Kindle+ explained for ARC campaigns
In October 2026 Amazon renamed Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+ and added audiobooks to the subscription for US readers. If your book is in KDP Select, it's in Kindle+ now - you didn't have to do anything. For an ARC campaign, most of what you do stays the same. A few things are worth checking before your next launch.
What changed, side by side
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription name | Kindle Unlimited (KU) | Kindle+ |
| What subscribers get | Enrolled ebooks | Enrolled ebooks, plus eligible audiobooks for US listeners |
| How you're paid | By page read, from the KDP Select Global Fund | By page read or listened, from the same fund - once per page, per subscriber |
| KENP report | Pages read | Pages read and pages listened, in separate columns |
| Enrollment | KDP Select, 90 days, renews automatically | Unchanged |
From KDP's help pages on KDP SelectKDP, enrollmentKDP and audiobook royaltiesKDP, checked October 2026.
What didn't change: KDP Select and exclusivity
Kindle+ is still fed by KDP Select. Enrollment lasts 90 days and renews on its own unless you turn renewal off.KDP The exclusivity rule is the same too: while your ebook is enrolled, it can only be distributed through KDP and public libraries. Print and other formats can still be sold anywhere.KDP
That rule is the one that matters for ARCs, because an ARC is a digital copy of the same book.
ARC copies and KDP Select
KDP's help pages don't mention advance reader copies at all. They state the rule - only KDP and public libraries during enrollment - and nothing about review copies either way. So the safe plan is the one that never tests it:
- Finish sending digital ARCs before your first 90-day period starts. Most ARC campaigns already run before release day, so this usually means setting a clear last day for new copies rather than changing your plan.
- Don't hand out new ebook copies once the book is enrolled. Late requests are easier now: a reader who subscribes to Kindle+ can read the book at no extra cost, so send them the Amazon link instead of a file.
- Use links that stop working. Per-reader download links with an end date mean copies aren't still being handed out weeks into your enrollment.
- If you need a definite answer, ask KDP support before launch and keep their reply.
This was true under the old name too. The rename is just a good moment to check your timeline. Our ARC campaign timeline works backwards from release day.
Audiobooks in Kindle+
Two kinds of audiobook can now be in Kindle+, for US listeners only at first:
- Audiobooks with virtual voice (KDP's AI narration) join Kindle+ automatically when the ebook is in KDP Select.KDP If you turn off the ebook's renewal, the audiobook leaves Kindle+ too.KDP
- ACX audiobooks can be enrolled from your KDP Bookshelf if they meet KDP's eligibility list. At launch, only Pay for Production titles qualify, not Royalty Share.KDP
Your ARC team still reads the ebook - the audiobook doesn't change who you invite or what you send. What it changes is the launch-day message: if you have an eligible audiobook, US readers in Kindle+ can now listen as well as read.
Update the wording your readers see
Readers will search for both names for a while, so use both: "Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited)". Check three places:
- Your ARC invitation, if it mentions KU.
- Your ARC reader agreement, if it explains where the book will be available.
- Your launch-day email - the one most likely to say "free on Kindle Unlimited".
Drop the audiobook half if you don't have one in Kindle+. The full launch sequence is in our ARC reminder email templates.
Reading your launch numbers
The KENP report now splits Kindle+ pages read from Kindle+ pages listened.KDP Both are paid from the KDP Select Global Fund, and only the first time a subscriber reads or listens to each page - a reader who listens to a chapter they already read doesn't earn you that page twice.KDP If you compare a launch with an older one, compare total pages, not just pages read.
Where ArcRoster fits
The part of a Kindle+ launch you control is the ARC window before enrollment: who gets a copy, by when, and who actually posts a review. In ArcRoster, each reader gets their own download link for the campaign, you can see who downloaded, and confirmed reviews count toward that reader's reliability tier - so for the next launch you know who to send copies to first.
Sources
- KDP Select - Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Help, Checked October 2026.Policy
KDP Select is a free 90-day program for Kindle eBooks and audiobooks; enrolled titles are in Kindle+ (formerly Kindle Unlimited).
- KDP Select Enrollment - Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Help, Checked October 2026.Policy
While enrolled, the Kindle eBook can only be distributed through KDP and public libraries; print and other formats can be sold elsewhere. Enrollment renews automatically every 90 days. ACX audiobooks must be Pay for Production.
- Pricing, royalties, and reports for audiobooks - Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Help, Checked October 2026.Policy
Virtual-voice audiobooks are included in Kindle+ automatically when the eBook is in KDP Select, US marketplace only for now. Paid from the KDP Select Global Fund for the first time each page is read or listened to; the KENP report splits Kindle+ Read and Kindle+ Listened.