RBmedia Breaks into French-Language Audiobook Market

Company acquires French audio publisher Éditions Thélème

LANDOVER, Md., July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RBmedia, the largest audiobook publisher in the world, today announced its entry into the French-language audio market through its acquisition of French audiobook publisher Éditions Thélème. That brand will be home to the existing Éditions Thélème audiobooks catalog and all new French-language titles published by RBmedia in the future. Founded in 1990, Éditions Thélème has specialized in publishing French-language audiobooks in the areas of classic and contemporary literature from past and present authors such as Marcel Proust, Victor Hugo, Plato, Jane Austen, and Emily Bronté.

Notable Éditions Thélème audiobook titles include:

• "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust
• "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo
• "Le Loup des steppes" by Hermann Hesse
• "Sentimental Education" by Gustave Flaubert
• "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas

Adeline Defay, Éditions Thélème founder and managing director said, "I founded Éditions Thélème when I noticed a hole in the French publishing market—there was no audiobook offering for classic literature. Since its creation more than 30 years ago, our motto has always been 'great authors read by great actors.' It's rewarding to see RBmedia further our goal of making these essential texts accessible to everyone, everywhere."

Audiobook usage and awareness as a format is on the rise globally. The market size has been growing significantly over the last few years and is projected to reach USD 15 billion globally by 2027, according to a report by Grand View Research.

Miles Stevens-Hoare, Managing Director of RBmedia international said, "RBmedia has established itself in the English, Spanish and German language audiobook markets—Éditions Thélème is the next step in our expansion into additional languages. With the increasing global demand for audiobooks, which we have seen mirrored in France, Éditions Thélème gives us the perfect platform to develop our French language business."

Éditions Thélème will join W. F. Howes, Wavesound, BookaVivo, and RBmedia Verlag as RBmedia's international audiobook publishing businesses.

RBmedia is the largest audiobook publisher in the world. With nearly 60,000 exclusive titles, our audiobooks continually dominate key literary awards and bestseller lists. The company's powerful digital retail and library distribution network reaches millions of listeners around the globe—at home, in the car, and everywhere their mobile devices go. Our titles are available on leading audio platforms, including Audible, iTunes, Google Play, Audiobooks.com, OverDrive, Hoopla, and many more. RBmedia is owned by KKR, a leading global investment firm. Find out more at rbmediaglobal.com.

Founded in 1990 by Adeline Defay, Éditions Thélème is a French independent audiobook publisher of classic and contemporary audiobooks by great authors, read by great actors. The Éditions Thélème catalog includes works from some of history's most famous authors like Marcel Proust, Victor Hugo, Plato, and Jane Austen.

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