narrative

What narrative does

Narrative is a Paris-based audiovisual and sound production company founded in 2008 by Laurence Bagot and Cécile Cros, operating with a small core team of 6 employees from its headquarters at 97 rue d'Aboukir, 75002 Paris. The company specializes in documentaries, immersive audio experiences, and interactive installations built around binaural and 3D spatialized sound technology, delivered through multiple channels: the proprietary narrativePod hardware device manufactured with RSF, immersive venue-based installations using Focal headphones, web series, and podcasts. Core products include Cher Futur Moi (a 145-episode documentary web series with international touring installation), immersive sound walks at heritage sites such as the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Abbaye de Saint-Savin, Abbaye de Pontigny, Musée Dobrée, and the MIR Space Station at Cité de l'espace, exhibition podcasts for the Château de Versailles, BnF, and Musées d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie, and the AI-enhanced L'Odyssée Sonore at the Théâtre Antique d'Orange (CES Las Vegas 2024 Innovation Honoree).

The company generates revenue through project-based commissions for cultural institutions (Château de Versailles, Musée d'Orsay, BnF, Grand Palais, Musée du Quai Branly, Paris-Musées), media companies (France Télévisions, TV5Monde), theaters (Théâtre Mogador, MC-93), and select enterprises (leboncoin), supported by public funding from the CNC, Institut Français, and Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah. Its sales-led go-to-market relies on direct institutional relationships, festival presence, and broadcast partnerships. Geographic reach spans France, its overseas territories, francophone Africa, Canada, Portugal, with international museum clients. The company holds no patents and has no disclosed external investment, operating as an independent producer with a content-plus-device stack anchored by 15+ years of specialized binaural sound production and a portfolio of industry-recognized documentary and transmedia work.

Name

narrative

Legal name

narrative

Website

https://narrative.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Narrative is a Paris-based production company founded in 2008 that creates binaural sound documentaries, immersive audio installations, and podcasts for French and international cultural institutions, museums, broadcasters, and heritage sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Audio-Visual Production Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADADAE

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYMPADADAI

Arts & Culture Documentaries

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYMPADADAB

Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

Keywords

• Immersive audio production
• Binaural sound documentaries
• Museum sound installations
• Cultural heritage mediation
• Audio-visual documentary production

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Documentary Production Services: Production of documentaries, sound projects, and interactive content for cultural institutions, media companies, museums, and enterprises on a project basis.
2. Heritage Mediation and Museum Installations: Design and production of immersive sound experiences, audio guides, and interactive installations for heritage sites and museums.
3. Podcast Production: Production of exhibition podcasts and audio content for cultural institutions like Château de Versailles and Musée d'Orsay.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

narrative is a Paris-based production company that designs and produces immersive audio-visual content for cultural institutions, museums, heritage sites, broadcasters, and select enterprises. Its core deliverables are binaural/3D sound experiences, exhibition podcasts, sound fiction series, documentary web series, and interactive installations, delivered either as on-site immersive visits (using its narrativePod hardware or headphones) or as podcasts and broadcast programming. The studio combines documentary storytelling with spatialized audio and interactive technologies to transform how audiences engage with cultural heritage.

Product overview

Narrative is a Paris-based production company founded in 2008, specializing in documentaries, immersive audio experiences, and interactive installations for new media. The company's portfolio operates as a platform-plus-products model centered on binaural and spatialized 3D audio (speech_and_audio capability), delivered through multiple channels: the narrativePod hardware device (a mini connected audio player auto-triggered by HF beacons), immersive venue-based installations, web series, and podcasts. Core products include Cher Futur Moi (a collaborative documentary web series with traveling video installations), immersive sound walks at heritage sites (Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Abbaye de Saint-Savin, Abbaye de Pontigny, Musée Dobrée, Cité de l'espace MIR), exhibition podcasts (Château de Versailles, BNF, Musées d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie, Voyage à Nantes), L'Odyssée Sonore (an AI-enhanced immersive experience at the Théâtre Antique d'Orange), sound fiction series, and transmedia documentary projects. The company works with cultural institutions, museums, theaters, NGOs, media companies, and enterprises across France and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• narrativePod A miniature connected audio player manufactured by RSF for narrative, designed to deliver immersive 3D binaural sound visits in museums and heritage sites. It auto-triggers via HF beacons, features binaural optimization, discreet design, intuitive interface, HD audio, robust build, and anti-theft protection. It is deployed as a companion device for narrative's heritage and museum tours.
• L'Odyssée Sonore An immersive nighttime 'parcours-spectacle' at the Théâtre Antique d'Orange using spatialized sound, geolocation, and AI technologies from Imki. Visitors wear Focal headphones and navigate a mythological narrative quest. Awarded 'Innovation Awards Honoree' at CES Las Vegas 2024.
• Cher Futur Moi A collaborative documentary web series by Irvin Anneix in which young people (15–25) speak face-to-camera to their future selves in 10 years. Produced as both a video installation (co-produced with MC-93 and the Biennale de la danse de Lyon) and a social media web series, spanning 8 seasons across France, Overseas France, Africa, Canada, and Portugal with 145+ episodes.
• Collection Voix d'O A podcast collection produced for the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie under a framework agreement renewed twice. Includes curator interviews, conversations with Collège de France professors, and conference podcasts.
• Visite immersive de l'Abbaye de Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe An immersive visit experience of the UNESCO World Heritage Abbey of Saint-Savin combining binaural audio (descriptions, sound effects, and music), motion design, and original scenarios filmed in 3D sound on location.
• Parcours sonores immersifs du Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte Immersive 3D sound visits of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte delivered in multiple languages (French, English, German), including the 'Affaire Fouquet' adult tour and the 'Fabuleuse Histoire de Vaux' family tour. Winner of the Prix spécial Geste d'Or-Heritech for best public-private heritage digitization partnership.
• Podcasts 3D pour leboncoin Two immersive 3D audio podcasts recounting the history of leboncoin's headquarters at 85-87 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin in Paris, covering its era as a department store for workers and its use as a detention camp during WWII.
• Souviens-toi de l'Apocalypse A 6-episode, 65-minute sound fiction produced for the BNF exhibition 'Apocalypse, Hier et demain', exploring apocalypse narratives from the Book of Revelation through to science fiction and pop culture (Mad Max, Interstellar, etc.).
• Podcasts pour le Château de Versailles Multiple podcast series produced for the Château de Versailles including 'Louis XV, le goût des sciences' (5 episodes on 18th-century science), 'Versailles dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale' (2 episodes on the Occupation), and a 2025 fiction podcast on the 1725 visit of Mississippian chiefs to Versailles. All co-produced with Nova Pista.
• Fous de Lune The first exhibition podcast of the Grand Palais: an immersive audio journey to the Moon in binaural sound, produced to accompany the 'Lune' exhibition.
• Ça s'est passé ici A geolocated webApp series that delivers immersive historical audio experiences tied to specific urban locations. Includes 'Les Parisiens racontent la Shoah' (Paris), developed with INA and the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah.
• Photo de Classe A multimedia documentary on school diversity in which a Paris CE2 class investigates their family origins. Includes a collaborative web platform, pedagogical kit, and touring exhibition. Won the Laurier de la Radio et Télévision (Multimedia, 2014) and Grand Prix du Jury at the Swiss Web Program Festival (2014).
• Expériences sonores 3D A collection of immersive 3D sound experiences for heritage sites, museums, and cultural institutions, including visits to the Musée Dobrée, Abbaye de Pontigny, Maison Pierre Loti, and the MIR Space Station at the Cité de l'espace, using binaural and spatialized audio with delivery platforms including the narrativePod.
• Transcendances A video podcast miniseries produced with Audible and CNC Talent, blending documentary and fiction, broadcast on KuB.
• Sentiers sonores – Réserve Internationale de Ciel Étoilé Alpes Azur Mercantour Three thematic sound walks at Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, Coursegoules, and Beuil for the RICE Alpes Azur Mercantour and Parc naturel régional des Préalpes d'Azur, blending natural ambiences, music, stories, and scientific content about nocturnal landscapes, biodiversity, and star observation.
• Génération MIR A retro-futurist immersive experience at the Cité de l'espace de Toulouse recreating the Russian MIR space station through spatialized audio fiction, visual projections of cosmonaut silhouettes, bilingual audio, and audiodescription in French, English, and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cher Futur Moi has engaged over 400 young Francophones across multiple seasons spanning France, overseas territories, Africa, Canada, and Portugal
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ImkicoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025AI technology partner for L'Odyssée Sonore Season 2, developing AI technologies for immersive geolocated sound experiences at the Ancient Theater of Orange.
• Cité de l'espace à ToulousemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Space museum partnership for MIR station immersive experience project, creating retrofuturist audio-visual experiences about Russian space station history.
• EdeismajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cultural operator of the Ancient Theater of Orange. Partner for L'Odyssée Sonore immersive nocturnal experience, a flagship innovation project featuring AI technologies.
• Nova PistamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Coproduction partner for Versailles podcasts including Louis XV series and WWII series. Nova Pista brings editorial expertise to historical podcast productions.
• EscalentaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Audiovisual production partner in consortium for Musée Dobrée digital coordination and sound production project.
• Institut FrançaismajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Strategic partner for international cultural projects. Commissioned Cher Futur Moi Portugal season as part of France-Portugal cultural season 2022.
• RICE Alpes Azur MercantourminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019International Dark Sky Reserve partnership for sound trails project in the Prealps d'Azur regional park, combining environmental and astronomical tourism.
• Archives Nationales de FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner institution for Ça s'est passé ici application, providing archival materials and expertise for historical documentary content.
• Archives de ParisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner institution for Paris history documentation and archival access for immersive historical experiences.
• RSFcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Technology partnership for narrativePod - a mini connected audio player manufactured by RSF. This device is specifically designed and optimized for narrative's binaural sound experiences in museums and heritage sites, featuring automatic triggering via HF beacons.
• INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisuel)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017INALAB 2017 award winner for Ça s'est passé ici project development. Strategic partner for archive-based documentary projects about Paris history.
• MC-93 (Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Coproduction partner for video installations including Cher Futur Moi. The MC-93 is a major cultural center in Seine-Saint-Denis that collaborates on immersive theatrical and documentary projects.
• TV5MondemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2012Broadcast partner for documentary content distribution. Co-produced various projects including Un été à Alger and other documentary series targeting francophone audiences internationally.
• FocalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Premium audio equipment provider for L'Odyssée Sonore immersive experience, providing high-quality headphones for spatialized sound delivery.
• France TélévisionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Long-standing partnership with France Télévisions for documentary and web series production. Multiple collaborative projects including Cher Futur Moi, L'amour à la plage, Tea Time Club, and various documentary productions. France Télévisions serves as both production partner and broadcast distributor.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ZED: Paris-based documentary production company producing international cultural, scientific, and wildlife documentaries for ARTE, France Télévisions, and global broadcasters. Comparable to narrative in producing high-end cultural-heritage content for French public broadcasters.
• Siècle Productions: French production company specializing in documentary and immersive cultural content, including museum sound experiences and exhibition podcasts. Closely comparable to narrative in production type, client base (museums, heritage sites), and audio specialization.
• Histovery: French immersive-technology company that creates VR/AR time-travel experiences for museums and heritage sites. A direct competitor on the heritage-mediation side, addressing the same museum-client digitization need through a different technology modality.
• Upian: Paris-based interactive documentary and new-media production studio known for transmedia formats (e.g., Do Not Track, Prison Valley). Highly comparable to narrative as a similarly sized French production company focused on documentaries for new media platforms.
• Iconem: Paris-based heritage digitization startup using photogrammetry and 3D capture to preserve endangered cultural sites. Comparable to narrative as a French heritage-tech specialist serving museums, government cultural agencies, and international institutions.
• Novelab: French immersive storytelling and XR studio producing virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive experiences for cultural institutions and brands. Comparable to narrative in delivering immersive cultural-heritage experiences for French institutional clients.
• Agat Films & Cie: Established French documentary production company producing artistic, cultural, and social documentaries in collaboration with French public broadcasters and cultural institutions. Comparable to narrative's production model and client portfolio.
• GEDEON: Major French documentary and factual production company producing premium cultural, science, and immersive content for broadcasters and institutions. Comparable to narrative in scale, French institutional client base, and award-winning documentary work.

Broad incumbents

• Culturespaces: Major French operator of immersive digital art centers (Atelier des Lumières, Bassins de Lumières) and producer of large-scale cultural exhibitions. A broader incumbent in the immersive cultural-mediation space; overlaps with narrative's museum and heritage client base but operates at much larger scale.
• ARTE: Franco-German public broadcaster commissioning cultural documentaries, transmedia projects, and immersive content. Comparable to narrative as a key commissioning platform for similar cultural content, and a precedent-partner institution in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDG5xzFx6kOZG9ZOXiJ4mPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/motsados
• Instagraminstagram.com/mots.ados
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/narrative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 narrative