Apple Books Digital Narration

What it does

Content limits

Apple evaluates file quality, content compatibility, and editorial review; complex formatting, extensive foreign-language words, graphic novels, poetry, and cookbooks are cited as compatibility concerns.checked 8 Oct 2026

Distribution

Digitally narrated audiobooks are distributed via Apple Books.checked 8 Oct 2026

Distribution terms

Apple says audiobook sales have clear wholesale pricing terms and no exclusivity requirements.checked 8 Oct 2026

Eligibility

The ebook must be available on Apple Books, the applicant must own audiobook production rights, and the book must be in English.checked 8 Oct 2026

Intended audience

Apple describes the program as empowering independent authors and small publishers who may not be able to afford or manage conventional audiobook production.checked 8 Oct 2026

Preorders

Preorders are not currently supported for digitally narrated audiobooks.checked 8 Oct 2026

Processing time

Apple says processing and quality checks take one to two months after submission.checked 8 Oct 2026

Production partners

Apple lists Draft2Digital, Ingram CoreSource, and PublishDrive as preferred partners for digital narration production and distribution.checked 8 Oct 2026

Rights

The publisher or author retains audiobook rights and may produce and distribute other versions of the audiobook without restrictions from this program.checked 8 Oct 2026

Role of digital narration

Apple says digitally narrated titles complement professionally narrated audiobooks and that it will continue growing its human-narrated catalog.checked 8 Oct 2026

Store labeling

Digitally narrated titles appear in the store as “Narrated by Apple Books.”checked 8 Oct 2026

Voice selection

Authors can listen to voice samples and choose the voice type that suits their genre.checked 8 Oct 2026

What it does

Creates audiobooks from ebook files using speech synthesis, with work by linguists, quality control specialists, and audio engineers.checked 8 Oct 2026