author=Heloise Wood |date=April 11, 2017 |accessdate=October 22, 2017}} which would launch in the UK six months later.{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/audiobookscom-launches-uk-655536 |title=Audiobooks.com launches in UK |work=The Bookseller |author=Natasha Onwuemezi |date=October 18, 2017 |accessdate=October 22, 2017}} In September 2017, RBMedia purchased Gildan Media, a business book publisher.{{cite web |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/rb-media-acquires-gildan-and-now-offers-business-audiobooks |title=RB Media Acquires Gildan and Now Offers Business Audiobooks |work=Good Ereader |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=September 25, 2017 |accessdate=September 26, 2017}}
In July 2018, Shamrock Advisors sold the company to private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR).{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/77517-equity-firm-buys-rbmedia.html |title=Equity Firm Buys RBmedia |work=Publishers Weekly |author=Jim Milliot |date=July 16, 2018 |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}
In March 2020, RBMedia acquired GraphicAudio, a producer of immersive full-cast and sound-effect productions with brands such as Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Vault Comics and authors such as Brandon Sanderson, Peter V. Brett, Michael J. Sullivan, R. A. Salvatore, William W. Johnstone, and Brent Weeks.{{cite web |url=https://rbmediaglobal.com/rbmedia-acquires-leading-producer-of-dramatized-audiobooks/ |title=RBmedia Acquires Leading Producer of Dramatized Audiobooks |work=rbmediaglobal.com |author= |date=March 10, 2020 |accessdate=March 10, 2020}}
Three months later, it sold its library assets to OverDrive, Inc.; this includes RBDigital, an app and service for the distribution of digital content. RBMedia and OverDrive are both owned by KKR, with KKR's OverDrive purchase concluded in June 2020. The sale of RBMedia's library division to OverDrive represents a merger of KKR's related assets.{{cite web |url=https://www.crainscleveland.com/technology/digital-media-company-overdrive-buys-library-assets-audiobook-producer-rbmedia |title=Digital media company OverDrive buys the library assets of audiobook producer RBmedia |author=Scott Suttell |date=June 24, 2020 |accessdate=September 18, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/overdrive-to-acquire-rbdigital-from-rbmedia-301082088.html |title=OverDrive to Acquire RBdigital from RBmedia |work=prnewswire.com |author= |date=June 23, 2020 |accessdate=July 13, 2020}}
In March 2021, RBMedia acquired Booka, a Barcelona-based audiobook publishing company rebranded as BookaVivo.{{Cite web|title=RBMedia Acquires Spain's Booka|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/85550-rbmedia-acquires-spain-s-booka.html|access-date=2021-03-12|website=www.publishersweekly.com}} In May, the company acquired McGraw-Hill Professional's audiobook business including the entire catalog of previously published titles and exclusive rights to all future titles.{{cite web |url= https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/rbmedia-purchases-mcgraw-hill-professionals-audiobook-business|title= RBmedia purchases McGraw-Hill Professional's audiobook business|work=Good Reader |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=May 11, 2021 |accessdate=May 11, 2021}}
In August 2021, RBMedia launched Ascent Audio for business focused books. The catalog includes audiobooks from the previous acquisition of Gildan Media and McGraw-Hill Professional. It claimed to be the world's largest catalog of business audiobooks.{{cite web |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/rbmedia-launches-ascent-audio-for-business-focused-audiobooks |title=RBmedia launches Ascent Audio for business focused audiobooks |work=GoodReader |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=August 3, 2021 |accessdate=August 4, 2021}}
In December, a month after announcing that it had sold Audiobooks.com to Storytel for $135 million,{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/storytel-extends-global-reach-audiobookcom-acquisition-1289297 |title=Storytel extends into English language market with $135m Audiobooks deal |work=The Bookseller |author=Ruth Comerford |date=November 13, 2021 |access-date=November 13, 2021}} RBMedia acquired the audiobook self-publisher Author’s Republic, including its traditional audiobook subsidiary Novel Audio.{{Cite web|url=https://rbmediaglobal.com/rbmedia-acquires-authors-republic-self-published-audiobooks-platform/|title=RBmedia Acquires Author's Republic Self-Published Audiobooks Platform|date=December 2021}} In January 2022, it purchased the German audiobook publisher ABOD, with works to be published under the RBmedia Verlag brand.{{cite web |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/rbmedia-now-has-german-language-audiobooks |title=RBmedia now has German-Language Audiobooks |work=GoodReader |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=January 5, 2022 |access-date=January 5, 2022}}
In 2023, it was announced that KKR sold RBMedia to H.I.G. Capital and Francisco Partners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thembsgroup.co.uk/external/francisco-partners-teams-up-with-h-i-g-capital-to-acquire-rbmedia/|title=Francisco Partners teams up with H.I.G. Capital to acquire RBmedia|work=The MBS Group|access-date=2023-09-23|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://rbmediaglobal.com/ Official RBMedia website]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Audiobook companies and organizations
Category:Companies based in Maryland
Category:Calvert County, Maryland
Category:Mass media companies established in 2017
Category:2017 establishments in Maryland
Category:2018 mergers and acquisitions