Storytel secures partnerships with leading publishers in France
Storytel, one of the world’s leading subscription services for audiobooks and e-books, has secured publishing deals with key French publishers such as Hachette Livre, Madrigall, Editis and Actes Sud. The agreements strengthen Storytel’s strategic focus on established audiobook markets and open the door for expansion into French-speaking markets. Storytel’s service in France is available from 27 September 2022. The service will offer a variety of subscription alternatives to meet the preferences of French consumers.
Today, over two million subscribers across the world enjoy Storytel’s attractive and accessible library of more than one million titles in over 30 languages. Storytel has now secured new agreements with the publishers Hachette Livre, Madrigall, Editis and Actes Sud amongst others. With these agreements, Storytel’s customers in France will have access to more than 7,000 French titles and 290,000 titles in other commonly spoken languages such as Arabic and English.
“French influence and innovation have shaped global culture and literature in many prolific ways. Now, French readers are embracing new digital formats such as audiobooks more than ever before. I am thrilled that we have secured partnerships with some of the best publishing houses with reach and respect beyond French borders. Together, we will offer a unique and immersive proposition to French book lovers”, says Helena Gustafsson, Chief Content Strategy Officer at Storytel.
Valérie Lévy-Soussan, CEO of Audiolib, France's biggest publisher of adult audiobooks, a subsidiary of the Hachette Livre and Albin Michel groups:
"We have followed Storytel’s international expansion and welcome their arrival on the French market, with a model that is both in line with contemporary listening habits and reassuring for the publishers and authors who entrust us with their audio titles. The development of new platforms is a great opportunity to find new audiences and continue to develop the supply of audiobooks in France”.
Éric Marbeau, Digital Sales Director at Madrigall, one of the leading publishing groups in France and a major distributor of printed and digital books:
“We are happy that Storytel is opening a service in France on a new time-based model, which will allow listeners to expand their listening habits to several titles a month. This offer matches our focus on encouraging listeners to try out a wider variety of titles they may otherwise overlook”.
Liza Faja, Director of Lizzie, the audiobook imprint of the publisher Editis:
“Lizzie is a key player in the audiobook industry. The new model offered by Storytel is a formidable opportunity to make our titles and authors available to the widest possible audience”.
Storytel’s French service will contain an extensive variety of stories, from Nordic Noir to classics and the latest bestsellers. Constance Parpoil, Storytel’s new editorial lead for the European region, is an experienced executive in audio and publishing. She will head the development of the French catalogue and other publishing partnerships in the region.
“Our focus in France will be local, reflecting the diversity of the country and of French-speaking communities worldwide. Storytel Originals, exclusive titles created for audio first, will also be a unique part of our portfolio. I cannot wait to make this amazing selection available to our Francophone audiences”, says Constance Parpoil.
FNCA Sweden AB is the company’s certified adviser.
For more information, please contact:
Emma Boëthius, PR Manager
Tel: +46 70 2235673
Email: emma.boethius@storytel.com
About Storytel
Storytel is one of the world’s largest audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers over one million titles on a global scale. Our vision is to make the world a more empathetic and creative place, with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime. The streaming business within the Storytel Group is conducted under the brands Storytel, Mofibo and Audiobooks.com. The publishing business is managed by Storytel Books, and by the audiobook publisher StorySide. The Storytel Group operates in over 25 markets and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
