ElevenLabs Now Lets Authors Create and Publish AI-Generated Audiobooks

TL;DR

ElevenLabs now lets authors publish AI-generated audiobooks on its Reader app, expanding from listening to publishing.
Authors earn royalties based on listener engagement: roughly $1.10 per engagement of 11 minutes or more, with testing showing an average listening time of 19 minutes; initial rollout is US-based for English titles.
The company plans a marketplace where authors can sell their content, and its paid plans for authors run from $11 to $330 per month.
This move follows a partnership with Spotify for AI-narrated audiobooks and comes as ElevenLabs has powered Pocket FM and Kuku FM for text-to-audio transformation.
ElevenLabs recently announced a $180 million mega-round, with CEO Mati Staniszewski aiming to broaden consumer experiences beyond core tools. (Source: TechCrunch report)

Context and background

ElevenLabs is a voice AI company with a Reader app where users can access AI-generated audio content. The company has been testing a publishing program that lets authors publish AI-narrated books directly within the Reader app, a concept it began inviting authors to try on a trial basis last year. The program is now newly open to all authors. In the broader market, ElevenLabs has pursued partnerships to expand distribution of its AI-narrated content, including a collaboration with Spotify for AI-narrated audiobooks. This move aligns with ElevenLabs’ strategy to broaden consumer experiences and to act as a publishing and distribution surface to host more indie content. The company has also powered audio platforms such as Pocket FM and Kuku FM to turn text into audio content. The funding backdrop includes a $180 million mega-round raised by the company last month.

What’s new

Authors can publish AI-generated audiobooks directly within ElevenLabs’ Reader app, with royalties paid by engagement.
At launch, payouts are roughly $1.10 per engaged listening event of 11 minutes or more, with testing showing average listens around 19 minutes.
The initial publishing scope covers English-language titles in the United States; the company plans to extend payouts to titles in the 32 languages ElevenLabs supports for audiobooks.
ElevenLabs plans to create a marketplace where authors can sell their content.
The monetization framework sits alongside the company’s paid plans, which range from $11 to $330 per month, and leverages the broader goal of enabling authors and publishers to generate audiobooks using ElevenLabs’ AI tech.
The move complements existing partnerships and platform support, including ElevenLabs’ work powering Pocket FM and Kuku FM for text-to-audio workflows, and follows the Spotify AI-narrated audiobook partnership.
The development fits into CEO Mati Staniszewski’s broader plan to expand into more consumer experiences beyond core tools.

Why it matters (impact for developers/enterprises)

Lower-cost audiobook production: By offering AI-narrated content on its own Reader app, ElevenLabs aims to reduce the costs associated with traditional studio production and voice acting, potentially altering the economics of indie and small-publisher audiobooks.
Direct author monetization: Publication within the Reader app coupled with engagement-based payouts provides a direct revenue channel for authors, which could influence author-developer collaboration models.
Competitive royalty positioning: ElevenLabs argues its royalty rates are more favorable than some competitors (notably Audible), which could impact author choice in distribution strategies.
Integrated ecosystem: The combination of a publishing surface, a planned marketplace, and existing platform integrations (Pocket FM, Kuku FM) signals a broader push to converge AI narration with distribution channels and creator tools.
Platform strategy implications: For developers and enterprises, the approach highlights a potential path to lower production costs, simplified workflows, and new monetization options by integrating AI-generated narration with publishing and distribution surfaces.

Technical details or Implementation

Hosting and publishing: Audiobooks are offered within ElevenLabs’ Reader app, with authors paid when listeners engage with their content.
Payout model: At launch, the payout is roughly $1.10 to authors for an engagement of 11 minutes or more; the company notes the 11-minute threshold and 19-minute average listener duration during testing.
Language scope: Launch covers U.S. English-language titles; the company plans to extend payouts to titles in the 32 languages it supports for audiobooks.
Marketplace intent: ElevenLabs intends to create a marketplace where authors can sell their content, expanding beyond the Reader app’s initial distribution.
Pricing for creators: The ecosystem includes paid plans for creators and publishers ranging from $11 to $330 per month, designed to support AI-driven audiobook production at a lower cost than traditional methods.
Partnerships and platform reach: In addition to Spotify’s AI-narrated audiobook partnership, ElevenLabs has powered Pocket FM and Kuku FM to turn text into audio content, indicating a broader distribution footprint for its AI narration tech.
Strategic intent: This publishing and distribution push aligns with CEO Mati Staniszewski’s plans to expand into more consumer experiences beyond core generation tools.

Key takeaways

ElevenLabs is expanding from a listening app feature into a publishing and distribution platform for AI-generated audiobooks.
Authors can publish directly in the Reader app and earn royalties tied to listener engagement, with early payouts around $1.10 per 11+ minute engagement.
The initial rollout is U.S.-based for English titles, with plans to scale to 32 languages and ultimately support a marketplace for selling content.
The initiative is complemented by strategic partnerships (Spotify) and existing platform support (Pocket FM, Kuku FM), reinforcing ElevenLabs’ ecosystem approach.
For developers and publishers, the model illustrates a potential path to lower production costs and new monetization channels through AI-assisted audiobook creation.

FAQ

How does the payout work for authors?

Authors are paid when listeners engage with an AI-generated audiobook; the initial payout is roughly $1.10 per engagement of 11 minutes or more.
What is the initial language and geography scope?

At launch, the program covers U.S. English-language titles; payouts will be extended to the 32 languages ElevenLabs supports for audiobooks later.
Where are the audiobooks hosted and how are authors paid?

Audiobooks are offered within ElevenLabs’ Reader app, and authors are paid based on listener engagement.
Is there a marketplace component?

Yes, ElevenLabs plans to create a marketplace where authors can sell their content.
How does this relate to existing partnerships?

The publishing initiative follows ElevenLabs’ partnership with Spotify for AI-narrated audiobooks and builds on its work powering Pocket FM and Kuku FM.