Audible Affiliate Program: Commission rate and review

Learn how to join the Audible affiliate program and make money with it. Plus, discover other ways to get paid by Audible!

1. About Audible 

Audible is an audiobook and podcast service from Amazon. It offers more than 90,000 titles and exclusive content, allowing you to enjoy audiobooks and podcasts anytime, anywhere. 

One of the keys to Audible’s broad presence is the affiliate marketing strategy, which involves promoting Audible’s audiobook and spoken-word entertainment services to potential customers. It makes the service incredibly successful and popular, especially in the U.S.A. 

If you are interested in working as an Audible affiliate, you can find the answer to all your questions in our article: what is their affiliate program, how does it work, and how can you make money with it? 

Let us walk you through all you need to know about the Amazon Audible Affiliate Program before embarking on your affiliate journey. 

2. Amazon Audible Affiliate Program   

Audible does have an affiliate program. The Audible Affiliate Program is a part of the Amazon Associates Program and is one of the most popular audiobook affiliate programs out there. 

So, how does it work? 

Audible Affiliate Program allows individuals and businesses (so-called affiliates) to earn a commission by promoting Audible audiobooks and their memberships on online channels.   

Once you are accepted to be an affiliate, you will get an affiliate link. Affiliates can place this link on their blog or incorporate it into their social media content. When a person clicks on the link, registers for an Audible membership, or buys an audiobook from Audible, you will receive a bounty. 

See more: Spotify Affiliate Program: Do they launch any?

2.1. Audible Affiliate Commission 

There are different commission types that you can earn through the Audible affiliate program, depending on what products or services you generate. The details are as follows:

Audible Free Trial (Free) 

• Affiliates earn $5 for every trial member who signs up for a one-month free trial.
• Trial members receive two free audiobooks and can purchase additional titles at a 30% discount.

Audible Gold Digital Membership ($14.95/month) 

• A successful referral brings the affiliate $10.00 (one-time only, no recurring commission)
• Members receive one audiobook per month and can purchase additional titles at a 30% discount.

Audible Audiobooks ($2.99 to $20 for a book) 

• The affiliate earns a $0.50 bounty on every audiobook sold, regardless of the audiobook’s cost.
• Bounties are earned even if the buyer uses a credit from their Premium Plus plan.

Maximize your website effectively with Audible’s versatile offerings. However, the cookie window of this Program is 24 hours, which is similar to Amazon Associate Program. It is quite short compared to most affiliate programs.

2.2. Audible Affiliate Joining Fee

Joining the Audible affiliate program is completely free. 

You do not need an active Audible membership (or anything equivalent) to participate. Please stay away from affiliate programs that ask for a purchase to join – which may maybe a red flag of a pyramid scheme.

2.3. Marketing Materials And Tracking Tools 

Amazon equips its affiliates with text links, banners, and images for promoting Audible and other products. Their banners dynamically adjust to the screen size of the user, detecting the device, browser, and more to optimize their display.  Notably, your website doesn’t need to be mobile-responsive for these banners to function effectively.

To access these promotional materials, navigate to the Special Bounties tab within the Promotions Hub on your dashboard.

Anyway, you have the flexibility to design your own promotional content using your unique affiliate link.  Just check out carefully Amazon’s guidelines and policies when using their logo and other materials in the banners and graphics. 

2.4. How to get an audible affiliate link? 

To get an Audible affiliate link, affiliates must first join the Audible Affiliate Program and access their affiliate dashboard. Then, you can see your unique affiliate tracking links there. Affiliates can place the link on their marketing channels and then track click and conversion performance on the affiliate dashboard. 

3. Audible Affiliate Requirements

Before joining the program, you must qualify for their standards, including:

1. Website or Social Media Channels: Valid websites or social media channels (that have followers) are a must to promote Audible products.
2. Amazon Associates Account: You will need to apply and get approved for Amazon Associates before joining the Audible Program.
3. Personal or Business Information: fill out all information required in application form.
   

4. Joining the Audible affiliate program

Previously you could join the Audible Affiliate Program via Amazon Associate Program or Awin, but recently the Awin portal was closed. 

So, to become an Audible affiliate, you can use your Amazon Associates Program (if you have one) and then apply for the Audible Affiliate Program. Once you are approved, you can start promoting Audible products and memberships on your website or social media channels and earn commissions on eligible purchases.

Here are the steps in detail:

1. Visit the Audible Affiliate Program website: Go to the Audible website and navigate to the “Affiliates” section.
2. Sign Up for the Program: Click on the “Join Now” button to begin the sign-up process. Fill out the necessary information, including your website or blog details, and submit your application.
3. Receive Approval: Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email from Audible with information about your application status.
4. Access Your Affiliate Dashboard: Once approved, you’ll gain access to your affiliate dashboard.
5. Retrieve Marketing Materials: From your dashboard, you can retrieve your unique affiliate links and marketing materials.
6. Begin Promoting Audible: Start promoting Audible through your chosen channels.
7. Earn Commissions: You can earn commissions for each successful referral. 

5. Audible Affiliate Program Review

In this part, we review the Audible Affiliate Program, especially about its strict entry standards, earning potential, and promotion effectiveness. 

5.1. Audible requires a high-quality affiliate

Audible Affiliate Program requires their affiliate to be active on a well-established platform. So, if you are not a micro-influencer, a high-quality website with traffic is needed. 

Please note that your content should highly revolve around audio or book-related themes. 

The range is so vast: 

• novel reviews
• non-fiction content
• Podcasts
• audiobook reviews
• niche topics, such as psychology or cosmography.

It is crucial for acceptance into the Amazon associate network.  Without meeting the standards above, you are likely to not be accepted to the program. 

Tips: If you’re considering joining the Audible Affiliate Program, but don’t have time to build a website – you can buy one. There are a number of well-established websites with high domain authority. Just buy one – but make sure your content is closely aligned with Audible. 

You can start with around 20 quality posts about books and consider hiring a content writer if you struggle with SEO. 

Remember, a good web helps you to join the program, but your content would be the one making money. 

5.2. Earning Potentials 

Most affiliates report that a significant portion of their earnings comes from promoting “free trials”, rather than “audiobooks” and “gold digital membership”.  

A free trial sign-up yields a fixed $5 commission. They make $50 for 10 successful trials. And around 1 over 10 users upgrade to the gold version which gives you $10.

As a result, many Audible affiliates focus simply on lead generation (and not on nurturing customers).

But there aren’t many tactical options, though. The best way is to intrigue curiosity: they quote/review a book chapter, focus on the reader’s pain points, and suggest Audible’s book for exploration.

Side note: some of them try to scam audiences. They create fake links or create lies to push users to sign up for a trial. For example, they may lie that signing up will entitle the user to a small incentive.

I suggest you not to try. Don’t forget you gave your real-life personal information to Amazon and, in case you are exposed, the legal consequences are major.

Surprisingly, scams that aim to steal users’ information are very common in the affiliate marketing industry.

5.3. Geographical Effectiveness

Audible is available in 11 countries, but most of their users live in the U.S. and U.K.

So your result will change significantly depending on the audience region. Make sure to choose the right one.

Some Tips for Success

• Choose the Right Books: Focus on popular titles or new releases to attract a larger audience. 
• Build an Email List: Encourage users to subscribe for updates and exclusive Audible recommendations.
• Stay Consistent: Consistency is key; keep creating and promoting content regularly. By following this guide and incorporating these tips, you’ll be on your way to earning your first $1000 with the Amazon Audible Affiliate Program.

6. Audible Affiliate Program and Audible Creator Program: The difference  

Besides Audible affiliate programs, Audible also offers another choice: Audible content creation programs! Both of them let you earn money by recommending Audible. However, there are some important differences regarding how you promote Audible and how you receive commissions.

Audible Affiliate Program accepts pure affiliates, and affiliates can promote Audible products and services on their website or blog. Affiliates earn a fixed advertising fee for their successful referral: $10 for gold membership, $5 for a free trial, and $0.5 for each audiobook. 

So how is it different from the Audible Creator Program? 

In short, the Audible Creator Program offers many more benefits than the Audible Affiliate Program 

The Audible Creator Program offers a unique opportunity for podcasters. It absolutely requires a high level of podcasting quality (simply is not for everyone). Audible seeks creators with a distinctive and engaging voice, ensuring that the content aligns with their standards.

In turn, the commission rate for Audible Crater is 3 times higher than that of affiliates. For every successful free trial sign-up, they earn a $15 commission. Listeners also enjoy a free audiobook during their 30-day trial. As a podcaster, the $30.00 payment threshold is not a big amount compared to the earning potential.

More impressively, the creator’s referral link’s cookie duration is 30 days – much longer than the 24-hour cookie duration of the Affiliate Program.

Participating in the Audible Creator Program is not about hard selling. Podcasters can effortlessly promote Audible by casually mentioning the free trial membership during their episodes. No sales pitch – only organic and genuine for the audience. 

The application process for the Audible Creator Program is straightforward. Once you’ve submitted your application, AudibleTrial.com will reach out to you via email. This streamlined communication ensures that potential creators are promptly informed about their acceptance into the program.

Audible Creator Program exclusively focuses on podcasters (typically on YouTube and Spotify) and it does not accept all types of influencers. An average American consumes up to 8 podcasts a week and this program is a brilliant approach of Aublible. 

Canva also has a program targeted at content creators.

7. Bonus: other ways to get paid by Audible 

Besides joining the Audible Affiliate Program, there are other ways to get paid by this company.

1. Corporate with Audible as an independent influencer

Although Audible has no official influencer program, they love influencers.

A bunch of influencers of all sizes now promote Audibles’s service on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. For example, YouTube influencers can make $20-$10,000 per video. 

2. Join their Audible Podcast Development Program

The Audible Podcast Development Program helps creators develop their podcast ideas into being. If your idea is qualified, Audible will award you $10K to develop your idea into a fully produced podcast program.

3. Create Audiobooks

Through Audible’s self-publishing marketplace, Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX), creators simply make an account, upload their audiobook, and start making money with every sale made. The books appear on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, and they typically sell for $15 to $25.

4. Become a Narrator

Through ACX, narrators can create a profile and upload samples of their voice work. There are three ways to make money as a narrator:

• Per-finished-hour (PFH): A fixed amount for the whole book. 
• Royalty share: You get a part of royalties (e.g 10%) with the author or rights holder
• Both of the above. 

A narrator can expect to make between $500 to $5,000 per month.

8. Wrapping it up 

If you love listening to audiobooks, podcasts, or other audio content, you should check out the Audible Affiliate Program. Audible is the world’s largest library of audiobooks and original audio shows. You can get a free trial and access to thousands of titles, plus exclusive member benefits like discounts, credits, and exchanges. And if you sign up using my link, you’ll also support this channel and help me create more awesome content for you. So what are you waiting for? Click the link in the description and start your Audible journey today!

9. FAQs 

Information disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on personal experience and research and is for general informational purposes only. As an affiliate, I may earn commissions from the programs mentioned in this review. While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, I make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information provided. Your experience with these programs may vary. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. It is recommended to conduct your own research and consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on the content of this article.