ACX
Pick 4 of 12Amazon's audiobook publishing platform — distributes exclusively to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books with new May 2026 royalty rates of 50% exclusive / 30% non-exclusive.
Best for: Indie authors prioritizing reach into Audible, the dominant US/UK audiobook retailer, especially those willing to grant exclusivity for higher royalties
Details
- Service Type
- Audiobook Distributor, Direct Retailer
- Format Support
- Audiobook
- Distribution Channels
- Audible, Amazon, Apple Books
- Royalty Rate
- 50% exclusive / 30% non-exclusive (new model rolled out May 26, 2026, replacing legacy 40%/25% rates by end of 2026)
- Exclusivity Required
- No
ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is Amazon's audiobook production and distribution hub — the gateway to Audible, which holds an estimated 63% of the US audiobook market. Authors upload finished audio (or hire narrators through ACX's marketplace) and ACX distributes to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. The platform overhauled its royalty model on May 26, 2026, raising exclusive payouts to 50% and non-exclusive to 30% as the legacy 40%/25% rates phase out by year-end.
- Best for: Authors prioritizing reach into Audible, especially those willing to accept exclusivity for the higher royalty tier
- Key features: Marketplace of 300,000+ voice artists, royalty-share narration arrangements, audition-based casting, automatic distribution to Audible/Amazon/Apple Books
- Pricing: Free to use; pay narrators directly (~$100–$400+ per finished hour) or split royalties 50/50 via royalty share
- Limitations: US/Canada/UK/Ireland residents only; no library distribution (no OverDrive/Hoopla); Amazon ebook required before audiobook publishing; royalty-share contracts lock the title for 7 years even when exclusivity is otherwise non-exclusive
- Why authors love it: Single most direct path to Audible's massive listener base — non-exclusive distribution leaves the door open to pair ACX with Voices by INaudio or Author's Republic for full wide reach
More Publishing & Distribution Tools
Showing 3 of 24 alternatives
See all 24 toolsAuthor's Republic
Free audiobook aggregator with the largest channel network — 50+ retailers and libraries — at 80% royalty, no exclusivity, open to authors in 200+ countries.
Also offers Audiobook
- Royalty Rate:
- 80% of net receipts (permanent rate confirmed February 2025)
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
Voices by INaudio
Leading wide-distribution audiobook aggregator (formerly Findaway Voices) — 80% royalty, 40+ channels including OverDrive and Hoopla, no exclusivity.
Also offers Audiobook
- Royalty Rate:
- 80% of net receipts (INaudio keeps 20% commission, no upfront fee)
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
Lantern Audio
Boutique audiobook distributor — one-time $199 setup fee, 75% of net receipts, ~20 retail and library channels including Audible, Kobo, OverDrive, and Hoopla.
Also offers Audiobook
- Royalty Rate:
- 75% of net receipts; one-time $199 per-title setup fee
- Exclusivity Required:
- false
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