ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is a platform owned by Amazon that connects authors, publishers, and rights holders with narrators and producers to create audiobooks. It serves as both a marketplace and a production hub in the audiobook publishing ecosystem.

Here's a more detailed explanation of ACX:

• Marketplace Function: ACX allows authors to post their books and audio rights, enabling professional narrators and producers to audition for these projects. Authors can browse narrator profiles, listen to samples, and select the voice that best fits their work.
• Production Options: Authors/publishers have several options for producing audiobooks through ACX:
  • Pay-for-production (paying narrators a flat rate per finished hour)
  • Royalty share (splitting royalties with narrators instead of upfront payment)
  • Hybrid models combining upfront payment with royalty sharing
• Distribution Channel: Once produced, audiobooks created through ACX are distributed to Audible, Amazon, and iTunes (Apple Books), which represent the largest audiobook retail channels globally.
• Exclusivity Considerations: ACX offers different royalty rates based on whether authors choose exclusive distribution through Audible/Amazon/iTunes (higher royalties) or non-exclusive distribution that allows selling through other channels (lower royalties).
• Quality Control: ACX maintains technical specifications and quality requirements that all audiobooks must meet before being accepted for distribution.
• Self-Narration Option: ACX also provides tools for authors who wish to narrate their own books, including technical specifications and submission guidelines.

ACX has been instrumental in the growth of the audiobook market by lowering the barriers to entry for independent authors and small publishers who previously couldn't afford traditional audiobook production costs or access major distribution channels.