OverDrive Distributes Podium’s Audiobooks Outside North America


The United States’ OverDrive is to distribute Podium Entertainment’s audiobooks catalogues to libraries and schools outside the States and Canada.

Image – Getty: Zeferli

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

‘The Most In-Demand Content’

The States-based OverDrive—which will be at Stand 2D88 at London Book Fair (March 11 to 13)—has this week announced a partnership with Podium Entertainment to distribute its audiobook catalogue outside of the United States and Canada.

As we reported on February 6, Spotify has added distribution work with Podium inside the States to its own portfolio. So despite earlier reports in March 2023 of Podium working with Bookwire for distribution, OverDrive now seems to have Podium’s offshore audiobook distribution—presumably for the library and school marketplace in which OverDrive specializes.

“Through this agreement,” the company tells the press, “OverDrive will distribute Podium’s extensive audiobook catalogue to libraries and schools worldwide” except in the United States and  Canada.

“This partnership reinforces OverDrive’s commitment to connecting readers worldwide with premium content, ensuring that Podium’s audiobooks reach passionate listeners through their local libraries and schools.” (Emphasis ours. This is a schools-and-libraries agreement.)

Jason Tyrrell

Jason Tyrrell, executive vice-president of content at OverDrive, is quoted saying, “OverDrive is committed to bringing the most in-demand content to libraries and their readers.”

Podium CEO Scott Dickey weighs in, as well, indicating his pleasure at the news of the Podium partnership, in communications with news outlets.

In addition to fiction, Podium’s nonfiction catalogue is to be part of the package, including history, health and fitness, psychology, business and economics.

These audiobooks, OverDrive says, are available in multiple lending models giving libraries “flexible options to meet patron demand.”

OverDrive was owned by Japan’s Rakuten for several years, but the investment firm KKR—you know it for its acquisition of Simon & Schuster from Paramount—was announced to be buying OverDrive in 2019.

More from Publishing Perspectives on audiobooks is here, and more on London Book Fair is here.

About the Author

Porter Anderson

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Porter Anderson has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London’s The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (Fellow, National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.



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