Kindle Unlimited is Now Kindle+: What Authors and Readers Need to Know

Amazon has given Kindle Unlimited a new name. The long-running ebook subscription is now Kindle+, and the rebrand comes with a bigger spotlight on audiobooks.

For readers, it’s mostly a relabel. For authors, especially those publishing through KDP Select, a few details are worth understanding.

What happened to Kindle Unlimited

Amazon has renamed its Kindle Unlimited subscription to Kindle+. The change appeared around October 21-22, 2026 in the US site, and audiobooks are now part of the subscription. Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription pages and banners now use the new Kindle+ name.

Amazon's library has grown beyond ebooks to include audiobooks, magazines and comics. And this rollout was perhaps necessary. The “+” also follows a convention customers already know from other subscription services.

The rollout looks unfinished, though. Some Amazon pages still say Kindle Unlimited, and a few use both names interchangeably. So, don’t be confused if you see Kindle Unlimited (or KU) mentioned on some pages. They’re probably waiting to be updated.

What stays the same with Kindle+

The basics of KU/Kindle+ subscription haven't changed:

• The price is still $11.99 per month.
• The subscription is still separate from Amazon Prime.
• You can still borrow up to 20 titles at a time, with no due dates.
• The library still includes a rotating selection of ebooks, magazines and comics.
• It works on Kindle e-readers and the free Kindle apps as usual.

If you're already a subscriber, you don't need to do anything.

What's new: audiobooks get more attention

The biggest shift is the emphasis on audiobooks. You can now read an ebook or listen to its audiobook version at no extra cost, as long as the audiobook is enrolled in Kindle+. One subscription covers both formats for the same title.

Audiobooks were part of the service in earlier years, but they’re now a much bigger part of how Amazon presents it. The new name is meant to reflect a library that includes millions of ebooks, include audiobooks, magazines and comics.

For now, audiobooks in Kindle+ are available to listeners in the US, with more marketplaces to come. Amazon hasn't said how large the audiobook catalog is. So, it’s worth browsing the Kindle+ library yourself before assuming your favourite audiobook is covered.

What Kindle+ means for authors

Amazon announced the change to authors by email and in the KDP Community forum. You can read the full announcement here.

For authors, just the name of the service changes. Ebooks enrolled in KDP Select are part of the subscription library, now under the Kindle+ name. KDP Select itself is still a free 90-day program, and it now covers audiobooks as well as ebooks.

The notable change is on the audiobook side. According to Amazon, ACX audiobooks can now be enrolled in KDP Select to be included in Kindle+. For now, only ACX audiobooks on the Pay for Production model are eligible. Amazon is exploring expanding eligibility to Royalty Share and Royalty Share Plus titles. Eligible titles also need Read & Listen (formerly Whispersync for Voice) enabled.

This can be quite helpful for authors who already have an audiobook, since it can put the title in front of Kindle+ listeners without much extra work. Audiobooks with virtual voice are also included; added automatically when the matching ebook is enrolled in KDP Select.

Authors, irrespective of their country, can enrol eligible audiobooks, and they'll be distributed to listeners in the US. The audiobooks are included in the Audible Plus catalogue as well.

How authors are paid

Reading activity is still paid by page through the KDP Select Global Fund, as it is today. Amazon says audiobook listening will be paid the same way, by page, and that it is adding new money to the fund to cover the new listening activity.

Amazon says the extra money is for listening, and ebook reading continues to be paid as it does today. It also says it will evolve the fund as it learns how customers use reading and listening, so the payment model may change over time.

Opting in and out

Amazon's KDP Select page spells out how enrolment works for audiobooks:

• ACX audiobooks can be unenrolled from KDP Select separately from the ebook. Enrolling one doesn't add any extra KDP exclusivity requirement to the title. Eligible ACX titles already need to be exclusive to Audible; enrolling in KDP Select doesn’t add any extra KDP exclusivity requirement on top of that.
• Audiobooks with virtual voice follow their ebook. If you don't want one in Kindle+, you'd need to unpublish the audiobook or remove the ebook from KDP Select.
• Free promotions and Countdown Deals still apply to ebooks only. Audiobooks aren't eligible for them or for literary contests.

What authors should check in their KDP dashboard

A quick look at your own account is the best way to see how this applies to your books:

• Your KDP Select enrolment dates. Know when your current 90-day period ends, especially if you're thinking about leaving the program.
• Whether your audiobook is enrolled. If you have a virtual voice audiobook and an enrolled ebook, it’s already in Kindle+. You don’t need to do anything. If you have an ACX audiobook, check whether it's Pay for Production and whether you want to enrol it.
• Any banner or notice from KDP. Amazon often posts changes to authors in the dashboard first.
• The KDP Select help page. It's the best place to read Amazon's current terms in full.
• Your royalty and payment reports. Kindle+ pages read and pages listened now appear separately in the KENP report, and your consolidated Kindle+ royalties are in the Royalties report. Audible Plus listening for virtual voice audiobooks shows up in the Audible column of that report, while royalties for ACX audiobooks stay in your ACX account.

For indie authors, the main takeaway is that enrolment now touches your audiobook as well as your ebook. If you have a virtual voice audiobook, it follows your ebook in or out of KDP Select, so leaving the program later means the audiobook leaves Kindle+ too.

If you have an ACX audiobook, enrolling it is a separate step, and it only makes sense if you’re comfortable with Audible exclusivity. Either way, it’s worth knowing exactly what’s enrolled before your next 90-day period begins.

What it means for readers

For readers, this is mostly a label change with a stronger pitch for audiobooks. If you have a subscription, your borrowing limit, price and library work as before. If you're considering one, you'll likely see free-trial offers and Kindle bundle deals.

If you mostly read indie books, the library may be worth a fresh look, since audiobook versions of books you already like could now be included.

Final thoughts

On the surface, Kindle+ is a rename plus a bigger push on audiobooks. For authors, the more important change is that KDP Select now reaches audiobooks, with listening paid through the same Global Fund as reading. Whether it pays off will depend on your books, so read Amazon's KDP Select terms and check your own enrolment before deciding what to do.

Liked the article?

Join Book Blabbers WhatsApp group to bond over books, memes and quotes.

Subscribe to Book Blabber's Bulletin to get book summaries, reading tips and occasional hugs in your inbox.