Findaway Voices | Publishing Audiobooks on Audible, Amazon & Beyond

About this video

Dale interviews Will Degas, head of Findaway Voices, at Findaway’s headquarters near Cleveland, Ohio. Degas explains the model: authors can create an audiobook through the platform or upload an existing one (from any narrator or studio, provided it meets audio specs) and distribute it to 34 partners — soon 36 and then 38 — with no upfront fee regardless of word count; narrators themselves are not free. Findaway collects royalties from all partners and keeps 20%, paying the author 80%, with payouts every 30 days. Royalty structures vary by partner: Google Play and Audiobooks.com pay 50% of the author-set list price (so on a $10 list price, the $5 royalty splits into $4 for the author and $1 for Findaway), Apple and Chirp pay 45%, subscription services like Scribd operate on a listening pool model, and libraries buy either à la carte or pay-per-circulation — usually under $1 per checkout, paid on checkout whether or not the patron listens; library list prices are typically two to three times retail prices. Because royalties are calculated on list price rather than sale price, retailer discounting does not cut the author’s pay, which makes ad ROI calculable. On ACX: non-exclusive ACX authors can freely upload to Findaway Voices, but exclusive-contract authors must not, and no one should ask Findaway to deliver a duplicate to ACX. For Apple specifically, Degas says a book sent through both routes will briefly duplicate, then Apple favors the Findaway Voices version because its 45% royalty beats the 25% rate via ACX.

Key takeaways

• Findaway Voices distribution is free upfront: it takes 20% of royalties and the author keeps 80%, paid every 30 days, across 34 (soon 38) partners.
• Royalties are based on your set list price, not the retailer’s sale price — e.g., a $10 list price at Google Play’s 50% rate yields a $5 royalty, $4 to the author.
• Partner rates differ: Google Play and Audiobooks.com 50%, Apple and Chirp 45%, subscription services use a listening pool, and libraries pay per circulation (usually under $1 per checkout).
• Non-exclusive ACX authors can distribute through Findaway Voices freely; exclusive ACX authors must not, and duplicates must never be sent to ACX.
• Apple favors the Findaway Voices version of a book (45% royalty) over the ACX-delivered version (25%), removing the duplicate after a few days.

Episode details: published October 16, 2019 · 9:08 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

← Previous: Findaway Voices Review | Is This Audiobook Publishing Business Worth It? · Next: Audiobook Creation Exchange | ACX Exclusive or Non-Exclusive? →

All Dale L. Roberts videos · Dale L. Roberts profile · Dale L. Roberts on YouTube