Single narrator, ACX exclusive
Audible-only release with the higher royalty rate.
starting from $280 per finished hour
Start here - Three narrator demos
- ACX-spec mastering
- Audible distribution
- 30s sample clip
Production · from $280 · 5 to 9 weeks for a 70k manuscript
Audiobook narration that reads like the book sounds in your head.
Narrator casting, studio recording, ACX-spec mastering, distribution to Audible and Findaway Voices.
An audiobook is not a recording of your book read aloud. It is a performance. The casting choice does 70% of the work and is the easiest place to get it wrong. We send you three narrator demos per project, recorded from your real text.
Behind the scenes
What audiobook production looks like on a working day.
Five shots from the studio — the kind of work that ends up on your project.
The work, in three tabs
Click through what you actually get, how it runs, and who owns it.
Deliverables, not vibes.
Not generic samples. Real text from your book, recorded by three different narrators, so you can hear what each does with your prose.
- Three narrator demos, recorded from your real chapter one
- ACX-spec final masters
- Distribution across Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Google Play, Findaway Voices
- 30 second sample clip for marketing
A written timeline. No silent stretches.
Discuss the voice the book needs: age, accent, gender, energy. Listen to 8–12 narrator samples from your category.
- Week 1 — Casting brief
- Weeks 2–3 — Three demo recordings
- Weeks 4–7 — Full recording
- Week 8 — Mastering and proofs
- Week 9 — Distribution upload
A senior lead, by name, on day one.
Sample deliverables
Drag through real audiobook production work the studio shipped this year.
How it works
A written timeline you can plan around.
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Week 1
Casting brief
Discuss the voice the book needs: age, accent, gender, energy. Listen to 8–12 narrator samples from your category.
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Weeks 2–3
Three demo recordings
Three narrators record 5 minutes from your real chapter one. You pick one or ask for three more.
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Weeks 4–7
Full recording
Studio time booked. Narrator records the full manuscript in pickups. Director on the line for tone calls.
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Week 8
Mastering and proofs
Engineer masters to ACX specs. You receive proof audio for sign-off.
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Week 9
Distribution upload
Live across Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Google Play, Findaway Voices wide distribution.
Pricing
Three tiers. Real numbers.
No 'contact us for pricing.' If a tier here looks close to your project, the final quote on the discovery call will be within 15% either way.
Single narrator, wide distribution
Audible plus Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Findaway Voices wide.
starting from $320 per finished hour
Start here - Everything in ACX exclusive
- Wide distribution setup
- Re-mastering for each platform spec
- You own all distribution accounts
Dual-cast or full-cast
Two narrators alternating, or full ensemble production.
starting from $580 per finished hour, dual-cast
Start here - Two senior narrators (dual)
- Or 4–10 voices (full-cast)
- Music and SFX optional ($1,200–$3,800)
- Director on every session
Studio
The named team behind every project.
Audiobook production — FAQ
Questions we get every week, answered straight.
Should I narrate my own memoir?
It depends. For some memoirs (personal voice, conversational tone, distinctive accent) the author's own voice is the right call. For others, a professional narrator does better than the author would. We will tell you honestly which camp your book falls in after listening to a 5-minute test recording you do at home.
ACX exclusive or wide audio distribution?
Honest answer: depends on the book. ACX exclusive (Audible only) pays a higher royalty (40% vs 25%) but locks you out of Apple Books, Spotify Audiobooks, Google Play, and the growing Storytel and Kobo Audio markets. For most non-fiction and most fiction series, we recommend wide. For one-off literary fiction with a strong Audible-only marketing case, exclusive can make sense.
What's the cost per finished hour really?
$220–$450 per finished hour (PFH) for a senior US narrator. A typical 70k book runs about 9 finished hours. So narration alone is $2,000–$4,050. Mastering and engineering adds $400–$900. Distribution setup is included. Total $2,400–$5,000 for a single-narrator audiobook of typical length.
Do you do dual-cast or full-cast?
Yes for both. Dual-cast (two narrators alternating POV in fiction) adds about $1,800–$3,200. Full-cast (an ensemble like a radio play) starts around $9,500 and goes up. Most fiction does not need it; some really does.
Can the author hear pickups and re-records before mastering?
Yes. We deliver raw chapter audio for sign-off before mastering begins. Most authors flag 6–15 lines for re-record per book, usually pronunciation calls on character or place names.
Pairs with
Services that pair with this one.
Most projects use two to four services. We bundle on the discovery call.
Ready when you are
Ready to ship a audiobook production project?
A 30-minute discovery call with a senior editor — no sales script, no pressure. We'll tell you whether we're the right fit for your project, what it would cost, and how long it would take.