The clause to find before anything else

Open any publishing contract you have signed and look for 'audio', 'recording', 'audiobook' or 'subsidiary rights'. If audio rights were granted and never reverted, the publisher controls the audio edition even if they have never made one.

Traditional deals frequently take audio and then sit on it. Many will revert unexercised audio rights on a written request, particularly years after publication. Ask in writing; keep the reply.

If you self-published, you hold everything. No permission is needed from any retailer, and no exclusivity is required to publish audio at all.

What else has to be clear

Music. You cannot lift a song you love into your audio edition. Score must be licensed for the use, which is exactly what a production music fee covers.

Quoted material. Epigraphs, lyrics and long quotations that were fine in print still need clearance when spoken.

Cover art. Your print cover licence may not cover an audio product; check the artist's terms before it becomes the audio jacket.

Selling it once it exists

An audio edition can be sold on the major storefronts and libraries, direct from your own site, or both. Distribution is a separate decision from production, and non-exclusive distribution keeps every door open.

You keep every dollar of what it earns. This house is paid for the production and takes no share of your sales, no royalty and no percentage that follows the book down the years.

Asked and answered

Do I need permission from a retailer to sell my own audiobook?

No. You need the rights and a finished master that meets their technical spec.

Can I sell it directly from my own website?

Yes, and many authors earn more per copy that way. Direct sales sit happily alongside storefront distribution when your distribution is non-exclusive.

What if a publisher holds my audio rights?

Ask in writing for reversion of unexercised audio rights. Until it is granted, do not commission the production.