How to Sell Audiobooks on itch.io

itch.io is best known as a home for indie games, but it quietly hosts any digital download you want to sell, including audiobooks. If you already make serialized fiction, a TTRPG actual-play, or a niche audio drama, your readers may already have itch.io accounts. This guide walks through selling an audiobook there start to finish: exporting your finished audio, setting up a project page, choosing a price, and getting paid.

Short version: you produce a finished MP3, upload it to a new itch.io project as a downloadable file, set a price or leave it pay-what-you-want, and itch.io handles the checkout. Nothing about the platform is games-only.

Why itch.io works for fiction and audio

itch.io accepts any file type as a downloadable product, so an MP3 audiobook is a first-class listing there just like a game build or a PDF zine. A few things make it a genuine fit for audio creators:

• Built-in pay-what-you-want. Every paid item on itch.io can accept more than its minimum price, which suits fiction audiences who want to tip a creator they follow.
• Creator-friendly revenue split. You choose how much of each sale the platform keeps (more on that below).
• An audience already used to buying direct. People who browse itch.io expect to pay individual creators, not a storefront that buries you in a catalog.
• No approval queue. You publish your own page on your own schedule.

If your work leans literary rather than gamey, itch.io still works, but pair it with the other direct-sales channels your readers already use so you are not relying on one storefront. Our guides on selling audiobooks direct from your own website and selling on Ko-fi cover complementary options.

Exporting your MP3 from AudioProducer

Before you can list anything, you need a finished audio file. With AudioProducer.ai you paste or upload your text, pick a narration voice, generate the audio, and download an MP3. That downloaded file is yours to sell wherever you like. If you are starting from a manuscript, our walkthrough on how to make an audiobook with AI covers the full production flow.

Two things worth knowing up front:

• AudioProducer exports a finished file you download. We do not distribute, publish, or host your audiobook to Audible, Spotify, Apple, ACX, libraries, or any store or podcast feed. You take the MP3 and sell it yourself, which is exactly what itch.io is for.
• If you use voice cloning, use your own voice or a voice you have permission to use. Consent is the rule.

On pricing for the tool itself, you can start free with 1,200 words and no card, and paid plans begin at $39.99 per month. Once you have your MP3, you are ready to upload.

Uploading and setting up your itch.io project page

From your itch.io dashboard, create a new project. The important settings for an audiobook:

1. Kind of project. Choose the option that lets buyers download files rather than run something in the browser. Your audiobook is a downloadable, not a playable build.
2. Upload your MP3. Add the file you exported and mark it as the download buyers receive after purchase. If your book is long, you can upload multiple chapter files or bundle them in a single zip.
3. Cover image and description. Add cover art, a clear title, a short synopsis, the total runtime, and the narrator. Buyers cannot preview audio the way they sample a game, so your description carries the sale.
4. A short sample. Consider uploading a free low-length preview clip as a separate file or embedding one, so listeners can hear the narration before they pay.

Set the project to public when you are ready. There is no review gate, so the page goes live when you publish it.

Pay-what-you-want and pricing

itch.io lets you set a minimum price and allow buyers to pay above it, or you can offer the file for free with an optional tip. Pay-what-you-want tends to work well for fiction, where a returning reader may pay more than the floor to support the next release.

A reasonable starting point is a modest minimum with pay-what-you-want enabled, so casual browsers can still grab it while committed fans can pay more. If you would rather set one fixed price, that is supported too. The same title can live on other storefronts at the same time. Many creators list the same audiobook on Gumroad and Payhip as well, since itch.io does not ask for exclusivity.

Payouts and fees

itch.io uses an open revenue-sharing model. The default share to the platform is 10 percent, and you can adjust it anywhere from 0 to 100 percent in your project settings. On top of that, the payment processor (PayPal or Stripe) takes its standard fee, generally around 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction, the same as most online checkouts.

For payouts you can choose direct payments, where each sale goes straight to your linked PayPal or Stripe account, or have itch.io collect funds and pay you later. Funds from a sale generally become available a short holding period after the purchase to guard against fraud and chargebacks. Fees and payout terms change over time, so confirm the current numbers in itch.io's own creator payment docs before you set your price.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sell audiobooks on itch.io? Yes. itch.io accepts any digital file as a downloadable product, so an MP3 audiobook lists there like any other download, with pay-what-you-want pricing available.

Does AudioProducer publish my audiobook to itch.io for me? No. AudioProducer exports a finished MP3 you download. You upload and sell it on itch.io yourself. We do not distribute or host to any store or feed.

How much does itch.io take from each sale? The platform's default share is 10 percent and is adjustable from 0 to 100 percent. Your payment processor also charges its own fee, typically about 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction. Verify current rates in itch.io's docs.