We Love Books

We created Downpour because of our love of books! Books educate us, entertain us, make us think, laugh, and cry. They inspire creativity and motivate us. Most of all, books reflect who we are as people. We believe that you should be able to enjoy your favorite book whenever, wherever, and on whatever device you choose. Audiobooks allow that freedom.

Our History

Founded in 1987 by Craig and Michelle Black, Downpour's parent company Blackstone Publishing started in a small garage where a handful of family members and employees worked to build their audiobook business one cassette tape at a time. In 2012, Downpour was launched to make accessing audiobooks, both digitally and in physical media, even easier. A truly independent, privately owned publisher with offices on both coasts, Blackstone is home to a vibrant and eclectic community of storytellers and story lovers. Today, Blackstone has firmly positioned itself as one of America’s fastest-growing and respected publishing houses, with multiple New York Times bestsellers, Grammy Award–winning audio productions, and books placed on the New York Times Best Books of the Year list. Blackstone is committed to bringing entertaining stories to as many people as possible and to forging long-term connections with the literary community.