Prologue
The writer finished the last read of her final draft, two hours before her self-imposed deadline, the first day of spring. She hit save one last time for good measure. Her mind flowed with opportunity and curiosity about what could come next. She gazed past her laptop screen down to the busy city street below. She knew this story was the one, and why shouldn’t it be? It had consumed her for the last six months. Full of optimism and ready for what was next, she focused in on a man walking below with a black pair of last year’s Beats earbuds in. He was on his busy commute in the long brown jacket she had seen before. He was one of the many two-way travelers she witnessed daily with their sacred routines. “What was he listening to,” she wondered. Maybe a novel, maybe a podcast? And then it hit her…. “How was he going to digest her book?”
And that’s where audiobooks come in.
Introduction
Okay. Okay. Alright, I may have taken a creative liberty to hook you, but… if you got here you’re probably interested in how you can turn your recent work or an upcoming book into an audiobook. Why wouldn’t you be? After all, 38% of American adults listened to an audiobook in the last year and that number is expected to keep growing (Edison Research, 2024).
For indie authors juggling tight budgets, limited time, and the challenge of standing out, audiobooks offer an invaluable opportunity. Audiobooks are one of the fastest-growing segments in publishing, providing authors with more opportunities to reach new audiences like busy readers who consume content on the go and those with visual or reading impairments. Whether you’re an independent author or an experienced writer exploring new formats, turning your book into an audiobook is a step toward expanding your readership, growing your brand as an author, and let’s not forget – increasing your revenue.
This guide will walk through how to make an audiobook, discuss costs, and cover new tools that make the creation process faster, easier, and more cost-effective than ever.
Why Create an Audiobook?
Audiobooks offer significant benefits for authors and readers/listeners, including:
- New Audiences: Audiobooks appeal to busy readers who prefer listening while commuting, exercising, or multitasking. They even appeal to children! 77% of parents say audiobooks give their kids a valuable break from screen time. (Publishers Weekly, 2024)
- Increased Revenue: Adding an audiobook to your portfolio creates an additional income stream and visibility on audiobook-only platforms like Audible. According to a Market.US report, the audiobook market is expected to be worth around $39.1 billion globally (in USD) by 2032. Do you want a piece of that pie?
- Accessibility: Audiobooks make your work accessible to individuals with visual impairments or reading challenges. It also makes for more convenient options for those with physical disabilities so they can enjoy literature without holding or manipulating a physical book or the digital interface of an e-book. Learn more about the accessibility benefits of audiobooks here.
Imagine the untapped audience you can reach with your audiobook. As people get busier and there are more options to consume content than ever, you need to reach your audience where they are. Audiences demand versatile formats that fit into their daily routines. You should be everywhere they are consuming content, and thanks to new advances in AI voices, it has never been easier and more affordable to create an audiobook.
Why Do Authors Hesitate to Make Audiobooks?
Mainly cost, time, and technical barriers. AI tools like FuturiBooks lower these hurdles with affordable, fast, and user-friendly production.
We get it, creating an audiobook can feel overwhelming. Many indie authors hesitate because of:
- Cost: Professional narration can seem intimidating, especially when confronted with high Per Finished Hour (PFH) narrator rates.
- Time: The thought of spending months on production, not to mention the scheduling headaches, might feel daunting when you have other priorities.
- Technical Knowledge: Navigating new platforms, production specs, and editing is unfamiliar territory.
Thankfully, tools like FuturiBooks are designed to address these challenges, making it easier and more affordable for authors like you to succeed.
How to Make an Audiobook: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Prepare Your Manuscript
Before diving into audiobook production, ensure your manuscript is finalized and polished. Proofreading is critical, as spoken-word errors can be distracting for listeners.
Step 2: Choose Your Narration Option
You have two main options for narration:
- Professional Human Narrators:
- Pros: High emotional delivery and nuanced performance.
- Cons: It is expensive, with professional narrators costing as much as $750 per finished hour of audiobook content. That’s $3,750 to produce one 5-hour audiobook. This can also include long turnaround times for recording and revisions.
- AI-Generated Voices:
- Pros: It is cost-effective, fast (with instant revisions), and you are in control to customize the desired emotional impact and nuance.
- Cons: Requires using a high-quality platform to ensure natural-sounding voices..
Finding: In a recent survey, 4/5 broadcast professionals who are experts with the nuances and details of the human voice preferred Futuri’s voices over other alternatives in the
AI voice space.
When it comes to the words you spent endless hours perfecting, you don’t want to compromise on the quality of the narration of your audiobook. With AI voices you are in control of how your book is presented. You can choose the voice(s) as well as control the tone, pacing, and character pronunciation to get it sounding exactly how you want it – without having to watch days of audio production tutorials on YouTube. Thanks to high-quality, human-like AI voices, quality results don’t have to break the bank either.
Step 3: Record or Generate Your Audiobook
For AI-powered options, platforms like FuturiBooks offer intuitive interfaces that allow you to:
- Select AI Voices: Choose from a range of emotive, humanistic, high-quality voices. You can even set these by character and use multiple within your book.
- Clone Your Voice: Narrate your book with your voice using advanced AI.
- Edit Audio: Customize tone and pronunciation for a distinct, polished result delivered exactly how you want it. Apply changes instantly.
If AI tools feel unfamiliar, don’t worry. Platforms like FuturiBooks are designed to be user-friendly, even if you’ve never worked with audio production before. With step-by-step guidance and support, you’ll have everything you need to create a polished, professional audiobook with confidence.
Step 4: Edit and Master Your Audio
Editing ensures your audiobook meets professional standards. AI solutions make it easy to
- Quickly add pauses and inflections
- Adjust volume and pacing
- Include relevant music or sound effects where necessary
If you prefer to have a producer in the loop guiding you through the process, our audiobook production experts are here to help you get your final product fully produced, polished, published… and even promoted (more about that below).
Step 5: Distribute Your Audiobook
Marketing an audiobook can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Futuri’Books offers optional marketing add-ons to jump-start promotion, including ready-to-go landing pages and international translation tools. We’ll help you make sure your audiobook isn’t just created, it’s heard.
How Much Does It Cost to Make an Audiobook?
Human-narrated audiobooks often cost $3,000–$5,000. AI-narrated audiobooks with FuturiBooks start around $1,000.
Costs vary based on the method you choose:
- Human Narrators: Costs can run close to $4,000 to produce 5 hours of audiobook content. Prices can increase greatly by the voice talent narrating the book, the length of the book, and any additional resources needed like studio time, editing, revisions and mastering.
- AI Narration: Pricing varies based on the voice quality and additional editing and production features. Though some free or low-cost tools can create text-to-audio, high-quality tools like FuturiBooks start at $1000 per book and include further enhancements to set your audiobook up for success.
Key Insight: We have heard from multiple authors that cost is a major barrier to audiobook production. Many felt that AI tools provide an affordable alternative, but they want to make sure the voices are high-quality and can reflect tone and emotion. That’s why we created FuturiBooks to deliver high-quality, humanistic narration options. We believe all authors deserve the opportunity to transform their written words into audiobook form and reach a wider audience.
Benefits of Using AI for Audiobook Creation
-
Cost Efficiency
AI voices eliminate the need for expensive studio time and equipment, professional narrators charging by the hour, audio producers and editors, and expensive software to finalize the audio and get the audiobook out into the world. This makes audiobook production accessible to more authors.
-
Faster Turnaround
Traditional audiobook production can take months, but AI services like FuturiBooks can deliver results in minutes to hours (depending on the length of the book). This gives modern authors the benefit of speed and convenience.
-
Full Control
Self-published authors value creative control, and AI voices allow them to tweak tone and pacing, and mix and match character voices to align with their vision.
-
Translation Options
AI-powered tools, like FuturiBooks, offer seamless language translation capabilities, enabling authors to break into international markets. Translating your audiobook into multiple languages can exponentially expand your audience, reaching readers in regions where your book’s primary language is not widely spoken. This unique feature empowers authors to tap into entirely new revenue streams and establish a global presence.
-
More Time for Marketing
The FuturiBooks platform includes optional add-ons to help jump-start marketing for your book. The Business Book ROI Study found that books that launched PR campaigns or had a clear revenue strategy generated the greatest profits. We hear you, overworked authors. That is why we include not just assistance in creating your audiobook but also in setting it up for success in a busy marketplace. The marketing add-on includes promotional tools, such as landing pages and international translation capabilities, to address the major struggles of today’s independent authors.
Why Free AI Tools Aren’t Enough for Professional Audiobooks
“Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.” –Plato
Now, Plato DEFINITELY wasn’t talking about AI, but the consensus still rings true. Focusing on results in one aspect of life can often bring about a bigger impact than spreading it thin across a ton of unrelated efforts.
While AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude are great at brainstorming and assisting with text generation, they fall short in creating professional-quality, expressive audiobooks. Even tools like Eleven Labs can easily turn text into narration, but when it comes to the listening experience, an audiobook consumer needs the highest-quality voices available that deliver the emotional human nuances that are to be expected when listening to a book.
Let’s break down why these free AI tools aren’t enough to achieve professional results:
- Lack of Voice Customization: Generic AI tools cannot tweak tone, pacing, and character nuances essential for engaging narration. While generic voice tools may work for a short-form video, they will become stale to the listener over the course of a 4+ hour audiobook.
- Quality Control: Professional audiobook solutions, like FuturiBooks, include advanced editing features and access to premium AI voices designed to deliver human-like emotion and authenticity. The editing workflow is also laid out in a clear process that aligns with what is expected with a standard audiobook production process – but in less time.
- Distribution Limitations: Free AI-generated content often fails to meet the quality standards of platforms like Audible and ACX, restricting your ability to distribute widely. It is no coincidence that Audible lists “Performance” as the second rating criteria – right after “Overall” and before “Story.” Listeners care about how the narration sounds, and that can make or break the overall listening experience and influence how likely a listener is to immerse themselves in the story.
- Proven Track Record and Support: FuturiBooks is a purpose-built platform for audiobook creation, ensuring a polished, market-ready product that meets listener expectations. Futuri’s high-quality AI voice technology is trusted by radio broadcasters worldwide. If you are nervous about creating your first book, the “Done for You” option takes care of all the leg (or ear?) work for you.
Investing in a dedicated premium audiobook solution with a proven track record ensures your work is presented at the highest quality, giving you confidence in reaching your audience effectively.
Common Questions About Audiobook Production
Can I Make My Own Audiobook?
Yes, you can create your own audiobook, especially with the help of AI tools. You can invest in reading equipment, software, or studio time, but high-quality AI voice options make creating professional-sounding audiobooks easier and more affordable than ever. Platforms like FuturiBooks offer self-serve options for authors who want more control over the entire process and full-service packages for those who prefer additional support.
How Much Does an Audiobook Cost to Make?
As discussed above, costs start at $1000 for AI-voiced audiobooks and $2,500+ for human narration.
How to Make an Audiobook with AI?
Creating an audiobook is as easy!
- Upload your manuscript.
- Choose a high-quality AI voice, or clone your own voice.
- Edit and finalize the audio.
- Publish, distribute, and promote.
Final Thoughts
Creating an audiobook has never been easier or more accessible, and it’s a perfect way to expand your reach. Whether you’re aiming to connect with busy professionals, visually impaired readers, or an international audience, FuturiBooks helps you bring your story to life, without breaking the bank or sacrificing quality. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, as audiobook listenership increases each year. FuturiBooks empowers independent authors to produce high-quality audiobooks affordably and efficiently while maintaining full creative control.
Futuri is partnering with authors and publishers to bring the same high-quality AI voice technology used by leading broadcasters all around the world to bring their stories to life and reach new audiences.
Ready to turn your book into an audiobook? Explore FuturiBooks and see how you can expand your audience and grow your revenue opportunities today.