Last reviewed by Robert Prime — May 2026
Audiobooks are among the fastest-growing formats in publishing, and Spotify's entry has reshaped the wide-vs-exclusive decision. Findaway Voices — now owned by Spotify — is the tool that puts your audiobook everywhere Audible doesn't.
What Findaway Voices does
Findaway distributes your finished audiobook wide: Spotify, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, plus libraries via OverDrive and Hoopla, and dozens of other stores. You keep your rights, set your pricing, and reach listeners across the whole ecosystem — not just Amazon's.
This contrasts with ACX (see audiobook ACX guide), which is built around Amazon/Audible and, under exclusive terms, keeps your audiobook off other platforms.
The Spotify factor
Spotify's aggressive push into audiobooks (bundling audiobook hours into Premium subscriptions) has put audiobooks in front of a large base of music listeners who never had an Audible account. Because Findaway is Spotify's own distributor, going wide via Findaway is the cleanest route onto that platform — a genuinely new audience for indie audio.
ACX exclusive vs Findaway wide — the decision
It mirrors the ebook wide-vs-exclusive choice:
- ACX exclusive (Audible): higher per-sale royalty, Audible promo tools, but locked to Amazon's ecosystem.
- Findaway wide: lower per-sale royalty on some stores, but reaches Spotify, Apple, Google, Kobo and libraries.
For many 2026 indies, wide via Findaway is often the stronger long-term play, especially given Spotify's reach and the library market. The exception is authors whose audience is heavily Audible-native and who value ACX's promo tools.
Getting started
- Produce a quality audiobook (hire a narrator or narrate it yourself).
- Decide wide vs exclusive for audio.
- Upload to Findaway Voices, set pricing and territories, and distribute.
Findaway Voices vs ACX: which to choose
The audiobook distribution decision usually comes down to exclusivity and reach:
- Findaway Voices (via Spotify) distributes wide — Apple, Spotify, Kobo, libraries (OverDrive/Libby), and dozens more — without locking you in. Best if you want the broadest reach and library income.
- ACX can pay a higher royalty if you go exclusive to Audible, but that exclusivity blocks every other store and library. For a wide strategy author, that trade rarely makes sense.
- You can use both — produce with whichever narrator workflow suits you, then distribute non-exclusively through Findaway to reach everything Audible doesn't, including the library market that ACX exclusivity shuts out.
For most indies building a long-term catalogue, non-exclusive distribution through Findaway is the safer default — it keeps Spotify, Apple and library channels open while you test where your audiobook listeners actually are.
Frequently asked questions
Is Findaway Voices owned by Spotify?
Yes — Spotify acquired Findaway, making it the natural route to get indie audiobooks onto Spotify's fast-growing audiobook platform.
Findaway Voices vs ACX — which should I choose?
ACX exclusive (Audible) for higher per-sale royalties and Audible promos; Findaway wide for Spotify, Apple, Google, Kobo and libraries. For most 2026 indies, wide via Findaway is the stronger long-term choice.
Do I keep my rights with Findaway?
Yes — you retain rights and set your own pricing, distributing wide across many stores.
Does Findaway reach libraries?
Yes — it distributes to OverDrive and Hoopla, putting your audiobook into the library market that Audible exclusivity locks out.
Related guides
- Audiobook ACX for UK authors
- Finding an audiobook narrator
- Wide vs Amazon exclusive
- Library distribution (BorrowBox, Libby)
- Kobo Writing Life
External references
- Findaway Voices by Spotify — official platform
- Alliance of Independent Authors
About this guide
Written by Robert Prime for publishing.co.uk. Last reviewed May 2026.
