How to Make Money With Audible: Narration, Publishing & More

Every month, thousands of creators pay voice actors to narrate their YouTube videos, podcasts, and courses. What if you could earn money from audiobooks instead of paying for them? The same content creation skills you've developed can generate income through Audible's creator programs.

Now’s a great time to get in. The global audiobook market hit $8.70 billion in 2024 with 26.2% annual growth through 2030. This explosion creates unprecedented opportunities for content creators who understand how to tap into audiobook revenue streams.

This guide reveals four proven ways to make money on Audible: narrating for others, publishing your own audiobooks, earning affiliate commissions, or offering production services. Each path offers different income potential based on your existing skills and available time.

How Audible's Creator Programs Work for Creators

Audible connects content producers with over 700,000 titles through multiple monetization channels. For content creators and small businesses, this ecosystem offers four primary income-generating methods:

1. Producing audiobooks through ACX
2. Joining the Audible affiliate program
3. Offering narration services
4. Creating podcasts

Fact Check: Good e-Reader reports that Audible holds a 63.4% market share of the U.S. audiobook market, earning twice as much per audiobook sold as competitors despite publishing only 13.5% of total audiobooks annually.

The Audiobook Creation Exchange connects publishers with professional narrators, while the Amazon Associates program enables content creators to earn money through the bounty referral program. Each path suits different skills and offers different incomes, so it’s worth seeing where you fit.

The ACX dashboard provides easy access to all creator tools, from project posting to earnings tracking

ACX serves as the primary gateway for audiobook creation, connecting authors with narrators and handling distribution. Understanding how this platform works opens doors to multiple revenue opportunities.

ACX: Your Gateway to Audiobook Income

The Audiobook Creation Exchange made audiobook creation easier by connecting authors with audiobook narrators directly. This platform enables anyone with written works to publish audiobooks and reach Audible's vast library of listeners.

ACX gives you multiple ways to turn your training content into audiobooks. You can create audiobooks from existing materials, hire experienced narrators, or provide your own audiobook narration. The platform manages audio files, distribution to Audible's platform, and payment processing.

ACX offers three payment structures available:

• Per Finished Hour: $100-$400 for professional narrators
• Royalty Share: Split earnings from audiobook sales
• Hybrid Model: Combines upfront payments with royalties

ACX handles the technical side of audiobook creation and distribution, but not everyone wants to record or publish. For those who prefer promoting rather than producing, the Audible affiliate program offers an entirely different approach to earning audiobook income.

Audible Affiliate Program & Creator Opportunities

The Amazon Associates program includes Audible products, allowing you to earn money by promoting audiobooks to your target audience. This bounty referral program pays for new Audible Gold Digital Membership signups and individual Audible purchases.

Content creators on social media platforms can generate custom URLs tracking Audible audiobook purchases.

Track your Audible bounty earnings and conversion rates directly in the Amazon Associates dashboard. Content creators can quickly produce audiobook samples using Murf's diverse voice library to test which genres resonate with their audience before investing in full productions.

While affiliate marketing offers passive income, creators wanting more control should explore Audible's four main monetization paths.

Four Ways to Generate Income Through Audible

Each income stream requires different skills and time commitments. Understanding these differences helps you choose the right starting point for your audiobook journey. We'll start with narration, the most straightforward path if you have a good voice, and then explore publishing your content, affiliate marketing, and production services.

1. Narrate audiobooks on ACX

If you have a clear, expressive voice and the ability to hold a listener’s attention, audiobook narration on ACX is a lucrative path into Audible’s creator ecosystem.

Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Set up your ACX profile
Create a free account on ACX, link it to your Amazon/Audible profile, and fill in your narrator bio. Highlight any voice training, acting, or performance experience you have.

Step 2: Prepare a professional demo reel
Record short samples in different genres (fiction, business, self-help, etc.) using a good microphone and sound-treated space. Show range and clarity.

Step 3: Audition for available projects
Search the ACX project listings, filter by genre and payment type (royalty share vs. per finished hour), and submit auditions. Don’t hesitate to start small, as many narrators build credibility by taking on shorter or lower-budget books first.

Step 4: Invest in your production setup
Good audio quality is non-negotiable. Beginners don’t need a studio, but a decent mic (like the Audio-Technica AT2020), audio interface, and editing software (like Audacity or Adobe Audition) are essential.

Step 5: Deliver professionally and on time
Follow the author's tone and pacing notes. Ensure your audio files meet Audible’s technical requirements (sample rate, peak levels, RMS levels). Clear communication and timely delivery are key to getting good reviews and repeat work.

Earning potential (per finished hour):

• Beginner: $100–$150
• Intermediate: $200–$300
• Experienced: $400+

You’ll likely begin part-time, gradually building a portfolio and client list. Stick with it, and you could eventually move into full-time narration or focus on high-paying genres like business and health.

A well-optimized narrator profile showcasing completed projects, ratings, and genre specializations attracts more opportunities. These narrator earnings represent just one income stream. Authors who publish their own audiobooks through ACX can earn even more through royalties. Let's break down how those royalty structures work.

2. Publish your own audiobooks via ACX

If you have original content, like a guide or framework, you can turn it into an audiobook. You can convert it into an audiobook and publish it on Audible without a traditional publisher.

How to get started:

Step 1: Verify your rights: Make sure you own or have licensed the rights to any material you plan to turn into an audiobook.

Step 2: Prepare your content: Choose high-demand topics such as leadership, productivity, or project management. Format your manuscript clearly and structure it for audio listening.

Step 3: Narrate and produce audio: Use your own voice or tools like Murf to create narration. Murf’s built-in optimization exports files that meet ACX specs automatically, which is ideal for those without audio engineering experience.

Step 4: Create professional packaging: You’ll need high-quality cover art, a well-written project description, and a finalized, ACX-compliant audio file.

Step 5: Distribute via ACX: Choose your royalty model:

• Exclusive: 40% royalty, available only on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes
• Non-exclusive: 25% royalty, distributed to broader platforms

For most education-focused audiobooks, exclusive distribution offers better royalties and promotional visibility on Audible.

Use AI to narrate faster (and skip the recording gear)

Traditional narration requires expensive equipment, soundproofing, and hours of recording. Many creators lack professional microphones or quiet spaces.

Murf's AI voice generator solves these challenges with voice cloning, multilingual audio dubbing, and pronunciation controls for technical terms. The platform's 200+ voices eliminate studio costs while emphasis adjustment and pause insertion create natural-sounding narration.

3. Earn through affiliate marketing & referral programs

If you already have an engaged audience via a newsletter, blog, LinkedIn, or YouTube channel, you can earn by recommending Audible audiobooks through the Amazon Associates program.

How to get started:

Step 1: Join Amazon Associates: Apply with a content-rich platform that regularly shares learning or professional development insights.

Step 2: Curate your recommendations: Share high-value listening lists such as “Top 10 audiobooks for team leaders” or “Must-listen sales strategy books.”

Step 3: Integrate links naturally: Add affiliate links to blog posts, podcast show notes, or online course resource pages. Make sure your recommendations feel natural to your audience.

Step 4: Track your performance: Once approved, generate unique tracking URLs for each audiobook and monitor what content converts best.

Here are some popular formats for promotion:

• Monthly listening guides
• Learning resource roundups
• “What I’m listening to” segments in newsletters
• Audiobook reviews or summaries

Each Audible purchase or new membership through your link generates commissions, often as flat bounties or a percentage of the sale.

4. Offer podcast or production services

If you’re comfortable with audio tools or already produce webinars, courses, or podcasts, there’s a growing market for audiobook production services, especially for authors who need help with the technical parts of publishing on ACX.

How to get started:

Step 1: Offer what you know: Services can range from consulting on recording techniques to full-service production (recording, editing, mastering, uploading).

Step 2: Leverage your experience: Professionals with instructional design or media production backgrounds can specialize in turning eBooks and training materials into engaging audiobooks.

Step 3: Bundle your offerings: Combine audiobook production with podcast services, or offer dual publishing packages for authors creating content in both formats.

You've seen the four paths to audiobook income and understand how each works. But what kind of earnings can creators actually expect? The numbers vary significantly based on experience, chosen path, and time invested. Understanding realistic benchmarks helps you set achievable goals.

How Much Money Can You Actually Make on Audible?

Understanding realistic income helps set appropriate goals. Here's what creators actually earn across different revenue streams.

Real Narrator Earnings: From Beginner to Professional

Narrators often see their earnings grow with experience:

• Months 1-6: $500-$1,500 (building portfolio)
• Year 1: $1,000-$3,000 monthly
• Year 2: $3,000-$6,000 (developing specialization)
• Year 3+: $6,000-$15,000 (premium projects)

Monthly royalty reports break down earnings by title, showing both unit sales and dollar amounts

These figures assume consistent availability and a professional approach to audiobook narration. New narrators often use Murf's voice styles feature to practice different genre deliveries and pacing before recording their ACX audition samples, improving their chances of landing higher-paying projects.

While narrator income grows predictably, understanding royalty structures helps you maximize earnings from your audiobook sales.

How Audiobook Royalties Work on ACX

ACX pays royalties based on your audiobook's retail price and distribution choice. Exclusive distribution through Audible earns 40% royalties but limits where you can sell. Non-exclusive distribution drops to 25% but lets you use other platforms. Here's how the math works for different price points:

These are standard ACX royalty rates. But what if you’d rather promote books than produce them?

Amazon Associates Earnings for Audiobook Promotions

Here’s what affiliate earnings can look like, based on your audience:

• 1,000 engaged followers: $100-$300 monthly
• 10,000 followers: $1,000-$3,000
• 50,000+ followers: $5,000-$10,000

These affiliate numbers show the potential of promotion alone. But creators who combine multiple income streams see the biggest returns. Whether you're narrating, publishing, or promoting, one tool can accelerate your entry into all these markets.

Turn Your eBooks into Audiobooks with Murf and Earn on Audible

Instead of paying for voiceovers, you can now earn by creating them. According to Straits Research, the audiobook market will surge from $10.31 billion in 2025 to $67.58 billion by 2033, making it the fastest-growing content format available to creators.

This explosive growth attracts serious players. Spotify's audiobook catalog expanded to 400,000 titles while successful creators report earning $50,000+ annually by combining multiple audiobook revenue streams. The message is clear: audio content has become essential for serious content monetization.

For creators ready to enter without studio investment, Murf's AI voice technology provides professional narration capabilities. With over 40,000 AI-narrated titles already succeeding on Audible, the technology has proven market acceptance. Features like voice cloning and multilingual AI dubbing let creators scale content across languages and markets, which is impossible with traditional recording.

Murf's intuitive interface allows voice selection, speed adjustment, and pronunciation customization for professional audiobook creation

Start earning this week: Choose your first audiobook project. Sign up for ACX and upload a chapter. Create your Amazon Associates account. Or try Murf's free trial to convert your first ebook into an audiobook. Every day you wait, competitors claim more market share in this booming industry.

‍