View source for 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.<ref name=":6">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref name=":6" />
The Seattle-based company<ref name=":7">{{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}}</ref> is employee-owned and a [[social purpose corporation]].<ref name=":0">{{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}}</ref>
== History ==
In 2014, Libro.fm was co-founded by Mark Pearson (CEO), Carl Hartung (CTO), and Nick Johnson (creative director).<ref name=":6" />
In 2020, Libro.fm expanded beyond the U.S. and into Canada.<ref name=":7" /> In 2020, Libro also partnered with [[Bookshop (company)|Bookshop.org]] to direct its customers looking for audiobooks to buy directly from Libro.fm.<ref name=":02">{{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}}</ref>
In 2023, Libro.fm expanded into the UK, Australia, and New Zealand<ref name=":0" /> and began to accept payments in EUR, AUD, GBP and NZD.<ref name=":6" />
== See also ==
* [[Hoopla (digital media service)|Hoopla]]
* [[Libby (service)|Libby]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Audiobook companies and organizations]]
[[Category:Employee-owned companies]]
[[Category:Companies based in Seattle]]
[[Category:American companies established in 2014]]
[[Category:2014 establishments in Washington (state)]]