Audiobooks Through ACX
Expand your reach with a digital audiobook! Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) makes it easy to produce and distribute your digital audiobook, and you'll also be able to take advantage of the exciting new Kindle features Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading to reach more readers in more ways.
Use ACX to produce a digital audiobook edition of your book using our marketplace of professional audiobook producers and earn royalties of up to 40%. ACX provides access to thousands of talented audiobook producers, and both actors and studios, available for hire for a fee or for a no-cost, royalty-sharing partnership. ACX also provides distribution options to the leading retailers of audiobooks: Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes, as well as their global partners. It's free to try ACX.
Additionally, your audiobook may be eligible for the new Whispersync for Voice functionality, which allows customers to purchase your Whispersync for Voice-ready Audible audiobook at a special limited time discounted price. This function allows customers to switch seamlessly between reading the Kindle book and listening to the professionally-narrated audiobook across devices without losing their place. Audiobooks will also be enabled for Immersion Reading, which will allow customers with Fire HD devices to listen to the professional narration as the words of the eBook are highlighted on the screen.
Authors can learn more about ACX at www.acx.com.
Audiobook Production with ACX
Can I choose the narrator?
Yes, you can choose the narrator. (Note: on ACX, narrators are generally referred to as "Producers" because they not only narrate the audio version of your book, but they produce a retail-ready audiobook). You can search the ACX website for the perfect narrator/producer, or wait for ACX narrators/producers to audition for your audiobook project. You will also be involved in the audiobook production, approving it at various points along the way.
Can I narrate my own audiobook?
We find that most audiobooks are best performed by professional actors, but it is possible for you to narrate your own audiobook.
I live outside of the US and cannot provide a W9. Is ACX open to me?
At this time, ACX is open only to residents of the United States and United Kingdom who have a US or UK mailing address, and a valid US or UK Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). For more information on Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TIN), please visit the IRS website. We hope to increase our availability to a more global audience in the future.
Royalty and Distribution:
What is the audio distribution and royalty that I will get?
ACX distributes your audiobook to Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes, the three leading retailers of audiobooks, as well as their global retail partners. Your royalty is dependent upon the distribution and production options you select. If you choose to distribute exclusively to these three channels, you will earn 40%. However, if you choose to produce the audiobook using the Royalty Share option, you will earn 20%. If you choose to distribute your audiobook non-exclusively, you will earn 25% and retain the right to distribute your recording at your discretion. More information is available here.
Where will my finished audiobook be sold?
Posting your book on ACX means that if and when your book is made into an audiobook, the finished audiobook will be available to consumers on all of Audible's retail channels, currently Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. These three leading digital retailers reach the vast majority of audiobook buyers. You will also have an option to choose a non-exclusive distribution option, through which you can distribute your audiobook to any additional retailers, in digital and physical format, on your own.
How do I get paid for my audiobook sales?
You may choose to receive monthly royalties via check or by direct deposit to the account of your choice. You'll get a monthly statement from ACX, which will include unit sales numbers from sales on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. Along with the statement, if sales are more than $50 per period, you will receive a corresponding royalty payment.
How much will I get paid for sales of my audiobook?
Royalty rates are outlined here, and if you are eligible for ACX's $50 bounty program, you can earn an extra $50 on certain sales. Get more details on the bounty program.
Why is the upgrade price for my digital audiobook for customers who buy the Kindle version different than the a la carte price for my digital audiobook – and how are these prices set?
We want to encourage people who have purchased a Kindle book to try the new Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading features, so prices for this digital audiobook upgrade are generally lower than purchasing the audiobook a la carte.
Enabling Audiobook for Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading
How can I create a digital audiobook version of my book and make it eligible for Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading?
The basic technical requirement that your audiobook must meet to qualify for Whispersync for Voice is a nearly perfect sync rate between the Kindle and audiobook content. Your audiobook must also be unabridged. For more information, visit ACX.
My book is already produced in digital audiobook format and available at Audible.com. How can it be made eligible for Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading?
Currently not all books are enabled for these new features, but the Audible team is working to increase the number of books enabled. If your book is already available on Audible.com, you can contact Audible's customer care team to discuss Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading.
How are Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading different than the current text-to-speech Kindle feature?
There are several differences between these features – a full description of each can be found at Audible.com. Millions of customers who already use Audible know how wonderful it is to listen to a book narrated by the author or performed by a skilled actor.
How long will it take to produce my book and enable it for Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading?
From the time you start the production process, we estimate that it will take about 6 to 12 weeks to complete the audiobook, depending on the length of the book and the Producer's schedule. Once the finished audiobook is approved by you, it typically takes up to 14 business days to get the audiobook into stores. The work done during this time ensures that the audiobook is recorded correctly and ready for retail distribution, and attempts to enable it for Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading.
How can I make sure my Kindle book and audiobook are able to sync?
We need the narrated words to perfectly mirror the words in the Kindle book to be eligible for the Whispersync for Voice program. Here is some general advice for both you and the audiobook's producer to ensure your production has the best chance of being made eligible:
- Avoid ad-lib in narration.
- Make sure the audiobook is edited well and sentences are not inserted twice (e.g. editor leaves in duplicate actor takes of the same sentence).
- Do not add audio content that isn't in the Kindle version. If there is a chapter of audio that isn't in the Kindle book, often it's not sync-able.
- Avoid background music; music in the audiobook reduces the likelihood that it will be sync-able.
- Do not have the narrator read footnotes "in line."
- Do not describe figures or photographs when the description isn't in the actual text of the Kindle book.
Can I still make updates to the Kindle version of my book or will that impact the Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading features?
Metadata changes to your book will not impact the features (price, title, author, product description, etc.). Changes made inside your Kindle book may impact the Whispersync for Voice and Immersion Reading features. However, if you are alerted about formatting issues with your Kindle book, we recommend that you correct those issues. When you make these changes, your book will not by sync-able immediately. If it remains un-synced for more than 1 week, we suggest that you contact the ACX customer care team to alert them. Some changes including margin size, font color, font size, background color, and minor punctuation updates may not impact the features.
KDP Select:
If my book is in KDP Select and available in the Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOLL), will people who borrow my book through KOLL be able to purchase the digital audiobook at the upgrade price?
No, only purchases of Kindle books qualify for the audiobook upgrade discount. If a customer has borrowed a Kindle book through KOLL, they are not eligible to the discounted price at Audible. Those discounts are tied to purchases only.
Will people who download my book for free during my KDP Select free promotion days be able to purchase the digital audiobook at the upgrade price?
Yes, they will be able to get the audiobook at the discounted upgrade price if they have bought the Kindle book, even if the price of the Kindle book is $0.