How to Make Money on Audible [2024] Best Ways Ranked for Amazon Audible

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Here are the best ways how to make money on Audible.

Each year in the U.S. there are a staggering $1.3 billion1 in audiobook sales. Whoa. 

And approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year. Therefore the average American eats 3 pizzas while listening to each book. Ha! I always knew I was above average.

The easiest way to make money on Audible is to promote the free trial because it’s a really good deal for customers. If you’re a book blogger or influencer, I’d hop on the Audible Creator Program.

The most fun way for content creators is to be an audiobook narrator.

Keep reading and I’ll unveil the playbook of money making secrets of Audible. 

What Is Audible?

Audible is an Amazon-owned digital audiobook and spoken word entertainment platform.

Audible offers a ginormous collection of audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio content that people can purchase and listen to through their devices, such as their iPhone, Kindle, Microsoft Zune or AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio.

How to Make Money on Audible

The first step for how to make money on Audible is do the obvious – sign-up for Audible. You need to understand the platform from the inside out. With this link there’s a free 30-day trial.

Plus, then you can promote the Audible affiliate program, which pays $15 per sign-up.

And remember, once you start making money on Audible, you’re a small business. And in the US you can typically take tax deductions for business-related expenses such as your Audible subscription. (Consult a tax accountant for exciting details.)

Audible Affiliate Marketing

Earnings potential: Up to $15 per free trial sign-up and $10 for every Audible Gold Digital Membership sign-up. 

One great option if you’re learning how to make money on Audible is through their Affiliate Program. As an Audible affiliate, you can earn commissions by promoting Audible products through affiliate links. This means that every time someone clicks on your affiliate link and signs up for a free trial or purchases an Audible membership, you earn money.

A screenshot of the Audible Creator Program, where you can promote Audible through Amazon Associates and earn affiliate income.
It really is this simple to make money with Audible through the Amazon Associates affiliate program!

To get started with Audible affiliate marketing, you must first sign up for the program.

Once approved, you’ll receive a unique affiliate ID and custom URL that you can use to promote Audible. You can then incorporate your affiliate links in your blog posts, social media channels, YouTube videos, and in your email signature when replying to your mom.

Audible is one of the best referral bonus apps. This is a great way to make money with Audible.

Join the Audible Creator Program

Earnings potential: You’ll earn a $15 commission for every trial you generate. 

Joining the Audible Creator Program is a fantastic way to tap into the booming audiobook industry. It’s a great way how to make money on Audible doing what you love. The Audible Creator Program is a lot like the Amazon Associates Program, except it’s just for Audible.

With Audible’s trial membership, available through the Audible Creator Program, your audience will get a 30-day free trial of Audible plus a free Audible book, and you’ll get $15 for each trial. It’s a Win-Win. 

I hate Win-Win in football, because that means it’s a tie game. But in business, Win-Win is the best outcome. You’re happy, the customer is happy, and you’ll probably go to Heaven, where they serve unlimited pizzas with your audiobooks with no judgment.

With the Amazon Associates Program, you can promote everything in the Amazon marketplace. You’re not limited to only make money with Audible and audiobooks. 

For example, if you’re a travel blogger or YouTuber, you’ll sign up for the Amazon Associates Program (affiliate marketing) because you’ll probably talk about exciting packing cubes, snazzy water bottles, and popular travel audiobooks.

Or, if you start a pet care blog, you can promote pet accessories and training books.

On the other hand, if you’re a book blogger or YouTuber only, you might want to sign up for the Audible Creator Program, which is to specifically promote Audible and audiobooks. Maximize your earnings potential by signing up for both.

Become an Audible Narrator

Earnings potential: Professional narrators typically earn anywhere from $20 to $100 an hour. Amazon does note that for SAG-AFTRA members, your rates will be higher than for freelancers.

Man, this is a dream gig for a lot of people. Work from home. Make everyone shut up while you record. Narrate exciting stories like Peter Thomas, the voice of Forensic Files. 

Warning: Do NOT go to sleep to episodes of Forensic Files every night like I do. Now I can’t fall asleep unless I hear how someone poisoned their spouse with arsenic in their toothpaste and only got caught because of DNA from a tiny strand of their cat’s fur under the car seat located 23 years after the murder.

Sign-up for a free Audible trial and listen carefully to books in different genres. Learn from the best. All great actors, including voice actors, begin by studying the masters. Mimic them. Then as you get better, you’ll develop your unique style.

Becoming an Audible narrator is a great opportunity to make money doing what you love – narrating captivating stories or creating engaging content. You can also reach a broad audience of audiobook enthusiasts through Audible’s massive user base. If you have a “good voice,” it’s one of the best ways of how to make money on Audible!

To start as an Audible narrator, you’ll sign up for an Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) account, Amazon’s self-publishing platform that allows authors to create and publish audiobooks. You’ll create a profile and start auditioning for projects that look interesting to you! You don’t have to be a professional narrator to get started, either!

Turbo Boost Your Results

If you are brand new to audiobook narrating, take a class like this one: Becoming a Narrator. In this course, you’ll not only learn how to record but also how to promote your work and earn more money. Educational courses are the #1 way to shortcut the competition.

You’ll also want quality audio editing software.

Once an author has chosen you, you’ll record, get approval from the author, and then submit your work to Amazon’s Quality Assurance (QA) engineers. Once that’s approved, you’ll get paid!

There are two options to get paid:

  • By the per finished hour – this means you’ll get paid at the very end
  • Royalty share – you’ll get paid monthly for any sales of your audiobook

If you choose the royalty route, Amazon recommends you promote the book you recorded once it’s released to your friends, family, email subscribers, social media followers – anyone and everyone! This will help sales, of course, but it will also show other authors how valuable you are and make them want to hire you.

A screenshot of all the resources Amazon provides to help you build a narration portfolio.
Amazon offers plenty of resources to help elevate your narration game, including choosing the best microphone, setting up your space, and audition tips.

You can increase your earnings further by joining the Audible Approved Producer status. That process is more involved and involves emailing Amazon your audiobook narration credentials and achievements, but if you have that and are approved, you’ll get a special icon on your profile saying Audible Approved.2

So, if you have a passion for storytelling or creating engaging content and want to earn extra income or even establish a passive income stream, becoming an Audible narrator is worth exploring. Some would say it’s one of the best hobbies to make money.

Sell Audible Products

Earnings potential: You’ll earn $15 per Audible trial sign-up, $10 per Audible Gold Digital Membership, $5 per, and 50 cents per Audible audiobook you sell. There’s no limit to the number of sales you can generate, so the income potential for this is unlimited!

I especially love this method for book bloggers and social media influencers.

If you’re looking for how to make money on Audible, the steps to earn money through selling Audible products are straightforward:

  • Sign up for the Audible Creator Program – you’ll promote or recommend an audiobook you love to your audience via the Audible Creator Program. This gives your audience a 30-day free trial of Audible and a free audiobook (win for them!) You’ll get $15 for each trial you generate.
  • Once your audience is signed up for Audible, continue recommending audiobooks via the Amazon Associates Program. You’ll earn $10 for every Audible Gold Digital Membership you sell, and 50 cents for every Audible audiobook you sell (also known as ‘a la carte sales.’)

You can also focus on selling Audible subscriptions via the Audible Creator and Amazon Associates Programs while promoting individual audiobooks. Your audience doesn’t even need a monthly subscription to Audible if they don’t want to – you’ll still make money on a la carte sales. 

Clearly, you’ll want to sell more memberships than you will want to sell a la carte books, but if you have a large audience via an email newsletter list or a popular website, you could still generate a seriously good income based on your audiobook recommendations. I could also see this as a way how to make money on Pinterest.

Teach Others How to Create an Audiobook

Earnings potential: As long as you market your course and update it as needed, you could earn thousands from one course! This is not only a stellar way of how to make money on Audible, but also through your website, social media, and more. 

Creating an audiobook not only allows you to teach others valuable skills but also provides you with the opportunity to earn passive income. So why not share your expertise and make some extra cash at the same time? Once you have some experience, either being a narrator or an author (or both!), you can create courses and teach others your skills.

From courses on becoming a narrator to becoming an author, there are so many things you could teach about creating an audiobook. Maybe you are really skilled at the marketing angle of audiobooks – you could teach that! You could have a really great recording setup – you could teach people how to build their own recording studios using affordable materials such as old cardboard pizza boxes to soundproof the room.

Once you’ve identified what you want to teach, create an outline for your course and start recording. I recommend recording with the best webinar software, like WebinarNinja, then hosting your course on reputable online course platforms like:

Tips for How to Make Money on Audible

  • The best way to maximize your Audible affiliate earnings is to promote to your audience using email marketing software like Kit. (Read my Kit review.)
  • Join the Audible Creator Program – Promoting Audible through the Creator Program is a no-brainer since you get paid and your audience gets to try out Audible for free. Just make sure to recommend a good audiobook, so your audience will trust your future recommendations!
  • Once you have experience as an author or narrator, you can sell your skills using course creation tools like Teachable, Learnworlds, or Thinkific. Think outside the box of teaching people how to narrate an audiobook or even how to write a book. Other people learning how to make money on Audible may need more information about how to create the right audio recording space, promote themselves, or establish a relationship with authors. 

Common Questions About How to Make Money on Audible

Make Money With Audible / Making Money on Audible / How to Make Money With Amazon Audible

Here are five main ways to make money with Audible:

  1. Audible Affiliate Marketing
  2. Audible Creator Program
  3. Audible Narrator
  4. Sell Audible Products
  5. Teach Others How to Create Audiobooks (use an easy-to-set-up platform like Teachable) 

How to Make Money on Audible Reddit?

On Reddit, users highlight narrating audiobooks through Audible’s Creator Program, promoting audiobooks through social media and other marketing channels, joining the Audible affiliate program, and earning passive income from sales and royalties as ways to make money on Audible.

One common suggestion on Reddit is to become a narrator through Audible’s Creator Program. Regardless of your experience level, Audible offers resources and support to help you improve your narration skills. This is a great way to showcase your talent and earn money.3

A screenshot from Reddit where a professional narrator describes how payment works for Audible narrators.
This professional narrator on Reddit shares how most people get paid Per Finished Hour, and pay ranges from $20-100 an hour, depending on skill and demand.

Reddit users recommend using social media, a blog, or email marketing to spread the word about your creations. Engaging with book lovers and leveraging your network can help you build a solid audience and increase sales.4

A screenshot from Reddit sharing how you should market a book using Facebook.
While this advice is for authors marketing books they’ve written, narrators should also help promote a book they’ve finished narrating

Can You Actually Make Money on Audible?

Yes, Audible is an awesome money-making opportunity! Even if you have no prior experience, you can learn to become a narrator or Audible affiliate marketer. You can also promote your work through social media, blogs, or email marketing to attract a solid audience and increase sales, especially if you’re on a royalty payment plan.

Another option to make money online is to sell stuff online through platforms like eBay. Find out more in Is it worth selling on eBay?

What Does Audible Pay?

You can make money by becoming a narrator and joining their affiliate program. According to professional narrators, you can earn anywhere from $20 to 100 an hour, depending on how in-demand you are. As an Amazon affiliate, you’ll make side-hustle money at the beginning (a few hundred a month) until you start building your list of recommended items and products. 

How to Make Passive Income on Audible?

Sweet Audible passive income can be yours by becoming a book narrator!

Or you can sign-up for the Audible affiliate program. Earn Audible passive income by posting your Audible affiliate link on your social media, blog, or YouTube. You’ll earn passive money when people sign-up for Audible in order to hear the audio books you recommend.

So if you post your Audible affiliate link on your Instagram bio, on your Facebook, in your YouTube video descriptions, on TikTok, or wherever you already post content, you can make Amazon Audible passive income.

You can earn passive income with Audible by promoting your Audible link on any piece of content you were going to create anyhow.

For example, if you host podcasts, you can promote Audible at the beginning and end. Even if someone listens to that episode years from now, you’ll still get paid if they sign-up for Audible. That means that episode you record today can be making you passive income for years and years.

If you want to start a podcast, be sure to check out my review of the best podcast hosting sites.

Whether you’re a book narrator or an affiliate marketer, you can make passive income from Audible. Audible can be a fun and easy passive income stream.

How to Make Money on Audible as a Narrator?

If you have a passion for storytelling and a great voice, you can learn how to make money on Audible as a narrator. To get started, create a profile on the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) and get paid royalties for every audiobook sale or get paid per finished hour. 

Is Making Money on Audible Legit?

If you’re searching for how to make money on Audible, you’re probably wondering if any of this is legit. Well, it is! Audible is a reputable platform that provides multiple ways for content creators to earn an income. Whether you’re an experienced narrator, an author, an affiliate marketer, or a course creator, there are opportunities for you to generate extra cash through Audible.

How to Make Money on Audible With AI?

You can use AI to help you promote the books you’ve narrated or the audiobooks you recommend to your audience. You can also set up a website (make sure to choose one of the best website builders, like Weebly!) and have AI help you write blog posts about your favorite Amazon products and audiobooks. 

How to Sell on Audible?

The best way to sell on Audible is through Audible’s affiliate program. You can also sign up for Audible’s narrator program, where you create a profile and showcase your talented narrating voice. 

This a pretty darn cool low-cost business ideas with high profit. And I highly recommend that if you start an online business, you make it into an LLC (I recommend ZenBusiness – you can learn why in Bizee vs ZenBusiness). Not sure if this is the right move for you? Here’s Why do you need an LLC.

I’ve set up an LLC, because it protects my personal finances and makes my business more legitimate. Here is the best LLC service. And to help you get started, I created this helpful LLC checklist and LLC 101 guide.

Does Audible Have an Affiliate Program?

Yes, Audible does have an affiliate program. As an affiliate, you can earn extra income by promoting Audible’s products with affiliate links. When someone clicks on your link and signs up for a membership, you earn a commission.

You should also check out these other affiliate program guides:

What Is The Audible Creator Program?

The Audible Creator Program is a lot like the Amazon Associates Program, except it’s just for Audible. The Audible Creator Program pays you $15 per trial generated, and your audience gets one free audiobook plus a 30-day trial membership. 

How to Make Passive Income on Amazon Without Selling Physical Products

  • Join the free Audible Creator Program – earn $15 dollars each time someone clicks your link to sign-up for Amazon Audible’s collection of audiobooks and podcasts
  • Make video reviews of products you already own – upload to Amazon to earn passive income with the Earn with Amazon video program
  • Join the Amazon affiliate program to earn money when people buy an existing product on Amazon after clicking your link.
  • Create an Amazon Storefront and make videos about products on Amazon – make money when people watch your short videos and then buy the product
  • Write eBooks or sell eBooks – books you write (or pay someone else to write) can make you passive income for many years.
  • Use Merch by Amazon – You create the design. Amazon actually makes the physical products and ships it for you.
  • Join Audible Affiliate Marketing by Amazon to sell virtual audiobooks
  • Become an Audible Narrator and add your voice to books to make passive income on Amazon without selling physical products

Related:

Sources:

1 – https://www.statista.com/topics/3296/audiobooks/#topicOverview

2 – https://www.acx.com/mp/how-it-works/narrators-and-studios

3 – https://www.reddit.com/r/audiobooks/comments/13db9j5/im_an_audiobook_narrator_feel_free_to_ask_me/

4 – https://www.reddit.com/r/selfpublish/comments/cfg870/how_the_heck_do_you_promote_your_book/