View source for AudioGO

{{Short description|Audiobook publisher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox publisher
| name         = AudioGO
| image        =
| parent       = AudioGO Ltd, [[BBC Worldwide]]
| founded      = 2010
| defunct      = 2014
| founder      =
| successor    = [[Blackstone Audio]], [[Audible (store)|Audible]], [[Random House]]
| country      = [[United Kingdom]]
| headquarters = [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]
| distribution =
| keypeople    = Michael Kuhn
| publications = [[audiobook]]s, [[book]]s
| topics       =
| genre        =
| imprints     = AudioGO, BBC Audio, BBC Radio Collection
| revenue      = £25.9m p.a. (as at 2010)<ref name=guardian/>
| numemployees = 140 (as at 2010)<ref name=guardian/>
| nasdaq       =
| url          = {{official website|url=http://www.audiogo.com}} (defunct)
}}
'''AudioGO''' (formerly '''BBC Audiobooks''') was a British publisher of audiobooks and a range of spoken word and large-print titles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.audiogo.co.uk/about |access-date=13 July 2011 |title=Welcome to AudioGO |publisher=AudioGO |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712050705/http://www.audiogo.co.uk/about |archive-date=12 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was majority owned by AudioGO Ltd, and minority owned by [[BBC Worldwide]].<ref name=guardian/> It was formed in 2010, when AudioGO purchased a majority share in BBC Audiobooks,<ref name=guardian/> and traded until it went into administration in 2013.
AudioGO published unabridged audio novels, and the '''BBC Radio Collection''' which incorporated dramatisations and non-fiction output derived from BBC Radio programmes. Novels were published under the imprint ''AudioGO'', and BBC-sourced content under the ''BBC Audio'' imprint, the latter making up about 20% of new titles as at 2010.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jul/14/bbc-worldwide-audiobook-business |title=BBC Audiobooks sold |access-date=13 July 2011 |date=14 July 2010 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
==Catalogue==
AudioGO had about 8,500 titles in its catalogue at the time it went into administration in 2013.<ref name=randomhouse/> Thereupon AudioGO's catalogue of non-BBC titles was sold to [[Audible.com]].
The BBC titles, formerly known as the BBC Radio Collection, and considered by industry experts to be the most valuable asset, were licensed to [[Random House|Random House Audio]].<ref name=randomhouse/> These included popular radio dramatisations such as ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', as well as radio comedy including ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' and ''[[Just a Minute]]''.
== Commercial History ==
Owned by BBC Worldwide, BBC Audiobooks was created by the amalgamation of BBC Radio Collection, Cover to Cover and Chivers Audio Books (Chivers Press) in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/1210-bbc-audiobooks-for-sale.html |title=BBC Audiobooks for Sale |work=[[Publishers Weekly]] |last=Milliot |first=Jim |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=1 February 2019}}</ref> BBC Audiobooks had bought Cover to Cover in 2000, a company which specialised in unabridged audio recordings and had been started by [[Helen Nicoll]], the author of the [[Meg and Mog]] books, in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4474963/BBC-buys-big-audio-books-group.html |title=BBC buys big audio books group |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |last1=Ringshaw |first1=Grant |last2=Poole |first2=Oliver |date=10 December 2000 |access-date=1 February 2019}}</ref> Chivers Audio Books was one of the early commercial audiobook companies and among the first to employ professional actors for narration and included an American arm, Chivers Sound Library.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://booksalley.com/bAMain/bAlleyT02_Museum.php |title=A Brief History of Audio Books |publisher=Booksalley.com |date=2007-09-18 |access-date=2012-08-02 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709022228/http://booksalley.com/bAMain/bAlleyT02_Museum.php |archive-date=9 July 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sffaudio.com/features/chivers-audio-bbc-audiobooks-america-audio-go/ | title=CHIVERS AUDIO / BBC AUDIOBOOKS AMERICA / AUDIO GO – SFFaudio | date=20 March 2020 }}</ref>
In 2007, BBC Audiobooks America acquired Audio Partners, publisher of the ''[[Arkangel Shakespeare]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=420#m2710 | title=Shelf Awareness for Thursday, April 19, 2007 }}</ref>
In July 2010, BBC Worldwide, at that time led by CEO John Smith, sold an 85% stake in BBC Audiobooks to AudioGO Ltd, a company set up by former [[Polygram]] senior executive [[Michael Kuhn (film producer)|Michael Kuhn]] and six partners, for a reported £10m to £15m.<ref name=guardian/> In 2011, AudioGO acquired US children's audiobook firm Audio Bookshelf.<ref>{{Cite web| title = AudioGO Merges with Audio Bookshelf| work = PublishersWeekly.com| access-date = 2019-04-02| url = https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/48160-audiogo-merges-with-audio-bookshelf.html}}</ref>
In October 2013 AudioGO Ltd announced that it was suspending operations, due to "significant financial challenges", and was seeking fresh investment or a sale of the business. The US arm, [[Blackstone Audio]] which had been acquired in January 2013,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/55354-audiogo-acquires-blackstone-audio.html |title=AudioGO Acquires Blackstone Audio |work=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=4 January 2013 |access-date=22 October 2013}}</ref> was sold back to its founders, the Black family, with other AudioGO US operations at the same time.<ref name="bookseller">{{cite web |url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/audiogo-suspends-business-operations.html |title=AudioGO suspends business operations |access-date=22 October 2013 |date=22 October 2013 |publisher=The Bookseller}}</ref>
At the end of October 2013, AudioGO Ltd filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as it was unable to find a buyer or investor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/audiogo-files-administration.html|title= AudioGO files for administration|date=25 October 2013|access-date=13 December 2013|publisher=The Bookseller}}</ref> Accountancy firm [[BDO LLP|BDO]] were appointed as administrator.
In November 2013 it was announced that 57 employees had been [[Layoff|made redundant]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/fifty-seven-redundancies-made-audiogo.html|title= Fifty-seven redundancies made at AudioGO|date=1 November 2013|access-date=13 December 2013|publisher=The Bookseller}}</ref> and that the licensing rights to 5,000 non-BBC titles would be transferred to [[Amazon.com]]-owned [[Audible.com|Audible]] pending approval from affected authors and publishers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/audible-buys-rights-5000-audiogo-titles.html|title= Audible buys rights to 5,000 AudioGO titles|date=25 November 2013|access-date=13 December 2013|publisher=The Bookseller}}</ref> In December 2013, [[Random House Audio]] reached an agreement with BBC Worldwide to license the rights to the prestigious 3,500 BBC audio catalogue, saying that it would take "sole responsibility for sales, stock management and distribution of BBC-branded physical CDs in the UK and the rest of the world excluding North America, Australia and New Zealand," and "take global responsibility for download sales with leading digital retailers, including Audible".<ref name=randomhouse>{{cite news|title=AudioGO's BBC titles signed by Random House|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/audiogos-bbc-titles-signed-random-house.html|publisher=The Bookseller|date=12 December 2013|access-date=7 January 2014}}</ref>
The AudioGo website reported it would close on 1 February 2014. However, sales ceased on the website months before then.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.audiogo.com |title=AudioGo |access-date=25 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115055813/http://www.audiogo.com/ |archive-date=15 January 2012 }}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:British record labels]]
[[Category:Audiobook companies and organizations]]
[[Category:2010 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2014 disestablishments in England]]