Audible Sets Dates for ACX Legacy Royalty Cutoff: Enroll by Dec. 31 or Lose Distribution

ACX authors with titles still on Audible's legacy royalty terms have two months left to decide. In an October 14 written statement, Lee Jarit, Audible's Global Head of Publisher and Partner Relations, said Audible will begin "the process to stop distributing titles not enrolled in Audible's new royalty model by December 31, 2026" starting January 1, 2027. The statement was published in full by the Self-Publishing Advice Center.

ACX's own announcement of the new model put it more loosely: "By end of year, the legacy royalty model will be discontinued. By that time, you must either choose to enroll your titles in the new model or discontinue distribution if you prefer." Jarit's statement puts dates on it.

What changes for authors

The new model opened to every ACX creator on May 26, 2026. ACX says it pays 50% for exclusive distribution to Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, or 30% for non-exclusive distribution.

The higher percentages apply to a different base. Membership listening is now paid from what Audible calls Member Value. In Jarit's description, that is the "price of monthly membership plan net of discounts, taxes and fees," shared across the titles a member engaged with that month and weighted by price. Cash purchases still pay on list price.

ACX also lists three new options: titles can be opted into Audible's all-you-can-listen program, rights holders can suggest a price, and earnings statements are more detailed.

Removal can be undone

According to Jarit, titles Audible stops distributing "can be reinstated with their reviews, ranking history and Whispersync pairing intact by agreeing to Audible's new royalty model terms." He said details of the reinstatement process will be posted on ACX's help site in the coming weeks.

He also said rights holders do not need a producer's consent to enroll royalty share titles, and that producers keep receiving their share after a title converts. Authors who reach Audible through an aggregator should ask that company what it needs, since Audible says it has told aggregators about the year-end timeline.

Audible's numbers, unverified

Jarit cited early results. Audible says that, comparing the same titles over equal periods, ACX creators on the new model "collectively earned over 26% more in total royalties in their first 1-2 months, and 64% of creators earned more overall." It also says the average credit royalty per unit rose about 20%.

Those figures come from Audible alone. Audible has not published an average Member Value, and the figures cannot be checked from outside the company. By Audible's own count, about a third of creators on the new model did not earn more.

The timing catch

ACX's blog says enrollment "goes into effect on the 1st of the following month." A title enrolled in November moves to the new terms on December 1. A title enrolled in the last days of December would not switch until January 1, the same day removals start, so there is little room to fix a portal problem.

To enroll, ACX says to log in, open My Projects, and use the Enroll titles option on the banner, either for every title or for a selection. DIY titles claimed after May 26 were enrolled automatically, so the decision mainly concerns older audiobooks.

Sources

• ACX: Audible's new royalty model brings more ways to earn
• Lee Jarit, Audible, written statement of October 14, 2026, as published by the Self-Publishing Advice Center