Audiobook editing and narration
Your audiobook should pass ACX on the first upload. I edit and master every file to spec, and if you need a narrator, I record the whole book from your manuscript. Send me the details and I'll provide a quote.
Audiobook narration demos
Audiobook editing rate card
| Service | What it covers | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Punch-record editing | Pre-edited audio cleaned and formatted per ACX standards. | $100 /hr |
| Roll-record editing | Unedited audio corrected per script, then formatted to ACX standards. | $150 /hr |
| Raw content edit | Live spoken word processed and edited for proper flow and delivery. | $300 /hr |
| Complete narration | Full narration and production: from script to finished audiobook. | $500 /hr |
| Quality control review | Final QC pass so your audiobook meets distributor standards. | $50 /finished hr |
All services include normalization, equalization, noise reduction and file-format flexibility with revision allowances. Delivery in any format your distributor requires, including ACX-compliant specs.
What editing and mastering cover
The tier depends on the state of your files. Punch-record audio was corrected as you recorded, so I clean it and format it to ACX standards. Roll-record audio still has the mistakes and retakes in it, so I follow your script, cut the flubs, keep the right take, and then format it. A raw content edit is for live spoken word, shaped for flow and delivery. Mastering finishes every tier with normalization, equalization, and noise reduction, done in iZotope RX 11 and Reaper, so the levels hold steady from the first chapter to the last. Files come back in whatever format your distributor needs.
The ACX spec in plain words
ACX checks every file against a short list of numbers. RMS, the average loudness, has to sit between -23 and -18 dB. Peaks, the loudest moments, can go no higher than -3 dB. The noise floor, the sound of the room between sentences, can be no louder than -60 dB RMS. Each file has to be a 192 kbps constant bit rate MP3 at 44.1 kHz, and every file in the book has to use the same channel format, all mono or all stereo. I measure each file against those numbers before it goes back to you. The full list, credits and retail sample included, is in my guide to the ACX submission requirements.
How a project runs
Every project starts with a quote. Send me a message through the contact form with the tier you need and the length of the book. Narration is booked the same way. Once the scope is set, you send the files or the manuscript, and I edit, master, and check them. Every tier includes revision allowances, and delivery comes in any format your distributor requires. If ACX already rejected your files for noise, hum, or room echo, start with audio restoration and then come back here for mastering.
Common questions
How much does audiobook narration cost?
$500 per finished hour, from script to finished audiobook, delivered to ACX spec. Narration is booked through the contact form. Tell me the length of the book and I'll send a quote.
What is the difference between punch-record and roll-record editing?
Punch-record audio was corrected while you recorded, so it needs cleanup and formatting, at $100 an hour. Roll-record audio still holds the mistakes and retakes, so I correct it against the script first, at $150 an hour.
Will my files meet ACX specs?
Yes. Every tier is delivered to ACX spec: RMS between -23 and -18 dB, peaks no higher than -3 dB, a noise floor no higher than -60 dB RMS, and 192 kbps constant bit rate MP3 at 44.1 kHz.
What does the quality control review include?
A final pass over your finished audiobook so it meets distributor standards before you upload it to ACX or another distributor. It costs $50 per finished hour of audio.
Can you fix files that ACX rejected?
Yes. If the problem is levels or format, mastering fixes it. If the files have noise, hum or room echo, they need audio restoration first, and then I master them to spec.
I also edit podcasts, flat rates from $100 per episode.