For authors
The ACX alternative that leaves your rights alone
ACX trades your audiobook rights for distribution: a 7-year exclusivity term, a 40% royalty ceiling, and thousands of dollars in narration costs before you sell a single copy. Lex produces a cinematic audiobook — narration, music, ambience, and sound effects — for a one-time fee starting at $49, and everything you earn afterward is yours.
ACX vs. Lex, side by side
| ACX | Lex | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost (10-hour book) | $2,000–$4,000 (PFH) or $0 with Royalty Share | $49–$199 one-time |
| Royalties you keep | 40% (exclusive) / 25% (non-exclusive), halved again on Royalty Share | 100% |
| Exclusivity | 7-year term on exclusive contracts | None |
| Turnaround | Weeks to months (narrator auditions, production, QA) | First chapter in 24 hours; full book in days |
| Music & sound design | Not included (narration only) | Included in Studio and Publisher packages |
| Where it sells | Audible, Amazon, iTunes | Spotify, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, libraries, Lex Premium |
| Narration | Human narrators (AI not accepted) | Studio-grade AI narration, multi-voice casting, disclosure handled |
ACX figures reflect published ACX terms and typical per-finished-hour narrator rates as of 2026.
The honest tradeoff
ACX gets your audiobook onto Audible, and Audible is still the single biggest audiobook retailer. If Audible placement is non-negotiable for you and you have the budget for human narration, ACX is how you get there.
But the audiobook market has changed. Spotify, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, and library platforms like Hoopla now account for a large and growing share of listening — and all of them accept professionally-produced AI-narrated audiobooks with proper disclosure. Going wide without ACX means keeping 100% of royalties instead of 25–40%, no exclusivity term, and a production cost measured in tens of dollars instead of thousands.
Lex handles the whole pipeline: casting (including multiple voices per book), narration engineered for consistency across chapters, a full musical score with ambience and sound effects, retailer-compliant AI disclosure, and distribution. You approve the audio before anything ships.
What it costs
Voiceover
$49 once
10 hours of finished narration — multi-voice casting, commercial license, 320kbps downloads
Studio
$99 once
10 hours fully scored — music beds, ambience, and SFX mixed in
Publisher
$199 once
Everything in Studio, plus multiple voices per book, and we publish it everywhere — Google Play, Kobo, Spotify, Apple Books, and libraries, disclosure handled. Optional Lex Premium catalog listing if you want it. 100% of royalties, zero exclusivity.
Compare that to $2,500–$6,000 for a typical human-narrated production. Full cost breakdown here.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to ACX for audiobook production?
For authors who want to keep full rights and royalties, producing the audiobook independently and distributing wide is the main alternative to ACX. Lex produces studio-grade AI-narrated audiobooks (narration, music, and sound design) starting at $49 for 10 finished hours, with no exclusivity and 100% of royalties staying with the author. Distribution to Spotify, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, and library platforms is included in the Publisher package.
How much does ACX audiobook production cost?
On ACX you either pay a narrator per finished hour (typically $200–$400 PFH, so $2,000–$4,000 for a 10-hour book) or use Royalty Share, which costs nothing upfront but halves your royalties for the life of the contract. Exclusive ACX distribution pays 40% royalties with a 7-year term; non-exclusive pays 25%.
Does ACX accept AI-narrated audiobooks?
No. ACX requires human narration for titles submitted through its marketplace (Audible’s separate Virtual Voice program is limited to eligible KDP ebooks). AI-narrated audiobooks are accepted by Spotify, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, and major library platforms, with proper AI-narration disclosure — which is where Lex distributes.
Do I keep my rights and royalties with Lex?
Yes. Lex production is a one-time purchase, not a royalty split. You own the finished audio with a commercial license, there is no exclusivity term, and 100% of retail royalties stay with you.
How fast can I hear what my book sounds like?
Send your first chapter and Lex delivers the finished, fully-produced audio to your inbox within 24 hours, free, with no card required.
Hear your book before you spend a dollar
Send your first chapter. Finished, fully-produced audio in your inbox within 24 hours. Free, no card.
Start with chapter one