Audiobook royalties in 2026: ACX, Spotify, Kobo and INaudio
By Daniel Rahl Jackson · Updated 20 October 2026
Audiobook royalties are harder to compare than ebook royalties, because a lot of listening happens through subscriptions where you earn a share of a pool rather than a fixed percentage. Here is what the main routes pay as of October 2026.
ACX (Audible, Amazon and Apple)
ACX introduced a new royalty model on 26 May 2026: 50% for exclusive titles and 30% for non-exclusive ones. The previous model (40% exclusive, 25% non-exclusive) runs until the end of 2026 and is then discontinued. If a producer narrated your book on a royalty-share deal, the exclusive royalty is split equally between you. For listening paid for with Audible membership credits, ACX now calculates your share from what it calls Member Value, a share of membership revenue, so the amount per listen isn't a fixed share of the list price.
Spotify for Authors
For audiobooks sold individually, Spotify for Authors pays 50% of the suggested retail price. Listening included in Spotify Premium is paid from a shared pool.
Kobo Writing Life
Kobo pays 45% of the list price on audiobooks at or above its minimum-price threshold, 35% below it, and 32% for listens paid with subscription tokens.
Voices by INaudio (formerly Findaway Voices)
INaudio distributes to dozens of stores and libraries and passes on 80% of what each partner pays it. Partners typically pay 40 to 50% of the list price for individual sales and less for subscriptions, so authors usually end up with roughly 32 to 40% on a direct sale.
Exclusive or wide?
As with ebooks, exclusivity with ACX pays a higher rate on Audible's large audience; going wide reaches libraries, Spotify, Kobo, Apple and others. The World Audiobook Index shows which audiobooks chart on Apple Books across countries.