How to Make Money on Audible: Narrator, Seller, Affiliate (2024)

Imagine this: someone goes on a road trip with only your voice reading a murder mystery novel. Listeners hold their breath as the story unfolds and lean closer to the speaker as the tension mounts. With every listen, you can earn royalties.

Audible makes this possible. Not only do you get access to a vast library of audiobooks, but Audible also offers you the opportunity to earn money.

Here’s how you can make money with Audible.

What is Audible?

Audible is Amazon’s audiobook platform, allowing users to purchase and download individual titles or subscribe to a membership plan. Although Audible’s primary focus is audiobooks, it also offers other types of audio content, including podcasts and Audible Originals (original books, courses, journalism, and theater plays available exclusively on the platform).

Audible is accessible on desktop, mobile, tablet, smartwatch and Alexa devices, and users can listen offline and sync audiobooks across multiple devices.

What is ACX?

A.C.X.or Audiobook Creation Exchange, is Audible’s Online MarketplaceHere, authors and publishers connect with narrators, engineers, and recording studios to create audiobooks. Think of ACX as a platform where book people and audio people meet.

ACX helps authors find professional narrators and up-and-coming voice actors to create audiobooks. If you’re looking to earn money as a narrator, you can apply to read your work for a fee or enter into a royalty-sharing agreement.

How to make money with Audible

There are a few ways you can make money with Audible.

Sell ​​your audiobook

Audible is a creative and Selling audiobooks It’s especially accessible if you’re self-publishing: You hire a narrator (called a “producer” on the platform) to produce your own audiobook, and you work with them until it sounds perfect. Once the narrator records the final version of your audiobook, you can distribute it through Audible, Amazon, or iTunes.

ACX allows you to earn passive income from book sales, but how much you earn will depend on a few factors: If your book is sold exclusively on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, you’re eligible to receive 40% royalties from audiobook sales (if you pay the producer an upfront fee and don’t pay royalties). If you split royalties with your producer, you can receive 20% of sales. If you sell your book on other platforms, you can receive up to 25% of royalties.

Audible prices audiobooks according to the length of the work.

• Less than 1 hour: $7 or less
• 1-3 hours: $7-10
• 3-5 hours: $10-20
• 5-10 hours: $15-25
• 10-20 hours: $20-30
• 20+ hours: $25-35

Audiobook narration

Whether you’re a professional voice actor looking for a side hustle or an amateur with a great voice, you can become an audiobook narrator. Audition for ACX projects and earn money reading books for authors and publishers on Audible.

Payment models are determined by negotiation with authors and publishers and may include:

• Payment in advance. Because one hour of finished audio often requires more than one hour of work due to reshoots and revisions, you will be charged a flat rate for each hour of finished audio.

• Royalty share. You split audiobook sales 50/50 with the author or publisher. If you’re narrating a popular audiobook, this option may be more profitable.

• Royalty Share Plus. Audiobook narrators can receive a combination of upfront payments and royalties based on their agreement with the author, publisher, or rights holder.

Join the Audible Affiliate Program

If you’re not a writer or narrator with an amazing voice, you can become an Audible affiliate. Performance-based marketing The strategy involves getting rewards for increasing sales through promotions.

How to participate Audible Affiliate ProgramCreate an account and get a unique Affiliate Link You can share it on your website, blog, or social media, and if someone clicks on your link and subscribes or makes a purchase on Audible, you’ll earn a commission.

You earn $5 when someone clicks on your link and signs up for a free trial, earn $10 if they sign up for a paid Audible Plus membership or Audible Premium Plus, and you also earn 50 cents for every Audible book you sell through your affiliate link.

What it takes to become an Audible narrator

To successfully record an Audible book, you’ll need a few things.

• Professional equipment. Some of the best microphones for audiobook narration include the Rode NT1-A, Audio-Technica AT2020, Shure SM7B, and Blue Yeti, each offering different levels of sound quality and affordability.

• Soundproof space. Closets are effective because clothing absorbs sound waves, minimizing reverberation and echoes.

• Dynamic voice. To craft a compelling voice and create an immersive experience for your listeners, vary your tone, pace, and emotion to match the mood of your story and your characters’ personalities.