Exclusive Narration of “Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal” Helps Launch Audible España

AUDIBLE BRINGS SPANISH AUDIENCE THE MAGIC OF AUDIO
ENTERTAINMENT WITH A CATALOGUE OF OVER 100,000 AUDIOBOOKS AND
ORIGINAL PODCASTS

Audible, an Amazon company, now offers a dedicated Spanish service with the largest Spanish [a]udiobook catalogue, performances by leading actors, and an unlimited selection of exclusive [o]riginal [p]odcasts, all for only €9.99 per month.

Audible’s exclusive Spanish audiobooks include celebrity narrations by José Coronado, Leonor Watling, Michelle Jenner, Juan Echanove, José María Pou, Maribel Verdú and Miguel Bernadeau [sic], as well as exclusive podcasts starring Alaska, Mario Vaquerizo, Najwa Nimri, Maggie Civantos, Mona León, Ramón Langa, Elsa Punset, Emilio Aragón, Ana Pastor, Rubén Amón and David Jiménez.

Grupo Planeta and Audible sign audiobook co-production agreement including exclusive titles by Miguel Delibes, Megan Maxwell [and] Eduardo Mendoza and the complete audio series of [D]etective Carvalho by Vázquez Montalbán and hundreds more.

Berlin, October 1, 2020 – Audible, an Amazon company and the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, today introduced a new service created exclusively for a Spanish audience (Audible.ES). Starting today, Spanish customers can access an unlimited catalogue of more than 90,000 audiobooks and Spanish-language podcasts for only €9.99 per month, as well as purchase any of an additional 10,000 titles for a deeply discounted price of €9.99 each. Moreover, Audible offers a free trial period of 30 days for new users, which they can cancel at any time.

The Audible catalogue offers an exceptional variety of content in terms of genres and formats, produced with, written by, and starring some of the most prominent creators in Spain. At launch, Audible offers unlimited listening to a catalogue of more than 90,000 titles, which includes more than 6,700 premium audiobooks and podcasts in Castilian and [n]eutral Spanish, including many Audible Originals created specifically for the Spanish audience. The service also offers titles in Catalan, [Basque] and Galician—with more titles being added to the service continuously. Members also have all-you-can-listen access to thousands of titles from Audible’s global catalogue, which contains extraordinary audio experiences in English, German, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Some Audible[-e]xclusive highlights include the complete ‘Harry Potter’ saga narrated by Leonor Watling; ‘Sherlock Holmes’ with José Coronado; ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with Michelle Jenner; ‘Heart of Darkness’ with Juan Echanove; ‘Moby Dick’ with José María Pou; ‘Emma’ [with] Maribel Verdú; ‘Alliance of Stars’ with Adriana Ugarte and ‘The Hunger Games’ with Miguel Bernadeau [sic]. Other popular titles available on the unlimited service include ‘Los Futbolísimos,['] ‘The Girl on the Train,’ ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ ([a] Hunger Games novel), ‘The Invisible Guardian’ by Dolores Redondo, ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery, ‘York Ham Does Not Exist’ by Marian García, ‘Life Lived Meaningfully’ by Victor Kuppers and ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman.

Audible also offers members unlimited listening to its catalog of Audible Original Podcasts, including Alaska’s interview series ‘Gen DRO’; the first Mario Vaquerizo [p]odcast with ‘La Historia con Mario’; the premiere of ‘Vis a Vis’ audio series with Najwa Nimri and Maggie Civantos; the terror audio series ‘Hablas Miedo’ by Mona León; the audio comedy ‘La que se avecina’; the documentary series ‘El Desafío’ with the story of ETA narrated by Ramón Langa; the self-care podcast by Elsa Punset “Pequeñas revoluciones”; Emilio Aragón’s audio debut with the children’s series ‘El desván de Miliki’; ‘El Móvil de Mendes’ narrated by Olga Viza; a weekly podcast from Marca; children's titles by Viacom including Paw Patrol and SpongeBob SquarePants; a science and technology podcast called ‘Laife’, produced by Animal Maker; [n]ews podcasts by Ana Pastor and Newtral -‘Quién dice qué’; in-depth political analysis with Rubén Amón; interviews by David Jimenez in “Conversaciones con El Director”; and a leading English-language learning course by Vaughan.

To offer customers more exclusive content, Audible and Grupo Planeta are working together to produce hundreds of audiobooks under the label Audible Studios, including the complete saga of [D]etective Carvalho de Vázquez Montalván [sic], classics by Miguel Delibes to commemorate his 100th birthday, and best sellers from authors like Megan Maxwell, Leonardo Padura, Eduardo Mendoza and J.J. Benitez. Audible.ES members also have exclusive access to the complete catalogue of over 500 audiobooks that have been produced by Grupo Planeta. Audible has also entered into strategic content creation and distribution deals with publishers RBA, Anagrama, Roca Editorial, Edebe, Susaeta, La Esfera de los Libros, Almuzara, Duomo, Plataforma Editorial, Mueve tu lengua, Pottermore and Harper Collins, amongst other [sic], as well as with literary agencies such as Carmen Balcells, Pontas, Antonia Kerrigan, Casanovas & Lynch, MBA, IMC or Silvia Bastos.

Spanish listeners can also take advantage of special customer benefits and content offerings Audible has made in agreement with leading Spanish companies and institutions, including Guía Repsol, ISDI, Club Vanguardia, International Student Card ISIC, Air Europa, Immfly, Iberia Airlines, IE University and Panasonic.

Beyond the unlimited catalogue, the Audible service also offers Spanish customers the ability to purchase and download additional bestsellers from an extended catalogue for a steep discount of just €9.99 per title. For more details on these titles, please visit www.Audible.ES.

Audible is also available for Alexa. As of today, users will be able to ask Alexa to read them one of 6,700 audiobooks available in the catalogue in Spanish. Additionally, by the end of 2020, users will be able to start their free trial period directly through their Alexa device.

"I visited Spain for the first time as [a] young journalist and was immediately struck by its extraordinary culture and diversity,” commented Don Katz, the founder of Audible. “It is a thrill to be able to announce our dedicated service for Spain, with an audio content catalogue filled with creative output from incredible local talent. I am proud of our collaboration with the Spanish creative community to bring an enriching experience that millions of people around the world have made an integral part of their everyday life to Spanish listeners—whether they are looking for an audiobook or an original podcast,” added Katz.

“Listening is a lifestyle, and we are delighted to present Audible to Spain today. Audible has helped to bring the transformative experience of listening to artfully performed stories to millions of consumers around the world, also helping to create a new category of media and artful expression for artists and creators along the way. The dedicated service at Audible.ES offers an audio experience specifically designed for the Spanish audience, developed in close collaboration with the local creative class”, commented Nils Rauterberg, Audible’s Managing Director for Europe.

“Spain is a country of audio: our culture and our history have always been linked to audio. That is why we are betting strongly on the audio entertainment category, which is the one that has grown the most in media over the last years”, explained Juan Baixeras, Audible Spain’s Country Manager. “Apart from the most complete catalogue of audiobooks, in cooperation with the main Spanish publishers, we are launching a comprehensive podcast offer, where we innovate in both formats and topics. We will continue to work with the best Spanish voices and creators, to continue to grow our Audible.ES catalog, listening to what our customers want and delivering a best[-]in[-]class content and audio experience”.

Audible offers premium audio storytelling to anyone who is looking to be thoughtfully entertained, educated, or inspired by listening to a thriller, a great story, or an illuminating non-fiction book, performed by the best voices on the planet – all while exercising, commuting, gardening, cleaning, or just relaxing at home before bed. The Audible offering brings all the magic of contemporary audio entertainment to Spain, with exclusive content by the most prominent national and international creators, including renowned actors, authors, screenwriters, artists, producers, TV channels, music labels and broadcasters.

Audible Originals and audiobooks at a glance

The formats that Audible offers users and creators are numerous, ranging from its Audible Original podcasts focusing on many different topics of interest to audiobooks in all genres featuring strong and moving celebrity narrations and even new fiction series that continue renowned television sagas.

Audible Originals

La que se [a]vecina is an Audible Original that continues the famous humor television series with its original cast. Amador, Antonio, Berta, Fermín, and the rest of the Montepinar community continue their crazy stories to the delight of their fans, now in audio format.

Vis a Vis: la cara B, starring Nawja [sic] Nimri and Maggie Civantos, is a spin-off of the famous women’s prison thriller television series. Zulema and Macarena return to Cruz del Sur to participate alongside other inmates in a reintegration program. But nothing is what seems to the naked eye, and soon both recluses are again involved in a crime they deny.

Gen-DRO is a musical documentary that evolves around "La Movida Madrileña" and encompasses legendary bands whose songs are considered classics today. Each episode of this Audible Original, hosted by Alaska, will tell what happened behind the scenes in the creation of an iconic album of that time.

El [d]esafío, starring Ramon Langa, is an Original based on APV’s production “El [d]esafío”, a superb documentary that reviews the history of ETA from the end of Franco’s dictatorship to today, enriched by many different testimonies from police, politicians (including 4 ex-[p]residents), journalists, victims and ex-terrorists.

La [h]istoria con Mario is the Audible Original where Mario Vaquerizo debuts as a [h]high [s]chool history professor. This journalist, writer, singer, actor, manager and TV celebrity takes risks with everything, and this podcast is the proof of Mario’s great ability to transmit knowledge while having fun.

Las entrevistas del Director gathers a series of in-depth interviews starring the renowned journalist David Jiménez. In each episode, David puts key characters of politics, business, science, sport or culture in front of the microphone.

Pequeñas [r]evoluciones para [c]recer. This personal growth Audible Original is hosted by Elsa Punset, one of the main authorities in the Spanish-speaking world in the application of emotional intelligence as a tool for positive change. Elsa dedicates each chapter to a deep exploration of a small change that can revolutionize a life.

Hablas [m]iedo. It’s the new season of "Negra y [c]riminal", one of the most artistic and listened[-]to podcasts in Spain today. Its author, Mona Leon [sic], gives a distinctive stamp to this fictionalized true crime (based on national and international crimes) that will move anyone.

Quién [d]ice [q]ué is a current affairs daily Audible Original focused on [M]illennials. [From] the hand of Newtral (Ana Pastor), the show will be created and hosted by [M]illennials from Ana’s team. The format escapes from the classic sections of the media and focuses on topics of interest to [M]illennials and in a shorter, more streamlined format to explain the news.

El [m]óvil de Méndes, conducted by Olga Viza, is a documentary about the life of the most influential football agent in the world, Jorge Mendes. This original delves into the secrets of the world of football, the excesses, the whims of some young people treated as gods and the excessive ambitions of those in charge of the business.

El Desván de Miliki is a daily Audible Original that recovers the lineage of the [director] Emilio Aragon’s [sic] family with fresh and new content that aims to connect with today’s children. Tales, songs and family characters that will evolve around values such as: [sic] empathy, accepting diversity, ecology, feelings, integration, etc.

Mala [b]roma. This Audible Original is a theater audio adaptation by notorious playwright Jordi Casanovas, starring Cristina Castaño, Miquel Fernández and Alain Hernandez. Two friends play a joke on the girlfriend of one of them—a really bad joke that opens the debate of what isn't considered funny anymore.

Un [m]undo en [m]ovimiento is an Audible Original podcast that explains short stories to understand global migrations. The planet is made of migrations: to understand the world today, it is essential to know why people cross borders, why they move.

No te lo vas a creer is an Audible Original by Phil Beta Lambda, the company led by Antonio Castelo that gives voice to the new stand-up comedy talent in Madrid. This humor format evolves around incredible real stories that the hosts have experienced, and in each episode, they’ll feature a “special guest” who will also share with the audience an incredible but real experience.

Entre paréntesis, hosted by the editorial industry journalist specialists Samuel Alonso Omeñaca and Aloma Rodriguez, is an Audible Original that aims to keep our audience up to date with all literary news: new releases of books, audiobooks, big themes in literature, interviews with top authors, editors, reviews of fairs, trends, and more.

Redacción Marca, hosted by Pablo Juanarena, is an Audible Original made by Marca’s journalists, the leading sports media in the country. Marca journalists and analysts will delve into the world of sport beyond daily noise and big headlines, with the effervescent sound of a newsroom that is awake 24 hours a day and every day of the year.

Sesión de [c]ontrol is an authorial Audible Original conducted by Rubén Amón. In each episode, the prestigious Spanish journalist, who has collaborated with various national and international media, will analyze in[-]depth different aspects of the political situation in the country.

X-Files is an Audible Original composed of two complete new seasons of the legendary television series, one of the most awarded in history. FBI agents Scully and Mulder continue investigating paranormal phenomena, UFO sightings, [and] strange creatures, now in audio format, with its original Spanish voice actors.

Alien will now have two sequels thanks to the new Audible Original that continues this renowned but still terrifying science fiction story.

Duerme profundamente is a local adaptation of one of the most listened[-to] Audible Originals in Germany last year (Deep Sleep), which aims to helps [sic] listeners to better their sleep.

El secuestro de Agatha Christie is the adaptation of the successful Italian Audible Original about the unknown story of the 11 days in which Agatha Christie was kidnapped back in the 1920s.

The Spanish public can also take the chance to learn English while having fun with the new Audible Original “This [P]odcast [i]s the Milk”. This Audible Original, produced in collaboration with Vaughan, is hosted by the authors of “This [B]book [I]s the [M]ilk”: Alberto Alonso and Damián Mollá.

Audiobooks - Celebrity narrations

- The Harry Potter series will be narrated by Leonor Watling, going through all the adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione [that] have influenced generations.
- Alice in Wonderland will be read by the renowned Spanish actress Michelle Jenner, showing a different way to enjoy the classic by Lewis Carroll.
- Star of Alliance, co-created by Stan Lee of the Marvel Universe, [will be] narrated by Ursula Corberó.
- Katniss Everdeen’s adventures in [the] Hunger Games saga will now be enjoyed as a new experience when listening to Miguel Bernadeau’s [sic] narration.
- Twelve of Arthur Conan Doyle’s favorite Sherlock Holmes stories will be available and told by the famous José Coronado.
- The novel published in 1925 The Great Gatsby will now offer a complete [sic] different experience thanks to the new exclusive audiobook version starring José Coronado.
- The Notebook, the classic love story that has reeled in millions of readers worldwide, is a classic romance novel that can now be enjoyed in the new exclusive version narrated by Ramón Langa.
- Moby Dick narrated by Jose María Pou will offer a completely different way to approach this loved and everlasting classic.
- Emma, the classic comedy novel by Jane Austen [that] is considered a masterpiece of the 19th century, will be narrated by Maribel Verdú.
- Descenso a Ruanda will be narrated by its author, the renowned journalist Nacho Carretero.
- One of Spain’s favourite actors, Juan Echanove, will show a completely different artistic phase during in his narration of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
- Javier Ruescas will be the narrator of his own book En Delos [n]o [p]uedes [m]orir.