A Press Release From OverDrive about RBmedia

Here is part of a press release from OverDrive, explaining that OD “will acquire RBmedia’s digital library business, specifically the RBdigital platform in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.”

RF noted that this was a possible outcome when the KKR buy out was first announced. RF withholds comment until we see the implementation and any changes that may occur with this event. Integrating platforms seems like a good idea, but competetion is never a bad thing for controlling costs.

Many of you know that KKR also owns RBmedia, a digital publishing business which includes Recorded Books and the RBdigital lending platform . . . .

Many libraries have told us that they would benefit from having Recorded Books and RBmedia content broadly available on the OverDrive platform and would welcome a reduction in the effort required to manage collection development and patron support on their digital platforms. With these goals in mind, OverDrive will acquire RBmedia’s digital library business, specifically the RBdigital platform in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.

This means that over the coming months, all RBdigital library customers and RBdigital app users will be migrated to the OverDrive platform and Libby. We expect that the OverDrive platform will be enhanced with content that was unique to the RBdigital platform, including new Recorded Books audiobook releases, and we will be exploring additional content relationships such as digital magazines from ZINIO. After the customer and patron migration is complete, the RBdigital platform will be discontinued.

There will be no change to RBmedia’s market-leading publishing businesses which will continue to supply their titles to libraries and direct-to-consumer services worldwide. These brands include Recorded Books, Tantor Media, HighBridge, Kalorama Audio, ChristianAudio, Gildan Media, GraphicAudio, W.F. Howes in the United Kingdom, and Wavesound in Australia.

What this means to you

• If you are a customer of RBdigital, we are committed to keeping you well informed as we prepare to make this transition and as we continue to serve your patrons during this transition. Once the migration is complete, we will provide the same high quality experience and service now complemented with the new collections of titles from the RBdigital catalog. We will provide more details, including FAQs, as we get closer to the date of the initial migrations.

• If your library is not a customer of RBdigital, there will be no change to your OverDrive service. Once we make updates to OverDrive Marketplace, you will be alerted to the new collections of RBmedia content available for your collection on the OverDrive platform. What’s next To librarians offering your readers the RBdigital service, you will receive details about the planned migration in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your OverDrive Account Manager or drop me a note.

Steve Potash
Founder and CEO