Audible vs. Spotify: Where Should You Publish Your Audiobook?

📘 Smart Publishing Impact Series – Episode 51

In the last episode, we talked about Audible’s recent crackdown on AI voice cloning for audiobooks and why that decision creates new challenges for authors.

Since then, I’ve spent more time inside Spotify for Authors, testing the platform, publishing audiobooks, and learning how it works. The more time I spend in it, the more impressed I am.

So today I want to break down the real question many authors are now asking:

Should you publish your audiobook on Audible—or Spotify?

Let’s walk through the differences.

Platform Setup and Ease of Use

The first thing that stood out to me when I signed up for Spotify for Authors was how simple the platform is.

The onboarding process is quick, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Uploading an audiobook is straightforward, and the platform walks you step-by-step through:

• entering metadata

• uploading your cover

• adding audio files

• organizing chapter order

With Audible’s ACX platform, the experience is very different.

ACX can feel clunky and confusing. There are multiple sections and menus where authors can easily get lost. If something is submitted incorrectly, your audiobook may be sent back for revision—after you’ve already waited 10 business days or more for review.

When that happens, you go straight back to the end of the queue.

Spotify’s process is simply faster and smoother.

Team Access and Account Management

Another feature I love as a publisher is the ability to add team members to your account.

Spotify allows you to invite collaborators and assign different permission levels. That means someone can help manage your audiobook uploads without needing access to your login credentials.

This matters more than people realize.

On ACX, there is no way to add team members. If someone needs to help manage your account, the only option is to share your login credentials—which is something no platform recommends.

Spotify solves that problem elegantly.

Data and Listener Insights

Spotify also provides significantly better analytics.

Inside your reporting dashboard, you can view insights about:

• listener demographics

• geographic location of your audience

• listening behavior

• engagement patterns

• audiobook performance

For example, you can see whether listeners are:

• finishing your audiobook

• dropping off early

• engaging deeply with the content

This kind of insight is incredibly valuable for authors. If listeners stop after five minutes, that’s important feedback.

Audible’s reporting, by comparison, is extremely limited.

Royalty Structure

Spotify also offers a very author-friendly royalty structure.

For direct audiobook purchases:

70% goes to the author
30% goes to Spotify

That’s the same royalty split offered by Kindle Direct Publishing for ebooks—one of the best royalty structures in publishing.

On Audible, authors do not have this level of control.

Pricing Control

Another major difference is pricing.

On Audible, you cannot set the price of your audiobook. Audible determines the price for you.

On Spotify, you can set your own pricing.

This means authors can:

• experiment with pricing strategies

• adjust pricing for promotions

• align audiobook pricing with their broader marketing strategy

That level of flexibility gives authors much more control over their product.

Distribution Opportunities

Spotify also allows authors to expand distribution through Voices by InAudio.

With just a few clicks, you can connect your Spotify account and distribute your audiobook to additional platforms such as:

• Kobo Books

• Apple Books

• other audiobook retailers

The setup process takes only a few minutes, and you do not need to re-upload your files.

Spotify can pass the audiobook directly to the distribution network.

Speed of Publication

Another major difference is publishing speed.

On Audible, the approval process typically takes:

10+ business days

And if your files are rejected or need revisions, you start the process again from the back of the queue.

On Spotify, audiobooks typically process in up to 72 hours.

That’s a dramatically faster turnaround.

AI Narration Compatibility

One of the biggest reasons authors are reconsidering Audible right now is its stance on AI voice cloning.

Audible has begun rejecting audiobooks created with AI-generated narration.

Spotify, on the other hand, is far more AI-forward and currently allows authors to use AI voice narration—as long as the quality meets platform standards.

For many authors, this makes audiobook creation far more accessible.

Not everyone has:

• $10,000 for studio recording

• multiple days to spend recording audio

• the ability to hire narrators

AI voice cloning has allowed authors to produce audiobooks using their own voice at a fraction of the cost.

Spotify supports that flexibility.

The Bigger Picture

This doesn’t mean Audible is going away.

It still has massive market share.

But authors today should think about platform diversification.

Spotify is rapidly growing as a destination for:

• podcasts

• spoken-word content

• audiobooks

And from everything I’ve seen so far, the platform is designed with creators in mind.

Final Thoughts

After spending significant time with both platforms, my takeaway is simple:

Spotify feels far more author-forward.

It offers:

• easier onboarding

• stronger analytics

• flexible pricing

• faster publishing

• AI-friendly tools

• broader distribution options

For authors who want more control and flexibility over their audiobooks, Spotify is quickly becoming a powerful alternative.

And as I continue learning more about the platform, I’ll keep sharing insights here.

Until next time—

Keep writing your story, because the world needs your voice.
—Renee