New Books Network

What New Books Network does

New Books Network (NBN) is a podcast network founded in 2008 that operates as a consortium of author-interview podcast channels organized across more than 60 academic and cultural categories. The company produces interview-format episodes in which volunteer academic hosts discuss newly published scholarly and trade books with their authors. NBN runs two parallel language networks: an English-language platform at newbooksnetwork.com and a Spanish-language sub-brand, NBN en Español, serving Latin American and Spanish-speaking audiences. The company also operates NBN High School, an educational initiative developed in association with the National Capstone Consortium that adapts scholarly content for high school students and teachers.

The underlying technology is a standard podcast hosting and distribution platform with a categorized website content management system. Content is distributed via RSS feeds, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and the NBN website, with email newsletters delivered through Substack and premium ad-free versions available on select channels through SupportingCast.fm. The network has built partnerships with more than 30 university presses—including Oxford, Princeton, Cambridge, MIT, Harvard, University of California, University of Chicago, UNC, Georgetown, and Rutgers—each maintaining dedicated podcast channels on the platform. NBN is a small organization (1-10 employees) headquartered in Northampton, United States, and relies heavily on volunteer academic hosts to sustain content production.

NBN generates revenue from three streams: recurring Patreon memberships/donations, affiliate commissions from book sales referred through Bookshop.org links on episode pages, and limited advertising or premium ad-free subscriptions via SupportingCast.fm. The go-to-market motion is community-led, growing organically through academic networks, university press partnerships, and word-of-mouth within scholarly communities. The organization frames its mission as "public education," and its primary customer segments are academics, graduate students, educators, intellectually curious general listeners, and Spanish-speaking audiences seeking scholarly book content.

Name

New Books Network

Legal name

The New Books Network

Website

https://newbooksnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Books Network is a podcast network founded in 2008 that produces author-interview content across 60+ academic categories in English and Spanish, partnering with 30+ university presses to deliver free scholarly book discussions to students, educators, and curious readers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Podcast Network

NAICS

Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

Keywords

• Podcast network
• Author interviews
• Academic books
• Scholarly podcasts
• Educational audio

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Patreon Membership/Donations: NBN generates revenue through Patreon platform where supporters become members. The network offers both English (NBN) and Spanish (NBN en Español) Patreon pages. Members receive exclusive benefits and support public education mission.
2. Book sales referral: NBN drives book purchases through affiliate links to Bookshop.org, earning commissions on referred sales. Featured books from Oxford University Press and Princeton University Press are prominently displayed on the homepage.
3. Advertising/Sponsorship: The network offers advertising opportunities and premium ad-free subscription tiers through SupportingCast.fm for certain channels like Environmental Studies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New Books Network operates a podcast network that produces and distributes author-interview episodes covering newly published academic and scholarly books. Content is organized across six main categories (Arts & Letters, History, Peoples & Places, Politics & Society, Religion & Faith, Science & Technology) with 60+ subcategories, supplemented by university press partner channels, special series, and a Spanish-language network (NBN en Español). Episodes are delivered free to listeners via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, RSS, and the NBN website, with revenue generated through Patreon memberships, advertising/sponsorships, and Bookshop.org affiliate commissions.

Product overview

New Books Network operates a podcast network that connects authors of new academic books with audiences through interview-format episodes. The core offering consists of the NBN Podcast Platform (English) and NBN en Español (Spanish), supplemented by specialized channels such as NBN High School and topic-specific series. Content is organized into six main categories (Arts & Letters, History, Peoples & Places, Politics & Society, Religion & Faith, Science & Technology), with Science & Technology further divided into sub-channels for AI, Biology, Environmental Studies, History of Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Neuroscience, Physics, Public Health, Science, Technology, and Systems/Cybernetics. The network partners with over 40 university presses to produce branded podcast content, and offers special curated series like NBN Seminar and New Books with Miranda Melcher.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Books Network en Español (NBNes): Spanish-language version of the New Books Network podcast platform

Products and services

• New Books Network (NBN) Podcast Platform A free podcast network featuring interviews with authors of new academic books, organized by topic categories including Arts & Letters, History, Peoples & Places, Politics & Society, Religion & Faith, and Science & Technology, and distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, RSS, and the NBN website.
• NBN en Español (NBNes) Spanish-language version of the New Books Network featuring interviews with authors and podcast series covering topics in Latin American studies, cultures, politics, and sciences, distributed via a dedicated Patreon page, Substack newsletter, and podcast channels.
• NBN High School Educational initiative that connects scholars with curious high school students, supporting teachers in bringing scholarly texts into classrooms through student-facilitated interviews. Operates in association with the National Capstone Consortium.
• Science & Technology Podcast Channels Topic-specific podcast channels covering STEM disciplines, including Artificial Intelligence, Biology and Evolution, Environmental Studies, History of Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Neuroscience, Physics and Chemistry, Public Health, Science, Technology, and Systems and Cybernetics. Select channels such as Environmental Studies offer a premium ad-free tier via SupportingCast.fm.
• University Press Partner Podcasts Branded podcast series produced in partnership with university presses including MIT Press, Princeton University Press, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, University of Chicago Press, Oxford University Press, UC Press, UNC Press, and 30+ other academic publishers, featuring dedicated channels such as 'In Conversation: An OUP Podcast', 'Princeton UP Ideas Podcast', 'MIT Press Podcast', and 'Beyond the Margins: The University of California Press Podcast'.
• NBN Special Series (NBN Seminar, Big Ideas, Cover Story, On the Cusp, New Books with Miranda Melcher) Themed curated podcast series including NBN Seminar (in-depth academic discussions and seminar-style conversations), Big Ideas, Cover Story, On the Cusp: Between Strategy and Ethics, and New Books with Miranda Melcher, offering long-form and topical deep dives across scholarly subjects.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oxford University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor university press partner with dedicated podcast channel 'In Conversation: An OUP Podcast' on NBN. Oxford UP books are prominently featured on NBN homepage, and the press maintains active presence across NBN's content categories.
• Princeton University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier university press partner with dedicated podcast channel 'Princeton UP Ideas Podcast'. Princeton UP books receive prominent placement on NBN homepage across featured book sections.
• Cambridge University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner press with dedicated podcast channel 'Exchanges: A Cambridge UP Podcast'. Cambridge UP titles featured in dedicated homepage book sections.
• MIT PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity press partner with dedicated 'MIT Press Podcast' channel on NBN. Featured in MIT Press Books homepage section.
• Harvard University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity press partner with dedicated podcast presence. Harvard UP books featured in homepage book showcase sections.
• University of California PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor university press partner with dedicated 'Beyond the Margins: The University of California Press Podcast' channel. Also offers 'Periodically: A UC Press Journals Podcast' through the network.
• University of Chicago PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity press partner with dedicated 'The University of Chicago Press Podcast' channel on NBN.
• UNC Press (University of North Carolina Press)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity press partner with dedicated 'UNC Press Presents Podcast' channel. Featured in dedicated homepage book section.
• Georgetown University PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity press partner with dedicated 'Georgetown University Press Podcast' channel on NBN.
• H-NetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic humanities network providing organizational support to NBN. Mentioned in site navigation as a support destination, indicating close organizational relationship.
• National Capstone ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting NBN High School initiative, connecting scholars with high school students through the National Capstone Consortium.
• Academic Life (Podcast)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic podcast partner show featured on NBN homepage under hosted podcasts, representing collaborative content relationship.
• Asian Review of BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner podcast/channel featured on NBN homepage under hosted podcasts section.
• Ideas Roadshow PodcastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner podcast featured in NBN hosted podcasts section.
• Bookshop.orgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate retail partner for book sales. NBN earns referral commissions on books purchased through Bookshop.org links featured on episode pages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Maximum Fun: Maximum Fun is an independent podcast network operating multiple shows across various topics including literature and culture. While broader than NBN's scholarly focus, its multi-show network model and reliance on member/subscription support mirrors NBN's structural approach.
• Publishers Weekly: Publishers Weekly is the trade publication of the U.S. book industry and produces podcasts covering new book releases and the publishing business. As an established industry incumbent, it overlaps with NBN's book-discovery and author-interview footprint across trade and academic publishing.
• London Review of Books: The London Review of Books operates a podcast featuring in-depth author interviews and literary discussion. It serves scholarly and literary audiences comparable to NBN's, with an established editorial brand similar in role to NBN's university press partnerships.
• New York Review of Books: The New York Review of Books is an established literary review publication with a long-form podcast series featuring authors and intellectuals. It is a broader incumbent in scholarly book review and discussion, comparable to NBN's author-interview content.

Direct peers

• Literary Hub: Literary Hub (LitHub) is a major literary website publishing excerpts, reviews, and author interviews along with its own podcast series. It serves overlapping audiences interested in new books and literary conversation, with a content-led model comparable to NBN's interview-first approach.
• The Millions: The Millions is a long-running literary website featuring essays on books and authors and operating author-interview podcasts. It overlaps with NBN's community of literary conversation around new titles across academic and trade publishing.
• BookRiot: BookRiot is a leading digital media brand covering books, reading, and literary culture with its own podcast lineup including "All the Books" and "Bookish". It directly overlaps with NBN's book-discovery and author-interview podcast model, targeting similar readers and consumer audiences.
• Los Angeles Review of Books: LARB is an academic-leaning literary review publishing essays and producing podcast content including author interviews. Its focus on scholarly and literary book discussion places it in the same niche as NBN's university press partner channels.
• H-Net: H-Net is an academic humanities network that supports online communities and publications across disciplines. It is both a partner and a peer to NBN given its overlapping mission around academic discourse and scholarly communication.
• Next Big Idea Club: Next Big Idea Club curates non-fiction book recommendations through a podcast and newsletter format led by author interviews. It is directly comparable to NBN's interview-driven podcast model focused on new book ideas and intellectual content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCD7tzi9xTDAu1O2CIrKBzvA
• Xx.com/newbooksnetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewBooksNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-books-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Books Network