audiobook studio
World class audiobook production from the heart of Yorkshire
FAQ
So how does this all work then?
Well, there are two main ways of making an audiobook with us.
The first way is to pick one of our narration team that you'd like to voice your book, get in touch with us to discuss the vision, send us the manuscript and then sit back, relax and wait for the finished book to come to you.
The second is to provide your own narrator, in which case you'd book some time in the studio, send them over to us and we'll take care of the recording, editing mixing etc and send you back the finished book.
Either way there is an opportunity to make a recording of a shorter section of the book for you to listen to before commiting to the full project.
If you'd like to discuss the process, contact us and we'll hapily chat it through with you.
Why should I choose you over any other studio?
Because this is what we do. All the time. And we love it. Making an audiobook isn't the same as making a voiceover, and it's nothing like making a record. We work with a range of narrators, and often our staff narrate books themselves, but we specialise in authors reading their own work. Especially for non fiction accounts and poetry. In this case, it's all about helping a person, often unfamiliar with the recording process, get comfortable enough to deliver an authentic reading of their work. It can be a challenge, but we love it! The power of a story being told by the person it happened to... can't be beaten.
Not sure if the author is the right voice for the book? or want to try out a narrator you're unfamiliar with? book an hour for a test recording, treat it as an audition. If it works out, great. If not, at least you know. Why not contact us to arrange a test recording.
Apart from loving audiobooks, specialising in making them and being really good at it, you should choose us because we represent good value for money. We're not the cheapest option (at least not in the north of England), but do you really want the word cheap associated with your art? We aim to get you a high quality audiobook that you and your fans will love, for a reasonable price, with a good turnaround time. Because writing any book takes time, effort and dedication, and the least we can do is try to reflect that in the audio presentation of your work.
Is it worth making an audiobook? Will people actually buy it?
Short answer: yes.
Longer answer: still yes.
According to the Publishers Association, between 2022 and 2023, audiobook downloads in the UK went from 55 to 59 million. Revenue rose in the same time period by 24%, up to £209 million. Audiobooks are now a major part of UK publishing revenue. In fact, in the last 5 years, audiobook revenue in the UK has more than doubled.
That’s not to say every audiobook will be an immediate bestseller, but if it’s good and you have a marketing plan, an audiobook can, and should make money.
How long does it take to make an audiobook?
This will depend on how confident a narrator you are / have. A seasoned professional can easily record 4 hours worth of audiobook in a day, but someone new to the field may produce more like 2 or 3.
Non fiction is usually quicker to produce. As an example, this year a professional motivational speaker and performance coach recorded 2 complete audiobooks, each just shy of 5 hours long, in 2 eight hour days, needing 4 hours after recording for editing and mixing. That’s 2 and a half days to make 2 books, or 20 hours to produce 10 hours worth of material. This is pretty quick going, but he’s a very good speaker who knows his material and is practiced at talking for long stretches without wearing his voice out.
At the other end of the spectrum lies historical fiction. An example of this would be an 18 hour long epic we recorded in 2022. This was recorded over 12 five hour sessions and took considerably longer to edit and mix, due to the number of different character voices, accents and high levels of drama the text required. This worked out at closer to 15 days, or 120 hours, to produce 18 hours of material.
As you can see, this is quite a wide swing. Its always worth getting in touch to get an idea of what your project might look like, and see what we can do for you and your budget.
What does it cost?
It's always worth contacting us with an idea, if you're not sure quite what the project will entail or how long it might take. Our rates page is agood starting point, but we're always happy to chat and talk budgets and ideas. Fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page, or just give us a ring.
Once it’s made, how hard is it to get my book up for sale?
It’s pretty easy. If you’re an independent author, the quickest / cheapest way to get your book up for sale is using Audible. It’s not necessarily the best in terms of the deal they offer, but it is relatively simple and almost everyone has their audiobook there. It’s a bit like Spotify in that respect. We can guide you through the process though, no problem. We can also direct you to other options which may offer greater flexibility and potentially better returns, such as BookFunnel (we like these guys a lot) and Findaway Voices (though since Spotify bought Findaway they’ve become almost as questionable as, well, Spotify…). We can talk you through the available options and whatever you pick (or even if you pick none of the above and do it all yourself), your book can be up for sale pretty quickly and easily.
What equipment do you use?
We’ve only ever been asked this by other studio owners. And to be fair it’s something we ask other people. Recording studio work can be a bit shrouded in mystery sometimes, and studio engineers tend to be a bit of an inquisitive bunch.
But since you’ve read this far. Focusrite and RME Preamps, depending on source. SE Z5600A mk2, Red5 RV10, Aston Stealth, Slate digital or Lauten Audio mics. Avid ProTools for recording. (Not because it’s the best, or an industry standard or any of that, just because we grew up with it, have used it since the 1990s and have the shortcuts baked into our brains). All the plugins - Waves, Izotope, IK, Avid, Plugin Alliance, Oeksound… we’re as hopelessly addicted to plugins as any other studio owners. If we don’t have it, we’re probably trialing it. But most importantly, a really nice, quiet, acoustically treated, relaxing environment, with its own green room / lounge and kitchen, near to some woodland and a range of coffee shops, should you need to escape for a quiet moment.
Where is the studio?
North East Bradford - Greengates, BD10. A short walk from Apperley Bridge (APY) train station.