Compare audiobook earnings: ACX, Spotify and more

9 platforms

US / USD unless labelled

Last checked 30 Sept 2026

Sources and dates

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: ACX distributes to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. Source
Author share: New model: 50% exclusive and 30% non-exclusive for a-la-carte and membership earnings. Source
Publishing cost: Production can be paid upfront, shared as royalties, or combined as royalty share plus. Source
Exclusivity: Legacy titles remain at 40% exclusive / 25% non-exclusive until year-end 2026; all titles must then use the new model. Source
Production payment: Pay-for-production charges an agreed per-finished-hour fee; royalty share splits the applicable share with the producer. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Spotify direct audiobook distribution includes a-la-carte purchases and Premium subscription listening. Source
Author share: A-la-carte pays 50% of suggested retail price. Subscription listening pays a pro-rata share of a Spotify-defined revenue pool based on consumption. Source
Publishing cost: Uploading finished audiobook files is free and unlimited. Source
Exclusivity: Distribution is non-exclusive; authors retain ownership and may publish elsewhere. Source
Production payment: Spotify digital narration is free for up to five English-language audiobooks for self-published US authors. A validated payment profile is required; additional titles require contacting support. Authors can distribute elsewhere. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Direct audiobook distribution through the Kobo store, a-la-carte sales, and token-based subscriptions. Source
Author share: 45% of list price at or above US $2.99; 35% below. Paid tokens pay 32%; free-trial tokens pay 0%. Source
Publishing cost: Official audiobook upload and royalty pages list no separate upload or distribution fee. Source
Exclusivity: Kobo does not require audio exclusivity; authors may use other platforms. Source
Production payment: Direct audiobook upload is being rolled out gradually; authors may need to request access from Kobo. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Global retail, subscription, library, and K-12 channels. Source
Author share: Authors keep 80% of royalties INaudio receives from partners. Partner payout bases: 40 to 50% of list price for a-la-carte sales, 30 to 40% for subscriptions, and 25 to 45% of revenue-share receipts. Source
Publishing cost: No separate setup or distribution fee is listed publicly; the published model keeps 20% of partner royalties. Source
Exclusivity: No exclusivity agreement; authors choose their sales channels. Source
Production payment: Official pages cover distribution of finished audio and list no production service or price. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Global audiobook store distribution; library and subscription channels vary by plan. Source
Author share: Subscription plans pay the full store royalty; PublishDrive takes no commission. Source
Publishing cost: Free plan covers one ebook only. Audiobook distribution starts with Starter at $16.99 monthly or $13.99 per month billed yearly, for up to three titles. Source
Exclusivity: Distribution is non-exclusive; creators can publish through other services. Source
Production payment: Finished audio is accepted. Apple digital narration is free for eligible ebooks distributed to Apple Books. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Distribution to global retailers, subscription services, and libraries. Source
Author share: Subscription and Lifetime plans advertise an 85% share of net revenue; retailer and sales-model payouts vary. Source
Publishing cost: Current pricing lists $99 per year or $299 once. A 2025 terms update charges EUR 0.20 per free audiobook download; older legal pages also describe a no-fixed-cost revenue-share path. Source
Exclusivity: StreetLib is non-exclusive; authors choose and can change distribution channels. Source
Production payment: Upload finished chapter MP3 files; public audio production prices are not listed. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Global retail, library, and music-streaming distribution. Source
Author share: Authors receive 80% of earned royalties Author’s Republic collects from partners, not 80% of list price. Source
Publishing cost: Completed audiobook distribution has no listing, submission, review, or referral fee. Source
Exclusivity: No exclusivity contract; authors select distribution channels. Source
Production payment: Official page conflicts: cost section says $50–$400/PFH ($300–$2,500+ for six hours); its FAQ says $150–$400/PFH ($900–$2,500). Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: Global audiobook retail and library distribution. Source
Author share: Authors receive 75% of cash Lantern receives; the amount varies by retail channel. Source
Publishing cost: One-time $199 setup fee for audiobook distribution. Source
Exclusivity: Distribution is optional and non-exclusive. Source
Production payment: Audio preparation and production services cost extra at a quoted fee. Quarterly payments start after $50 accrues. Source

Checked 30 Sept 2026

Distribution: BookBaby Bookshop sells author-supplied audiobooks; Audible availability requires a separate sales discussion. Source
Author share: BookBaby advertises 75% per Bookshop audiobook sale; Audible is available by request, but its rate is not public. Source
Publishing cost: Existing finished-audio upload costs $99. Author narration is $500 plus $0.14 per word; actor narration is $500 plus $0.16 per word; AI voice cloning is $2,000 plus $0.06 per word. Source
Exclusivity: The currently posted 2022 distribution agreement grants exclusive rights for selected services, except author direct sales; either side may terminate on 24 hours notice. Source
Production payment: BookBaby offers author, voice-actor, and AI voice-clone production; price depends on the chosen option and manuscript length. Source