Fabel Lyd AS

What Fabel Lyd AS does

Fabel Lyd AS operates Fabel, a Norway-only audiobook streaming service headquartered in Oslo. Founded in 1987, the company runs a mobile-first platform on iOS and Android that delivers streaming and offline playback of thousands of Norwegian-language audiobooks. Its catalog spans fiction, crime/thriller, non-fiction, children's, and young adult titles, with content sourced from content partnerships with Norway's five largest publishers — Gyldendal, Kagge, Bonnier, Cappelen Damm, and Aschehoug — and includes exclusive titles unavailable on other platforms (notably Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole series).

The core product is a subscription-based streaming platform with three tiers: Standard (199 kr/month, 100 hours, one listener), Duo (249 kr/month, two simultaneous listeners), and Family (349 kr/month, three simultaneous listeners). A 30-day free trial and cancel-anytime monthly billing underpin a self-serve, product-led growth motion. The service also sells individual audiobooks at 199–449 kr per title as a secondary monetization stream. A dedicated children's safe mode ("Barnevennlig Univers") provides a curated, age-appropriate environment within the app, and offline download capability is a core feature. Distribution is exclusively digital via the App Store, Google Play, and the company's website, with marketing concentrated on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The company serves Norwegian individual consumers and families seeking Norwegian-language audiobook content, with particular focus on domestic authors and exclusive titles. With 21 employees and no disclosed funding, M&A, or leadership changes, Fabel operates as a lean, privately held Norwegian limited company (aksjeselskap). Its commercial model is straightforward: acquire subscribers through digital channels and a discount-led acquisition campaign, monetize through recurring subscriptions, and differentiate via exclusive content and a family-friendly product experience.

Name

Fabel Lyd AS

Legal name

Fabel Lyd AS

Website

https://fabel.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fabel Lyd AS operates Fabel, a Norway-only audiobook streaming service for Norwegian consumers and families. It runs a mobile-first subscription platform (iOS/Android) with thousands of titles, exclusive content from major Norwegian publishers, offline listening, and a dedicated children's mode.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audiobook Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer) (MPAJAIAD)

Keywords

• Audiobook streaming
• Digital audiobook platform
• Subscription audiobooks
• Norwegian audiobook service
• Mobile audiobook app

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Monthly subscription tiers (Standard, Duo, Family) providing access to thousands of audiobooks with different listening limits and number of simultaneous users. Currently offering 60% summer discount for first 2 months.
2. Individual Audiobook Sales: Single audiobook purchases at prices ranging from 199-449 kr per title, allowing non-subscribers to buy and own specific audiobooks

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fabel Lyd AS operates Fabel, a Norwegian audiobook streaming service that delivers thousands of audiobooks to consumers via mobile apps on iOS and Android. The service offers subscription tiers (Standard, Duo, Family) with varying listening hours and simultaneous users, plus individual audiobook purchases. The platform features exclusive content from Norwegian publishers, a child-safe mode, and offline listening capability.

Product overview

Fabel Lyd AS operates Fabel, Norway's audiobook streaming platform featuring a subscription-based model with three tiers (Standard, Duo, and Familie) offering varying numbers of simultaneous listeners and monthly listening hours. The product ecosystem includes a mobile app available on iOS and Android, a child-safe children's mode, and download capabilities for offline listening. The platform specializes in Norwegian and Nordic audiobooks with exclusive content not available on other streaming services, spanning genres including fiction, crime/thriller, non-fiction, children's books, and young adult content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fabel Audiobook Streaming Platform Norwegian audiobook streaming service providing access to thousands of audiobooks directly on mobile devices, featuring exclusive content from Norwegian publishers unavailable elsewhere. Targeted at individual adult listeners and families in Norway.
• Fabel Mobile App (iOS and Android) Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables users to stream audiobooks, download for offline listening, and access a child-safe children's mode. Distributed via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• Fabel Standard Subscription Individual subscription offering 100 hours of listening per month for one listener, with access to the full audiobook catalog. Campaign price: 80 kr/month for 2 months; regular price: 199 kr/month.
• Fabel Duo Subscription Subscription plan allowing two simultaneous listeners, enabling shared listening experiences with extended listening capacity. Campaign price: 100 kr/month for 2 months; regular price: 249 kr/month.
• Fabel Family Subscription Family subscription allowing three simultaneous listeners, designed for household sharing with access to the complete audiobook catalog. Campaign price: 140 kr/month for 2 months; regular price: 349 kr/month.
• Individual Audiobook Purchase Single audiobook purchases at prices ranging from 199 kr to 449 kr per title, allowing non-subscribers to buy and own specific audiobooks without a subscription.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gyldendal Norsk Forlag AScoreOthersMajor Norwegian publisher providing audiobook content to Fabel's catalog, including titles by Joan Didion and Abdulrazak Gurnah.
• Kagge Forlag AScoreOthersNorwegian publishing house supplying audiobook titles to Fabel, including crime and thriller genres.
• Bonnier Norsk Forlag AScoreOthersMajor Nordic publishing group providing content including titles by Jørn Lier Horst.
• Cappelen Damm AScoreOthersNorwegian publishing house supplying audiobook content including David Baldacci titles.
• Aschehoug AScoreOthersNorwegian publishing house providing audiobook titles to Fabel's catalog.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Scribd: Scribd offers an unlimited subscription service including audiobooks and ebooks, accessible in Norway via mobile apps. It is an emerging global competitor to Fabel, differentiated by its combined book/audiobook/podcast subscription model.
• Podimo: Podimo is a Nordic-origin podcast and audiobook subscription platform expanding across Europe. It overlaps with Fabel in the audiobook subscription category and competes for Norwegian listeners seeking mobile-first audio content subscriptions.
• Bookmate: Bookmate is a digital subscription reading and listening platform with a presence in Europe. It competes with Fabel in the ebook/audiobook subscription category with shared family plans and offline reading.

Broad incumbents

• Apple Books: Apple Books is Apple's built-in ebook and audiobook store on iOS devices. It competes broadly with Fabel for Norwegian audiobook consumers via a la carte purchases and bundled listening within the Apple ecosystem.
• Spotify: Spotify is a global audio streaming leader that has expanded into audiobooks (including in Norway). It is a broad incumbent competing for Norwegian listening time and wallet share with bundled audiobook offerings rather than a dedicated audiobook subscription.

Direct peers

• Storytel: Storytel is a leading Nordic audiobook and ebook streaming service operating across Scandinavia and Europe with subscription tiers. It is a direct competitor to Fabel in the Norwegian audiobook streaming market, with overlapping content, similar business model, and broader geographic reach.
• Nextory: Nextory is a Swedish audiobook and ebook streaming subscription service active in Norway and other Nordic/European markets. It competes directly with Fabel on subscription tiers, mobile-first delivery, and shared family listening features.
• BookBeat: BookBeat is a Nordic audiobook streaming service operated by Bonnier, one of Fabel's key content partners. It competes in Norway with subscription audiobook streaming and operates across the Nordics, making it both a direct competitor and a notable partner/vertical-integration risk.
• Audible: Audible is Amazon's audiobook subscription and a la carte service, available in Norway. It is a direct global competitor to Fabel in the Norwegian market, offering an extensive English and international catalog plus subscription credits, often bundled with Amazon Prime.

Others

• Gyldendal Lyd og Bilde: Gyldendal is one of Norway's largest publishers and a content partner to Fabel, but also sells and distributes audiobooks directly to Norwegian consumers through its own retail channels. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant that could become a more direct competitor if it vertically integrates its own streaming service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fabel.lydbok
• Instagraminstagram.com/fabel.no
• TikToktiktok.com/@fabel.no
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fabellyd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fabel Lyd AS