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Audiobook Royalty Calculator

See what an audiobook earns exclusive to ACX against going wide, per month and per year, and how many sales elsewhere make wide worth it.

  • Free
  • No upload
  • No sign-up

List price

On ACX, Audible sets the price from the book’s length; elsewhere you usually choose it.

Cash sales per month

Everywhere else: Spotify, Kobo, Google Play, libraries and the rest, through a distributor or direct.

Your deal

Voices by INaudio: you keep 80% of what each store pays (stores pay about 40–50% of list for cash sales). Kobo direct pays about 45%.

Exclusive pays more

$1,101 a year

difference at these sales, before tax

Exclusive · 50%✓ more$499 /mo

50 × $9.98 · $5,985 a year

Wide · 30% on ACX + 36% elsewhere$407 /mo

$299 ACX + $108 elsewhere · $4,884 a year

Going wide pays as well once other stores sell 28 a month at this price.

Cash sales at the list price. Audible membership listens are paid from each member’s plan value, and usually earn less than a cash sale. Rates last checked 22 October 2026: ACX, Voices by INaudio.

Where it runs

Works in any current browser, on a computer, phone or tablet. Nothing to install, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

How to use it

4 simple steps.

  1. 01

    Set the price

    Enter the audiobook’s list price, or pick a common one.

  2. 02

    Estimate sales

    Monthly cash sales on Audible, Amazon and Apple, and in every other store.

  3. 03

    Pick your deal

    The new or legacy ACX model, and whether you share royalties with the narrator.

  4. 04

    Compare

    See exclusive against wide, per month and per year, and the sales that make wide worth it.

How audiobook royalties are worked out

For a cash sale, a royalty is a share of the price. Summed over a month:

earnings = list price × royalty rate × sales

Exclusive distribution has one line, for Audible, Amazon and Apple Books. Going wide has two: the lower ACX rate on those three stores, plus everything you sell elsewhere at the rate your distributor passes on.

Worked example

A $19.95 audiobook selling 50 copies a month on Audible, Amazon and Apple, and 15 elsewhere:

  • Exclusive: 19.95 × 50% × 50 = $498.75 a month.
  • Wide: 19.95 × 30% × 50 + 19.95 × 36% × 15 = $406.98 a month.
  • Going wide would need about 28 sales a month elsewhere to match exclusivity.

Rates used (last checked 22 October 2026)

ChannelRateNotes
ACX exclusive50%Audible, Amazon and Apple Books only, new royalty model (from 26 May 2026). Source
ACX non-exclusive30%Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, free to sell elsewhere too (new model). Source
ACX exclusive (legacy)40%Titles not yet moved to the new model; ends at the end of 2026. Source
ACX non-exclusive (legacy)25%Titles not yet moved to the new model; ends at the end of 2026. Source
Other stores (aggregator)36%Voices by INaudio: you keep 80% of what each store pays (stores pay about 40–50% of list for cash sales). Source
Kobo direct45%Kobo Writing Life, list price $2.99 or more (35% below; 32% on paid subscription tokens). Source

Platform terms change. Check your own dashboard before relying on these figures. audiobook.tools is not affiliated with ACX, Audible, Amazon, Apple, Kobo or INaudio.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

What royalty does ACX pay?

Under the royalty model ACX opened to all creators on 26 May 2026, exclusive titles earn 50% and non-exclusive titles 30%. Titles still on the legacy model earn 40% exclusive or 25% non-exclusive until it ends at the close of 2026. Rates last checked 22 October 2026.

Should I go exclusive with ACX or wide?

Exclusivity pays a higher rate on Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, but you can’t sell anywhere else. Going wide pays less on those three and adds every other store and library. The calculator shows how many sales a month elsewhere make wide pay as well as exclusive at your price.

How are Audible membership listens paid?

Listens paid with a membership credit or plan are paid from that member’s plan value, shared across the titles they listened to that month, so they usually earn less than a cash sale at the list price. This calculator counts cash sales only.

How does royalty share change my earnings?

With royalty share, the narrator takes half of the royalty instead of an upfront fee, for 7 years on ACX. Tick “Royalty share” to halve your share. To compare it with paying a flat fee, use the royalty share vs flat fee calculator.

What do other stores pay?

Distributors such as Voices by INaudio pass on 80% of what each store pays, and stores typically pay 40–50% of list for cash sales, so about 36% of list reaches you. Kobo’s own Writing Life pays about 45% at $2.99 or more. Change the rate to match your distributor.

Read the guide

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