Best Audiobook Services & Audiobook Publishers to Know

Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment in publishing. And, with the emergence of AI narration, such as Apple Books digital narration with PublishDrive, it’s never been easier to turn your manuscript into an audio format. Entering this market is a fantastic way to expand your reach. To help, below is a list of the best audiobook services and audiobook publishers to know.

The Audiobook Market Is Booming

Real quick, let’s go over just how lucrative the audio market is looking:

• The global audio market is worth over $5.3 billion and is projected to reach $35 billion in 2030.
• This means that the audio market will grow by 26.4% every year over the next 7 years, while the book market will grow by 1.9%.
• By 2030, projections show that audio titles will account for over 21.3% of the global book publishing revenue.

As audiobook consumption peaks, so do audiobook services focusing on production, distribution, and beyond. With the rise of AI in publishing, audiobook publishing companies are increasingly integrating many of these technologies into their services. In fact, all the big five publishing retailers now provide AI-narrated audiobooks.

If you previously hesitated to create an audio format for monetary reasons, know that AI narration makes audiobooks widely affordable and accessible to produce. This has been a game-changer, especially for our self-publishing indies.

Best Audiobook Services & Publishing Companies to Know

To self-publish your audio title, you’ll need to upload the right files to your chosen publishing platform. These files include your 1) narrated content in mp3 files and 2) cover design. See how to create an audiobook.

Some audiobook distributors offer production services, such as Amazon’s ACX. You can also use third-party audiobook production companies or find professional narrators and format the files yourself. Without further ado –

10 Best Audiobook Services & Publishing Companies

1. Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX)

Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) is the largest publishing platform, distributing audio content to Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. Audible is the largest audiobook store, providing over 200,000 audio titles for listeners worldwide.

On the ACX platform, you can create an account for free and go through its audio process to produce and distribute your audio title. You have the option to produce your audiobook on ACX or upload your own files. 

Royalties you earn:

Going exclusive with ACX means you agree to distribute your title to Amazon’s channels and nowhere else for the first 90 days. Benefits include the higher royalty rate and a few exclusive marketing features like promo codes, which can help with spreading the word about your title and building reviews.

The disadvantage of going exclusive is that you can’t reach the rest of the book market, including other big retailers like Google Play Books, libraries like OverDrive, or niche spaces like Voxa. In 2023, PublishDrive indies generated 40% of their book sales from non-Amazon stores. If 40% of sales matter for you, consider publishing wide.

If you decide to go exclusive with ACX, you can always switch out after your 90 days is up. Or, you can continue being exclusive if the sales you earned under the exclusive deal were worth it. Note that with the royalty-share option, you can’t switch out to non-exclusive. To see what’s right for you, check out the pros and cons of self-publishing on Amazon. 

2. Kobo

Kobo distribution gets your book listed in Kobo.com, Walmart, Indigo (Canada’s #1 bookstore), Bol (e-commerce shop in the Netherlands), and other stores. There are no exclusivity clauses or fees to publish with Kobo.

Royalties you earn:

Kobo is a growing channel to tap into. In 2023, Kobo Plus (the reading subscription service from Kobo) was the 2nd highest-growing store for PublishDrive indies, generating 154% more book sales than the previous year:

To publish your audio content on Kobo, all you need to do is create a Kobo Writing Life account and upload your files.

3. OverDrive

OverDrive is one of the largest library distribution networks, reaching over 88,000 libraries worldwide, including the New York Public Library, London Libraries Consortium, and more.

Royalties you earn:

In the chart above, we see that OverDrive saw 30% more book sales in 2023. This is in line with global projections: “The global libraries and archives market is expected to grow from $73.68 billion in 2022 to $77.91 billion in 2023…expected to reach $93.69 billion in 2027…”

To strengthen your distribution strategy, you don’t want to miss out on libraries; OverDrive is a fantastic way to reach the library market. You can submit an inquiry form to work directly with OverDrive. However, it can be quicker to work with one of OverDrive’s distribution partners, such as PublishDrive.

4. Gardners

Gardners is the leading international wholesaler that distributes not only digital books, but music, film, and more. The hub consists of nine stores focused primarily on the U.K., Sweden, Poland, and Denmark.

Royalties you earn:

5. Audiobooks.com

Audiobooks.com is right behind Audible among the top audio subscription services in the U.S. Along with an extensive library, listeners have access to a podcast section that features more than 70,000 podcasts. Subscribers get a free title to start and one free title curated from the VIP section every month.

To distribute to Audiobooks.com, you’d need to contact them directly (and discuss royalty rates). Or, you can go through one of its third-party distribution partners PublishDrive.

6. Scribd

With over 1 million active users, Scribd is a leading book subscription service. After 30 days of free access, subscribers get unlimited access to digital content for $9.99 a month. The platform offers an additional rotating library of free audio content of around 5,000 titles.

Currently, it’s not possible to distribute directly to Scribd. Instead, you’d have to go through a third-party distributor. See how to distribute to Scribd with PublishDrive.

Royalties you earn:

7. Google Play Books

Indies made 68% more book sales on Google Play Books in 2023. As a giant digital store reaching over 40 countries, and with its app pre-installed on every Android device, Google Play Books is a solid channel to distribute your audiobook.

Royalties you earn:

8. Findaway Voices

Findaway Voices is one of the best audiobook distribution companies to know. You can sell your title in over 35 stores, reaching over 170 countries. Its impressive network includes libraries like OverDrive, subscription services like Scribd, major players like Google, retailers like Barnes & Noble, and even music providers like Deezer.

Audiobook publishers like Findaway Voices champion an open market. You choose where to sell and how much you want to price your title (except Audible, which sets its own pricing). 

Royalties you earn:

Like Audible, you can either take care of your audio files separately or get matched with a narrator on Findaway Voices.

9. Spotify

Spotify is the world’s largest audio streaming platform with more than 433 million monthly listeners. Users get access to a gigantic collection of music, podcast content, and recently, audiobooks. To distribute to Spotify, you’d need to go through Findaway Voices.

If you use an aggregator like PublishDrive, you reach Spotify, the rest of Findaway Voices’ stores, and everywhere else. Note that with PublishDrive, each audio title is sold via a la carte model, meaning as a standalone product. You’d get 40% of the net sale price earned with Spotify. See more on how to sell audiobooks on Spotify with PublishDrive.

10. PublishDrive

PublishDrive is a self-publishing platform that provides the largest reach, including all the best audiobook distributors mentioned in this list. Check out the entire list of PublishDrive’s audiobook store partners plus other stores:

PublishDrive doesn’t take additional royalties, meaning you keep 100% of the net royalties you earn with stores. That’s thanks to a flat-fee aggregation model where you pay a monthly fee for distribution services instead of giving up another piece of your royalties. In general, authors earn more with subscription-based aggregation. Check out how much more you can earn with PublishDrive’s book sales calculator.

Publishing your audio title with PublishDrive is super simple:

Other perks of publishing through PublishDrive include smart tools that help with metadata, sales reporting, and exclusive promotions across numerous stores.

Best Audiobook Creation Services to Know

If you decide to take a little detour from the big platforms, here are some AI voice software worth checking out:

• Murf offers 120+ natural-sounding AI voices across 20+ languages and accents. All you need to do is upload your script to the text editor and then go through the customization features. Prices start at $39 a month.
• Podcastle is a popular choice for Amazon books as it creates audiobooks compatible with ACX requirements. The software offers 20 different voices (English only) and starts as low as $12 a month.
• Speechify boasts over 130+ voices and 30 languages. Prices start at $39 a month.

Don’t Forget to Promote Your Audiobook

There’s more work to do after your audiobook goes live. It takes a solid promotion plan to sell your book. Do take the time to develop your book marketing timeline. Consider these best practices:

• Maintain your author branding: You want an online presence where book lovers can find and follow you. Create a website for free on WordPress. Set up author pages on Amazon, Google, and Goodreads. Run at least one social media account like Facebook or Instagram. Regularly share news about your book and author's life for continuous engagement.
• Collect audiobook reviews: Make this a top priority. In today’s e-commerce landscape, people won’t buy with zero reviews. Reach out to audiobook reviewers. Ask other authors you know to swap reviews. Post in online forums. Land at least a handful of positive reviews before spending money on ads.
• Feature in stores and newsletters: There are lots of free and paid promotions out there. See where you can advertise your book for free. Look for featuring opportunities within the stores you decide to distribute to. On PublishDrive, you get a running list of free sales events from major retailers like Apple Books, Kobo, and more. Check out PublishDrive’s promotion success stories.

Hope this was helpful!