Amazon has announced two significant changes to its Kindle subscription program. First, Kindle Unlimited is being renamed Kindle+. Second, and more important for independent authors, eligible audiobooks can now be included in the subscription program.
Until now, Kindle Unlimited has primarily allowed subscribers to read multiple ebooks for a monthly fee. With Kindle+, Amazon is expanding the program to give subscribers access to audiobooks as well, at no additional cost. For authors already invested in producing audiobooks, this creates another potential way to reach listeners and earn royalties.
Which audiobooks qualify?
Right now, not every audiobook is eligible. Amazon has established several requirements:
- The audiobook must be distributed through Amazon’s ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange).
- It must have exclusive distribution through Audible.
- It must have Whispersync for Voice (Read & Listen) enabled.
- It must have been produced under ACX’s Pay for Production model.
Audiobooks produced through Royalty Share or Royalty Share Plus agreements are not currently eligible, although Amazon says it is exploring ways to include them in the future.
Authors with eligible titles can enroll their audiobooks in KDP Select through their KDP Bookshelf. According to Amazon, enrolling an audiobook does not create additional KDP Select exclusivity requirements beyond the audiobook’s existing distribution arrangements. For now, audiobook listening through Kindle+ is available to subscribers in the United States, although Amazon plans to expand into additional markets.
How will authors be paid?
Amazon says audiobook listening through Kindle+ will be compensated through the KDP Select Global Fund, just as ebook reading is today.
Instead of paying authors based on the number of hours someone listens, Amazon will calculate audiobook royalties using pages listened. Authors will be able to see pages read and pages listened separately in their KDP reports.
Amazon also says it is adding money to the Global Fund to support audiobook listening, rather than simply dividing the existing fund among more formats.
However, as with ebook royalties through Kindle Unlimited, the actual payment per page may vary from month to month. Regular Audible royalties will continue to be reported separately through ACX.
Should you enroll your audiobooks?
That depends on your publishing strategy. If your audiobook already meets the eligibility requirements, Kindle+ could introduce your work to subscribers who might not otherwise purchase an audiobook.
On the other hand, authors should consider how subscription listening fits into their overall audiobook sales and royalty income. Because this is a new program, we don’t yet know how much authors will earn from listening activity or how it might affect individual audiobook purchases.
My suggestion is to review your eligible titles, read Amazon’s enrollment terms carefully, and watch the early royalty reports before making decisions about your entire audiobook catalog.
What happens next?
Amazon says it will continue expanding Kindle+ and refining how audiobook listening is compensated as it learns more about subscriber behavior.
For independent authors, this is another development worth watching. Audiobooks have become an increasingly important part of the publishing business, and giving subscription readers the option to listen as well as read could open new opportunities.
You can learn more through Amazon’s KDP Select Help Center.
As always, the important thing is to understand how these changes affect your books before deciding whether to participate.