How AudioSwap works: swap audiobook promo codes and get them redeemed fast
AudioSwap is for publishers, by publishers. It is where you swap audiobook promo codes and get them redeemed fast, with as little work as possible. Upload the promo codes you receive from ACX, and listeners claim and redeem them. Hours are the currency behind it: listeners earn them by posting a review on Audible, and publishers spend them to have their own books claimed.
This page explains how it works for publishers and for listeners, how hours are counted, and what AudioSwap costs.
For publishers
If you publish audiobooks through ACX, you get a batch of promo codes for each title, and unused codes do nothing for you. AudioSwap puts those codes in front of real listeners who are ready to redeem them, so you spend your time on your next title instead of chasing people. A code lets one listener get your book on Audible for free.
- Upload your ACX codes. Drop the codes file that ACX gave you. AudioSwap reads the title and the codes from it, and you confirm the matching Audible book. A book can hold up to 50 US and 50 UK codes.
- Your book goes live in the library. Listeners see it and can claim a code. Claiming is free for the listener.
- Each claim costs you hours. When a listener claims one of your codes, the book's runtime in hours comes off your balance. A book is only visible in the library while your balance covers its runtime. If your balance runs down, the book is hidden until you earn hours back by reviewing other members' books.
- Listeners redeem and review on Audible. Each listener has 14 days to post a review. You can set a listening period of up to 3 days before reviews open, and the 14 days start after it.
You can follow every code from My Audiobooks: the Claimed tab lists each code a listener has taken, and Available shows what is left. Each book shows a Live or Hidden label so you can see at a glance whether listeners can claim it.
Publishers can also offer extra hours on a book, up to double its normal amount, to make it more attractive to claim. The publisher pays the higher amount.
When a book has used all its codes, it is complete on AudioSwap. Existing claims can still finish, and their reviews still count. Your hours stay in your account for your next audiobook.
For listeners
If you like free audiobooks and are happy to review them, AudioSwap is a steady supply of new titles. Reviewing is how you earn hours.
- Browse the library and pick a book. Look for the US and UK flags: a book can have US codes, UK codes or both.
- Claim a code. It costs you nothing. You can have up to 5 open claims per store, so up to 10 across Audible US and Audible UK at the same time.
- Redeem it on Audible and listen. AudioSwap sends you to the store that matches the code.
- Post your review on Audible within 14 days. AudioSwap checks that your review is live on Audible and credits your hours.
If a code does not work, use the dispute button on the claim in your dashboard. It flags the problem and tells the publisher.
Claims that expire without a review count as strikes. Having 10 or more expired claims in a rolling 180 days pauses claiming on your account. A late review that AudioSwap finds removes a strike, and claiming opens again by itself once you are under the limit.
How hours work
Hours are the only currency on AudioSwap.
- New accounts start at 0 hours. The membership does not include hours and you cannot buy them. You earn them by reviewing.
- A completed review credits the hours shown on the book's tag at the moment you claim it. Short books pay their full length or a little more. Longer books pay less than their full length, because a long book is not much more work to review. A 47-hour book, for example, pays 24 hours.
- A claim costs the publisher the book's runtime in hours. That is the publisher's balance moving, not the listener's.
The result is simple. If you want your books claimed, review other members' books. Reviewers earn what publishers spend.
US and UK stores
Audible US (audible.com) and Audible UK (audible.co.uk) are separate stores with separate listener profiles. When you claim a code, AudioSwap sends you to the matching store, and your review must be posted on that same store and listener profile. You can claim both the US and the UK edition of a book, but the order matters: review the US edition first, and the UK edition then unlocks. If you claim the UK edition first, the US edition is no longer available to you.
What it costs
AudioSwap is one plan. A membership is needed to publish and to claim.
| Plan | Founder pricing (locked in for life) | Standard price |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $12.99 per month | $19.99 per month |
| Yearly | $155 per year | $199 per year |
Prices exclude any sales tax or VAT, which is added at checkout where it applies.
Keep your codes in one place
ACX gives you one shared batch of codes per title. A code you hand out somewhere else still looks available on AudioSwap until a listener claims it and finds it dead. Upload to AudioSwap only the codes you want AudioSwap to manage. Review swaps arranged outside AudioSwap, for example in a Facebook group, cannot be tracked or credited here.
Questions people ask
What is AudioSwap?
AudioSwap is for publishers, by publishers. You upload your ACX/Audible promo codes and listeners claim and redeem them, with almost no work from you. Listeners earn hours by posting a review on Audible, and hours keep the exchange fair.
How long do I have to review a book I claimed?
Fourteen days from the moment you claim the code. If the publisher set a listening period of up to 3 days, the 14 days start after it.
How do hours work?
New accounts start at 0 hours. Each completed review credits the hours shown on the book's tag when you claim it. When someone claims one of your codes, the book's runtime in hours comes off your balance. Claiming does not cost the listener anything.
Do I have to buy hours?
No. The membership unlocks publishing and claiming, but it does not include or sell hours. Hours are earned by reviewing other members' books.
Why is my book not getting claimed?
A book is only visible in the library while your hours balance covers its runtime. If your balance runs down, the book is hidden until you review other books and earn hours back.
Does AudioSwap work with Audible UK?
Yes. Audible US (audible.com) and Audible UK (audible.co.uk) are separate stores. A book can have US codes, UK codes or both, and a review must be posted on the same store and listener profile as the claim.
How much does AudioSwap cost?
Founder pricing is $12.99 per month or $155 per year, locked in for life. The standard price is $19.99 per month or $199 per year. It is one plan, and prices exclude any sales tax or VAT added at checkout.