Audiobook production, from casting to mastering
Your book as a finished audiobook: the right narrator, clean recording and files ready for the audiobook stores.
What's included
- Narrator casting
- Auditions from narrators who suit your genre and characters. You choose the voice.
- Recording
- Chapter by chapter recording from your final text.
- Editing and proofing
- Every chapter checked against the text for missed or misread lines, then edited for clean audio.
- Mastering
- Levels and noise set to the audio requirements of the major audiobook stores.
- Credits and sample
- Opening and closing credits and a retail sample.
Who it's for
- Authors with a finished, edited book.
- Nonfiction authors who want to narrate their own book with professional editing.
- Series authors who want the same narrator across books.
- Authors going wide to audiobook stores beyond one platform.
What we need from you
- Your final, edited manuscript.
- Notes on characters, accents and how to say names and places.
- Your preference for narrator voice and style.
- Your square audiobook cover, or ask our cover design service.
The process
Casting
We share auditions. You pick a narrator.
First chapter
You approve the first chapter before the rest is recorded.
Full recording
We record, edit and proof the whole book.
Mastering and delivery
We master the files and deliver them ready to upload.
Deliverables and file formats
| You receive | Format |
|---|---|
| Mastered chapter files | MP3, to store requirements |
| Opening and closing credits | MP3 |
| Retail sample | MP3 |
| Uncompressed masters | WAV, on request |
Questions authors ask
Who owns the audiobook?
The rights you receive, and any narrator terms, are set out in writing before recording starts. Tell us how you plan to distribute so we can plan for it.
Can I narrate it myself?
Yes. We can coach, edit and master your own recording. Say so in the quote form.
How long will my audiobook be?
Narration usually runs at around 9,000 to 10,000 words an hour, so an 80,000 word book is roughly eight to nine hours. Your narrator's pace changes this.
Which stores can I sell on?
The files are mastered for the major audiobook stores and distributors. Tell us where you plan to publish.
Can you guarantee audiobook sales?
No. We produce a professional audiobook; nobody can honestly promise how it will sell.
Free tools for this step
Rather do it yourself? These tools are free, with no signup.
Get a free quote
Tell us about your book. We reply within 1 to 2 business days with questions, a plan and a price. The quote is free and there is no obligation.
Prefer email? Write to contact@usabookstudios.com.