{{Short description|Swedish audiobook company}} {{Infobox company | name= Storytel AB | logo= Storytel's logo.png | type = Public | traded_as = {{nowrap|{{OMX|SSE164292|STORY B}}}} | founders = Jonas Tellander <br/> Jon Hauksson | industry = Audiobooks | language= | hq_location = Stockholm, Sweden | owner= | key_people= Bodil Eriksson Torp (CEO) | founded= {{Start date and age|2006}} | website={{URL|storytel.com}} <br/> {{URL|audiobooks.com}} }}
'''Storytel AB''' is a Swedish e-book and audiobook subscription service based in Stockholm. It is available in more than 25 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/audiobook-streamer-storytel-sees-pandemic-spurring-subscriber-growth-2020-5|title=Audiobook streamer Storytel sees pandemic spurring subscriber growth|website=Business Insider}}</ref> Its English audiobook service Audiobooks.com is available in more than 150 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/storytel-enters-us-with-acquisition-audiobookscom-2021-11-12/|title=Storytel enters the U.S. with acquisition of Audiobooks.com|website=Reuters}}</ref>
== History == Storytel was founded in 2006 by Jonas Tellander and Jon Hauksson.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sweden's Storytel Continues Its Global Expansion|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/80101-sweden-s-storytel-continues-its-global-expansion.html|access-date=2021-05-04|website=PublishersWeekly.com|language=en}}</ref>
In 2016, Storytel acquired Norstedts förlag, one of Sweden's largest book publishers, and Mofibo, a Danish book service.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/storytel-expansion-idUSL5N1H10ZF|title=Sweden's Storytel to enter four new markets|newspaper=Reuters|date=March 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Storytel køber bogtjenesten Mofibo {{!}} Mofibo|url=https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/storytel-kober-bogtjenesten-mofibo?publisherId=6074657&releaseId=6074671|access-date=2021-10-13|website=via.ritzau.dk|language=da}}</ref> The following year, Storytel acquired People's Press, another Danish publisher, and expanded its operations to Russia, Spain, India, and the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-02|title=Storytel opkøber forlaget People's Press|url=https://mediawatch.dk/Medienyt/Boeger/article9402318.ece|access-date=2021-10-13|website=mediawatch.dk|language=da}}</ref>
In 2018, Storytel acquired Seslenen Kitaplar, a Turkish audiobook service.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-28 |title=Türkiye, 19 ülke içinde en hızlı büyüyen oldu |url=https://www.ekonomist.com.tr/girisim-kobi/turkiye-19-ulke-icinde-en-hizli-buyuyen-oldu.html |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Ekonomist |language=tr}}</ref> A year later, in 2019, it acquired Gummerus, Finland's oldest publishing house.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000006241813.html |title=Kirjojen suoratoistopalvelu Storytel ostaa Suomen kolmanneksi suurimman kustantamon Gummeruksen |website=Helsingin Sanomat |date=2019-09-17 |access-date=2023-01-04 }}</ref>
In July 2020, Storytel acquired a 70 percent stake in Forlagið, an Icelandic publishing house.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icelandreview.com/business/storytel-purchases-majority-share-in-forlagid-icelands-largest-publisher/|title=Storytel Purchases Majority Share in Forlagið, Iceland's Largest Publisher|date=July 3, 2020}}</ref>
In November 2021, Storytel acquired Audiobooks.com from RBMedia for $135 million.<ref name="abc2021">{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/storytel-extends-global-reach-audiobookcom-acquisition-1289297 |title=Storytel extends into English language market with $135m Audiobooks deal |work=The Bookseller |author=Ruth Comerford |date=November 13, 2021 |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/rbmedia-launches-and-buys-audiobookscom-become-worlds-biggest-audio-publisher-534761 |title=Newly formed RBmedia buys Audiobooks.com |work=The Bookseller |author=Heloise Wood |date=April 11, 2017 |accessdate=October 22, 2017}}</ref>
In February 2022, Jonas Tellander stepped down as the CEO for personal reasons and joined the board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jonas Tellander to step down as Storytel CEO – search process for a new CEO initiated|url=https://investors.storytel.com/en/jonas-tellander-to-step-down-as-storytel-ceo-search-process-for-a-new-ceo-initiated|access-date=2022-02-18|website=Storytel|date=17 February 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> In August 2022, Johannes Larcher, formerly an executive at HBO, was appointed as CEO.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/90204-sweden-s-storytel-appoints-hbo-exec-as-ceo.html | title=Sweden's Storytel Appoints HBO Exec as CEO }}</ref> In July 2024 it was announced that Bodil Eriksson Torp is appointed new CEO of Storytel Group.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.storytelgroup.com/en/bodil-ericsson-torp-appointed-new-ceo-of-storytel-group/ | title=Bodil Ericsson Torp appointed new CEO of Storytel Group | date=23 July 2024 }}</ref>
=== Controversies === Storytel has been investigated for anti-competitive practices in Turkey, Iceland and other countries.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ivarsson | first=Torbjörn | title=Isländska konkurrensverket granskar Storytel | website=DN.se | date=2025-08-21 | url=https://www.dn.se/direkt/2025-08-21/islandska-konkurrensverket-granskar-storytel/ | language=sv | access-date=2025-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Mark | title=Turkey's Competition Authority is investigating Storytel | website=The New Publishing Standard | date=2023-08-04 | url=https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2023/08/04/turkeys-competition-authority-is-investigating-storytel/ | access-date=2025-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Mark | title=Storytel’s royalty model “rigged and manipulated.” Storm brews over Storytel’s privileged agreement with Bonnier | website=The New Publishing Standard | date=2018-09-11 | url=https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2018/09/11/storytels-royalty-model-rigged-manipulated-storm-brews-storytels-privileged-agreement-bonnier/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250821102411/https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2018/09/11/storytels-royalty-model-rigged-manipulated-storm-brews-storytels-privileged-agreement-bonnier/ | archive-date=2025-08-21 | url-status=live | access-date=2025-08-21}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.storytel.com/ Storytel] *[https://audiobooks.com Audiobooks.com]
Category:Audiobook companies and organizations Category:Subscription services Category:Swedish companies established in 2006 Category:Internet properties established in 2006 Category:2006 establishments in Sweden Category:Companies based in Stockholm Category:Companies listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Category:TvOS software