by Amazon has over 900,000 participating affiliates worldwide. You might be one of them or looking to join. Either way, taking part in their Audible affiliate program is one of the wisest business decisions you’ll ever make.
That’s because the referral program makes it easy for you to increase your income.
You can earn a commission by sharing a link to a free trial. This means you can get paid for directing people to try something they’re likely to enjoy – free of charge. Sounds interesting, right?
We don’t think making money online can get any easier than this, do you?
That’s why we at Amzwatcher, developers of Amazon’s affiliate link checker have created this detailed manual to help you leverage the unique opportunity of being an Audible affiliate for Amazon.
In this resource, you’ll find everything you need to know about the program. We’ll show you all the ins and outs of becoming an Amazon Audible affiliate, including what to do (and what to avoid) to succeed.
By the end, you’ll be well-equipped to begin your journey as an Audible affiliate and add a new income stream to your affiliate business.
Contents
What is Amazon Audible?
Amazon Audible is a section of the Amazon Company that gives access to audiobooks and other spoken audio content like podcasts.
With the largest selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and exclusive audible originals, the platform is fundamental to the growth of the audio content industry.
Specifically, the audiobook industry has seen a steady double-digit increase in revenue for the past nine years. In 2021, the sales of audiobooks in the U.S alone amounted to approximately 1.6 billion dollars. You become part of this lucrative venture when you join the Amazon Audible referral program.
Also known as Amazon’s Audible Creator program, the platform lets you tap into an expanding market of audiobook listeners. You can share an Audible affiliate link to audiobooks your audience will enjoy. Or promote their services as a whole.
Whichever way you approach it, you’ll earn affiliate commissions by helping your readers find and explore a collection of over 180,000 audiobooks. These books and podcasts will entertain, educate, and inspire them to achieve their goals.
Essentially, as an Audible affiliate, you’ll get paid to help your readers improve their lives. What’s not to love about this? Every party involved wins.
What is the difference between Amazon Audible and Amazon Affiliate?
Participating as an Amazon Audible and Amazon affiliate may appear similar because you earn affiliate commissions from both programs, but they’re different.
For starters, the Amazon affiliate program is the general term for the company’s partnership program. It is also known as the Amazon Associates program. On the other hand, Amazon Audible is part of the Amazon Bounty program – a subsidiary of the company’s Associates program.
Overall, the two differ in three main ways:
- Types of products under promotion – in Amazon affiliate, you recommend physical products from different categories of the Amazon online store. But in Amazon Audible, you suggest and drive actions on spoken audio content products and services.
- Mode of access – for an Amazon affiliate, your audience requires a physical address to receive recommended products if purchased. It’s different from Amazon Audible, where your audience can enjoy listening to audiobooks through a digital app.
- Commission structure – as an Amazon affiliate, you earn commissions on product sales. But in Amazon Audible, you get fixed commissions for specific actions your audience takes. How? There is a standard fee structure for this.
Amazon Audible Standard Fee Structure
Understanding the program’s commission structure is crucial. It helps you gain valuable insights on using Audible as an affiliate marketer.
Here is a layout of the Amazon affiliate Audible services you can promote. You’ll find the fixed advertising fee for each service you promote under the bounty column.
Following the layout above, it’s clear that part of the program’s standard fee structure comprises three types of eligible membership services you can advertise to your readers:
The Audible Plus and the Audible Premium Plus membership, where you’ll earn $10 for each. Plus, a 30-day free trial membership plan, where you’ll get a $5 advertising fee. But these are not the only products or services you want to promote.
You can earn a $0.05 commission when your readers buy an Audible audiobook at retail price. That is, without using Audible memberships or credits. These purchases are known as a la carte (ALC) sales.
You’ll also earn the same commission when they buy an additional audiobook with any of the membership plans.
Additionally, there is a digital gold membership plan and the gift of Audible membership plan, where you can earn $5, $8, and $10 depending on the plan’s duration.
As you can see, you have a few options to promote Audible products and services. We’ve summarized the entire program’s standard fee structure in the table below:
| Eligible service or product | The fee you’ll earn |
| Audible Plus membership (including premium plus) | $10 |
| Audible Gold Digital membership | $10 |
| 30-day free trial membership for Audible Plus & Premium Plus & Gold Digital plans | $5 |
| Standalone audiobooks purchases | $0.05 |
| Gift of Audible (1,3,6, and 12-month plans) | $ 5, $8, and $10 |
Usually, we recommend that people introduce Audible to their readers using the free trials first. They’ll get a feel of the service and find books they’re interested in reading and would enjoy listening to their audio versions. This will help them settle on a plan that fits their needs after the 30-day trial period ends.
Amazon Audible Affiliate Program Key Features
Several key features make the Amazon Audible affiliate program stand out:
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- The platform is home to a unique collection of audiobooks, Audible originals, and podcasts from popular niches. From best sellers and classics to sci-fi and non-fiction, you’ll find something your readers will enjoy.
- New titles added every week help Audible affiliates keep up with the growing trend for audiobooks.
- Its audiobook app integrates with mobile devices seamlessly, making it easy for subscribers to access and listen to their audiobooks anytime, anywhere.
- It offers a 30-day free trial with an easy cancellation policy. This makes people feel safe to try it out.
- It is straightforward. The program is easy to join and execute.
How to Become an Amazon Audible Affiliate
Becoming an Audible Amazon affiliate requires you to join the Amazon Associates program first. So, we’ve divided this into two distinct parts.
Part 1 shows you how to join Amazon Associates, while part 2 provides step-by-step instructions on becoming an Audible affiliate. If you’re already an Associate, skip the first part and go straight to the second part.
Part 1: Join Amazon Associates
Follow these six simple steps to join the Amazon Associates program today:
Step 1 – Visit the Amazon Associates center . Then click the sign-up button. You’ll have an option to sign in using your existing account or create a new one.
We recommend creating a new account to separate your business from your personal matters.
Step 2 – Fill in your personal information as requested.
Step 3 – Add your digital platform. It could be your website, YouTube channel, or mobile app.
Step 4 – Set up your profile.
Step 5 – Explain how you’ll drive relevant traffic to your platform before completing the security captcha to accept the Amazon Associates operating agreement.
Step 6 – Add your tax plus payment information to finish, or choose to add this information later.
Amazon will approve your registration instantly and give you a unique Associates Identification number (I.D). This I.d is the unique identification you’ll use to generate some of your affiliate links for promotion purposes (for example with help of our free tools)
An important aspect – indicating the correct ID in their affiliate links, directly affects your affiliate income, be sure to consider it! You can calculate your affiliate income for free with our amazon affiliate commission calculator.
We’ve prepared a detailed Amazon affiliate Associates guide. You might want to check it out to learn tips on succeeding as an Associate.
Part 2: Go to Amazon Bounty Program
Once approved, you’ll gain access to your affiliate dashboard shortly after. On your dashboard:
- Go to the product linking section on the top horizontal menu. It’s the second option after the home tab. When you do this, a drop-down menu with four options will appear.
- On the drop-down menu, click the fourth option – the Amazon Bounty program. You’ll find several Amazon Bounty programs you can join to make more money and thrive in your affiliate business.
- Go through the options and select the Audible program. Then use the resources provided to start promoting the Audible free trial service.
How to Make Money with Amazon Audible Affiliate Program
The best way to make money with the Audible referral program is by sharing your Audible affiliate links on social networks and other digital platforms like websites.
You’ll earn the standard fees for Audible products you promote when readers use your links to buy audiobooks or sign-up for Audible services. So, ensure you display banners prominently or use the standard text and image links clearly for readers to interact with your links as required.
Use the link generator tool on the Associate’s homepage to create the affiliate links you’ll need to promote specific audiobooks. The tool is easy to use and has clear instructions to follow.
It helps create image and text links for an Audible product’s Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASINs). It also lets you create affiliate links for specific titles if you want to offer a variety of content to your readers.
Here are a few examples of the promotional materials most Audible affiliates use to share their referral links and earn advertising fees.
Banners:
In-line Display Ads:
Text Links:
You can use the promotional materials above in different ways to make money with the program. Let’s explore a few ways to get you started:
Use Your Personal Blog
Creating your blog is the most popular way of making money with the Amazon Audible Creator program. This is because you can promote audiobooks based on website reviews relevant to a specific niche on your blog.
It’s easy for readers to purchase audiobooks using links in your reviews because they were already looking for the books in the first place.
There are also many ways you can share affiliate links on your website:
- Place a banner on your site’s header and footer
- Use image links on your site’s sidebar
- Use short text links within your reviews
Find more tips on proper advertising setup for websites in our other article titled getting the most of advertising your site.
Make YouTube Videos
You can make targeted YouTube videos on popular audiobooks, audible titles, or niches. Then direct your viewers to try out the Audible free trial service through the affiliate links on your website.
Ensure you place a link to your site on the video’s description section to make it easy for your viewers to visit your website.
Does it Work With TikTok?
TikTok doesn’t allow users to include affiliate links directly in videos. But, you can place your affiliate website on your profile. Then use the common phrase ‘link in bio’ or #linkinbio to direct viewers to the site link in your profile.
Take note that you’ll have to upgrade to a business account to place a clickable website link in your profile.
Promote Your Article on Quora
To promote on Quora, find niche-specific questions and provide valuable answers. You can then seamlessly link to your site through the responses you give or direct readers to a landing page with your affiliate offers.
Use Pinterest for Affiliate Links
The best way to use Pinterest for your affiliate business is by directing people to your affiliate-related content. These may include your blogs, where you share links to different Audible products and services.
You can do this by uploading a new pin and entering your website’s link as the source URL directly.
Promoting on Reddit
Like TikTok, Reddit doesn’t allow users to post affiliate links on their platform. However, you can direct relevant traffic from Reddit to the articles on your website with affiliate links.
To do this effectively, become a part of an engaging community around a particular topic or subtopic and ensure you provide valuable information to readers constantly. This way, Reddit will trust you to continue offering value to readers by linking out to more resources outside the platform.
Is it Possible to Use Instagram for Promoting?
Yes, it’s possible. Just feature images and videos of the content you share on your website or blog on Instagram. Then link back to your blog from the featured photos and videos.
What Not to Do on the Amazon Audible Program
You’ve probably noticed that sharing affiliate links on digital platforms requires tactical approaches. That’s because doing certain things goes against the Amazon Associates operating agreement you signed and might get you kicked out of the program. Some of these things include:
Don’t Offer Cashbacks or Incentives
Don’t entice readers to use your affiliate links by offering incentives or cashbacks. Your readers should choose freely (without any external coercion) whether they’d like to use your affiliate links or not.
Avoid Using Amazon Trademarks
Using any Amazon trademarks, including their logo, on your website goes against their operating policy. Doing so could imply that Amazon endorses you or your brand. It’s a misrepresentation of your relationship with Amazon – an offense the company takes seriously.
Steer Clear of Sharing Direct Links on Social Media
Avoid sharing affiliate links directly on social media platforms. Most platforms consider this spamming as it interferes with how users interact with their sites.
Instead, create some form of barrier through which you can share your affiliate links. We recommend using a landing page or website. You’ll drive traffic to your affiliate offers and grow your brand at the same time this way.
Only Use Amazon’s Tools To Shorten Affiliate Links
Don’t shorten or cloak your affiliate links using unauthorized third-party programs. It’s prohibited and might cost you your affiliate earnings. Amazon wants affiliate links to show where the person will be redirected once they have clicked on the link.
Shortening the links directly from the Amazon Associates short link generator tool, SiteStripe, would be the best approach. Follow our guide to learn how to shorten Amazon links correctly using this tool.
Never Purchase or Sign-Up From Your Own Affiliate Links
Don’t get tempted to take advantage of your own offers. Amazon doesn’t allow affiliates to use their own affiliate links. It’s grounds for account termination.
Avoid Mentioning the Product Price
The prices of Amazon’s products are not cast in stone. They might change from time to time or go out of stock. So sharing product prices on your site is prohibited.
Frequently Asked Questions on Amazon Audible Affiliate Program
What are the Audible affiliate payment methods?
There are two most common Audible affiliate payment methods:
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- Check transfers
- Direct bank deposits
You can choose the method that’s convenient for you. However, be conscious of your location when selecting a payment method. If you’re outside the U.S, avoid the check transfer option as the process might be slow. You might also attract huge check processing fees from Amazon and your bank.
How does the Audible Amazon affiliate cookie work?
The Audible Amazon affiliate cookie initiates once a reader clicks your affiliate link. It follows their actions to the point of purchase.
If they don’t perform the required action straightaway, the cookie remains viable for 24 hours. This means you’ll still earn a commission if the reader buys an audiobook or signs up for any Audible membership using your link within 24 hours.
Also, some readers may choose to add a product to their cart after following your affiliate link. In this case, you’ll earn a commission if they purchase the product within appx. 90 days.
What is Audible Gold Digital membership?
Audible Gold Digital Membership is a paid subscription plan for Amazon Audible service. After the 30-day trial period, customers can choose to subscribe to one of three Gold Digital memberships:
- Monthly Gold Membership
- Monthly Platinum Membership
- Annual Gold Membership
The difference between these plans is that the higher plans come with a lower average cost per book. You also receive more credit points to buy audiobooks without using cash.
Does Audible have free trials?
Yes. The program offers free 30-day trials for the Plus, Premium Plus, and Gold Digital membership plans.
