This article provides an overview of Audible’s new royalty model. Starting May 26th, 2026, newly claimed titles and new users will be on Audible’s new royalty model.

• What is Audible’s new royalty model on ACX? Audible’s new royalty model is designed to unlock new earning opportunities for ACX creators by reflecting how members listen today. Under this new model, a listener’s membership revenue is distributed among all titles they engage with. This means creators can now earn royalties across all Audible membership listening engagement, including when members listen to titles from all-you-can-listen offerings. Creators also have new opportunities to earn, including new royalty rates (50% exclusive, 30% non-exclusive), ability to suggest a price, and opting-in titles to AYCL. 

   

• What are some of the key features of the royalty model?

   

  • Expanded earning potential: Audible’s new royalty model means new opportunities for independent authors and small publishers to earn across all membership listening engagement.
  • New royalty rates: Under the new royalty model, creators earn a 50% royalty rate for exclusive distribution and a 30% royalty rate for non-exclusive distribution of titles. Note: enrolling an audiobook into the new royalty model will not impact the audiobook’s distribution option that you have previously selected (i.e., exclusive or non-exclusive).
  • Reach more listeners: For the first time, ACX creators can earn from listener engagement with the all-you-can-listen catalog in addition to credit redemption and unit selection.
  • Suggested pricing and additional insights: When creators enroll in the new royalty model, they also gain access to new tools, including the ability to suggest a price for each of their enrolled titles and insights on how royalties connect with listener engagements.

   

   

• How does the new royalty model calculate royalties? In the new model, royalties for Audible’s membership offerings will equal Member Value multiplied by your contractual royalty rate. Member Value for each offering will be shared with you on your earnings statement.

• What is “Member Value”? How is it determined?

  Member Value is what’s net new in the updated royalty model. It represents the value of a member’s listening behavior.

  To determine Member Value, we first look at which plan a member is subscribed to in a given marketplace (e.g. Premium, Plus, Standard or monthly AYCL plan) and capture that monthly membership revenue minus discounts, taxes and fees. This amount is Member Value at the most basic level. We then look to see if the member used an additional credit on a title above their plan allowance, in which case the amount of Member Value will be increased. The total Member Value is then divided up and divided proportionally among each title the member engaged with, based on the a la carte price of those titles. This step ensures a fair share of Member Value is divided among each title before multiplying by your contractual royalty rate to get to royalties due.

  Once enrolled, you can reference your monthly earnings statements to view membership plan values or any adjustments to Member Value over a monthly period.

• Is there someone I can talk to if I have more questions on how the new royalty model works? Yes, we would be happy to help. Please reach out to support@acx.com and we’ll connect you with someone who you can speak to directly.

• Does the new royalty model go into effect right after I enroll a title? New titles published on the new royalty model will take effect immediately. Existing titles you choose to enroll in the new model will take effect on the 1st of the following month.

• How do I enroll an existing title in the new royalty model on ACX? Starting May 26, 2026, all eligible ACX rights holder can enroll existing titles by following these steps:

  • Log into www.acx.com
  • From your ACX dashboard, click the My Projects tab
    • • To enroll all your titles at once, select Enroll titles on the blue banner on the top of the My Projects page
      • To enroll a select few titles at once, select the “Clear selection” button in the blue banner first, then select the title(s) that you’d like to enroll, and then select Enroll titles
      • To enroll one title at a time, select the “Clear selection” button the blue banner first, then select the “Enroll title” button next to the title name 
  • Select Confirm to finish
  • You will receive a message from the message center letting you know which titles have been enrolled in Audible’s new royalty model and the effective date for the new terms

  Note:  Remember that this enrollment goes into effect on the 1st of the following month. Starting May 26th, all newly claimed titles will be on the new model.

• Do I have to enroll existing and future titles in the new royalty? Yes. By end of year, Audible’s legacy royalty model will be discontinued. To continue distributing with Audible, you will need to enroll your titles in the new model. Should you wish to enroll your titles, you can enroll now or closer to the deadline, whichever works best for your planning. All titles newly claimed after May 26, 2026, will automatically be enrolled in the new royalty model.

• Does enrolling a title in the new royalty model automatically change its distribution status? No, your title’s distribution status (i.e., exclusive or non-exclusive) will remain unchanged when you enroll in the new royalty model. Please contact our team at support@acx.com if you’re interested in exploring changes to your distribution status.

• Does the new royalty model change how a la carte royalties are calculated? No, our model for non-member and member cash purchases will not change. Our new royalty model is only for our membership offerings.

  With the new royalty model, you also have higher royalty rates (Exclusive distribution: 50% vs. 40% on the legacy model; Non-exclusive distribution: 30% vs. 25% on the legacy model), which means you earn higher with cash purchases.

• Do the new royalty rates under the new model only apply to royalties earned from Audible’s membership offerings? No. The new royalty rates apply to all royalties generated through ACX—both Audible’s membership offerings and a la carte royalties. Note: enrolling content into the new royalty model will not impact distribution status.
• How does the new royalty model affect narrators? The new royalty model applies to ACX narrators and producers for any titles they have produced, whether new or existing, that are enrolled in the new royalty model. Narrators and producers will be notified when their titles are enrolled. If your title is a royalty-share production, it will continue to earn its share of royalties.

• What if I’m a producer on a royalty-share title and the rights holder doesn’t convert to the new model by year end? We know producers invest significant time and talent into every title, and we value that contribution. Rights holders have until end of year for all titles to be enrolled, if you’re concerned about a specific title, please reach out to your rights holder to ensure they are onboarded to our new model as soon as possible. If you run into any issues, please contact our team at support@acx.com.

• How are titles included in the All You Can Listen (AYCL) offering counted? Under the new model, titles in Audible’s AYCL offering will be counted as a “Qualified Listen” and identified as such on your sales dashboard and earnings statement. Qualified Listens are royalty-bearing events that are triggered when a customer reaches a certain threshold depending on the length of the title. Read more here on the AYCL program.

• How can I track royalties for titles enrolled on the new model? Once you enroll a title in the new model, your earnings statements will reflect the new royalty rates (50% for exclusive distribution and 30% for non-exclusive distribution) and related information to the new royalty calculations for Audible membership. This includes viewing monthly membership plan values by marketplace, total royalty events such as credit purchases and Qualified Listens and Member Value per unit.