
Users can redeem a credit for any title on the store - and the publisher is paid in full, based on the audiobook's list price. Instead, they use Audible's subscription service ($14.95 a month in the US), granting them one credit a month. Most Amazon Audible customers don't buy audiobooks at their retail price.

In reality, audiobook sales reporting via ACX is a little more complicated than the table above. Losing $3 on every audiobook you sell is a bitter pill to swallow, so you don't want to rush any decision to go exclusive. $8 (or $4 in case of 50% royalty share with the narrator) $20 (automatically set by Audible based on length) Here's an example for a 10-hour audiobook: So your revenue on audiobook sales will basically depend on two main factors: 1) your audiobook's length and 2) whether you're exclusive with ACX. Generally, that price is on your audiobook's length, and ACX provides the following ballpark breakdown of the pricing you can expect for your audiobook on Audible. Whether you're exclusive or not, there's one crucial element you won't be able to control on ACX: your audiobook's price.Įach retailer reached by ACX is free to price or discount your audiobook at their sole discretion. Again, this doesn't apply to books produced under a royalty-share agreement. That said, ACX recently changed its terms and now allows authors who own the full rights to their audiobook to get out of exclusivity after 90 days (similar to KDP Select). While KDP Select renews every 90 days, ACX/Audible contracts are for seven years - a constant bone of contention among indie authors. However, the big difference between KDP Select and ACX exclusivity is the length of the exclusivity period. Note: if you choose to produce your audiobook under a royalty-share model with the narrator on ACX, you will automatically be enrolled in the exclusivity option - and will not be able to get out of it unless you “buy out” your narrator. This allows you to distribute your audiobook elsewhere in any form you want but your royalty rate will only be 25% of the list price on ACX. In exchange for your exclusivity, ACX pays you a royalty rate of 40% of the list price. This option prevents you from distributing or selling your audiobook through any other channel - whether that’s another retailer, a subscription service, directly on your website, or even in physical CD form.

Much like Kindle Direct Publishing and its KDP Select scheme, ACX offers authors two options for distribution: For a long time, it was the only option available to indie authors looking to publish their audiobooks, and it is still one of the most widely used distribution services.Īs opposed to the other distributors we’ll explore later, ACX only distributes to three main outlets: Audiobook distribution through ACX: higher royalties on AudibleĪCX (Audiobook Creative Exchange) is Audible’s self-serve production and distribution service.
