ACX says its legacy royalty model will be discontinued by end of year. 0 days left in 2026
Audiobook cost calculator · rules checked November 2, 2026
How much will your audiobook cost? And which way should you make it?
Move the sliders for your book’s length and cost. Then answer six quick questions to see which path fits: paying a narrator, sharing royalties, or KDP’s Virtual Voice, under Audible’s new royalty model and Kindle+.
Narrators set their own rates. Use a quote you have; $250 is only an example.
“On average, most performers narrate about 9,300 words per hour.” ACX
Your best fit
Get your full audiobook plan
- Each path’s royalty, upfront cost and why it fits you or not
- Whether your audiobook can be in Kindle+, and what it needs
- The steps to move an existing title to Audible’s new model
- ACX’s and KDP’s own words for every rule, with links
Your full audiobook plan
Kindle+ for an ACX audiobook: all four are needed
Next step
or ring us: +1 (609) 493-4557
Straight answers
Audiobooks in 2026: what the rules say.
How long will my audiobook be?
ACX says most narrators record about 9,300 words per finished hour, so divide your word count by 9,300. A 60,000-word book comes to about 6.5 hours.
How much does it cost to make an audiobook?
On ACX's Pay for Production deal, you pay the narrator a flat fee per finished hour, so the cost is the finished hours times the narrator's rate. Narrators set their own rates; ask for quotes. Royalty Share has no upfront fee but splits royalties for seven years.
What changes with Audible's new royalty model?
From May 26, 2026, ACX pays 50% for exclusive and 30% for non-exclusive distribution, up from 40% and 25%. Membership royalties are now worked out from what ACX calls Member Value. ACX says the legacy model will be discontinued by end of year, so existing titles must enroll in the new model or stop being distributed.
Can my audiobook be in Kindle+?
In the US, yes, if it qualifies. Virtual Voice audiobooks are included while the ebook is in KDP Select. ACX audiobooks need a live ebook in KDP Select, exclusive Audible distribution, Whispersync turned on and a Pay-for-Production deal. KDP pays from the KDP Select Global Fund and does not publish a separate rate for listening.
Can I use an AI voice on ACX?
ACX says your audiobook must be narrated by a human unless otherwise authorized. KDP's Virtual Voice is a separate, invite-only beta for KDP ebooks.
Where these numbers come from
Every rule and rate on this page comes from ACX’s and KDP’s own help pages, as read on November 2, 2026. When they change, we update this page and the date. We don’t estimate sales or earnings: ACX’s membership royalties depend on Member Value, and KDP publishes no separate rate for Kindle+ listening.
- ACX Help: Audible's New Royalty Model
- ACX Help: How royalties work
- ACX Help: Producing and recording your audiobook
- ACX Help: Choose a distribution option
- ACX Help: ACX audio submission requirements
- KDP Help: Kindle+
- KDP Help: ACX Audiobooks for KDP Select
- KDP Help: Audiobooks with virtual voice (beta)
Zeal Publishers is not connected with ACX, Audible or Amazon. This planner is not financial or legal advice.