Move over, podcasts and audiobooks! Germany’s Kiddinx Media is on a mission to get the world to tune into its brands through a niche format—audio plays. Its proof of concept lies in flagship IP Bibi & Tina (pictured), a time-honored tale of two tween friends who love all things horses. It started as a German radio drama in the ’90s and, despite being largely unknown outside of Western Europe, has now expanded into movies, merch and even a new theme park opening in 2024.

With audio formats continuing to click with consumers, the time is right to make a global push, says Karl Blatz, head of international business development at Kiddinx. The 50-year-old company produces its own originals, as well as audio plays for third parties.

But what exactly are audio plays? They’re typically 40 to 45 minutes long, and unlike audiobooks—in which one narrator reads a story—they feature voice actors for every character, along with sound effects and music. Production costs for an audio play can range from US$16,000 to US$27,000 (with some running as high as US$54,000), depending on the writers, voice talent and rights.

Blatz admits the longer-form nature of audio plays isn’t exactly on trend with the increasingly bite-sized nature of today’s content (thanks, TikTok!). But he adds that the ROI comes from many families who want longer stories they can listen to before bed, during car rides, or in those everyday moments where kids want some background noise that helps them relax. And while audio plays may be more expensive to produce than podcasts, their premium quality makes them more worthy of families’ time, he notes.

Market research has found that the Bibi & Tina audio plays resonate most with kids ages three to nine, but they are also popular with people as old as 25 who listened to Bibi & Tina when they were young. This wide potential audience has prompted Kiddinx to produce more than 500 audio plays in total for the various brands in its portfolio, hiring German music distributor Zebralution and launching content on Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music.

With Bibi & Tina alone, Kiddinx has sold more than 27 million audio plays and soundtracks. Overall, Kiddinx generates roughly US$20 million to US$30 million a year in audio sales, says Blatz.

The unfamiliar nature of the format has made international expansion tough so far, says Blatz. But he adds that despite the challenges, Kiddinx has the juice for a long-term push. “Expanding outside of Germany with audio products is hard, and we have struggled. But audio doesn’t age the same way as video, and it’s easier to remaster, which means we can sell a back catalogue that goes back 30 years.”

To expand its scope, the company plans to launch a new CG-animated series based on its classic brand Benjamin the Elephant, which has garnered interest in India.

The company is also exploring ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response or the “tingling” sensation that people get when watching something stimulating) content for kids—a format that hasn’t gotten much business or consumer attention, says Blatz. Overall, Kiddinx’s international growth strategy is to “think global and act local” by distributing content everywhere, and customizing when necessary for different markets.

The company’s deep and expanding well of content and IPs means that it can be strategic and selective about its next moves, says Blatz. “Our portfolio is expanding, and the question for us is, which of our brands can go international next.”

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen’s June/July 2023 issue.