How to Make an Audiobook: Ultimate Guide for Beginners

Key takeaways: 

• If you want to create an audiobook, you need rights to the book first.
• You can record an audiobook yourself, hire a professional narrator, or use an AI voice.
• There are several options for distributing an audiobook, such as ACX and Voices by INaudio, each with different royalties, rules, and audience.
• Riverside’s high-quality recording tools make it simple and affordable to record your own audiobook.

If you’re an author, a publisher, or simply own the rights to a book, turning it into audio can open up a whole new audience. 

But if you’re just starting out, it’s easy to feel stuck. Should you hire a narrator or record it yourself? How much will it cost? Is using AI voices a real option?

Worry not. Creating an audiobook that reaches platforms like Audible, Apple Books, and Google Play doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all you need to know to record, edit, and distribute an audiobook that meets industry standards.

Who can make an audiobook?

Before you dive into production, make sure you’re legally allowed to record an audiobook. Owning a physical copy of a book doesn’t give you permission to turn it into an audiobook. You need copyright and audio rights.

You can make an audiobook if:

You wrote the book or own the copyright. If you wrote the book, make sure you still own the rights.

You’ve secured exclusive audio rights. Many publishing contracts split print, e-book, and audiobook rights. If a publisher or another party holds the audio rights, you’ll need a license from them before recording.

You’re adapting a work in the public domain. Works with expired copyright, like many older classics, fall into this category. Just double-check that your edition’s notes, translations, introductions, or appendices aren’t still under copyright.

If one of these applies, you’re free to move forward and start planning production.

How to make an audiobook: 4 steps

Breaking down the process of making an audiobook into steps makes it much more manageable.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Prepare your audiobook script

What reads well on the page doesn’t always work when spoken aloud. Your first job is to adapt the manuscript for the ear.

Begin by reading the manuscript out loud. You’ll catch sentences that drag, phrasing that feels unnatural, or passages that leave you short of breath. Tighten everything up by shortening long sentences and smoothing the flow until it sounds natural.

Pay close attention to visual elements, too. Charts, footnotes, and images that work in print leave gaps in audio. A listener can’t flip back to “see figure 3.” Decide whether to describe them briefly or cut them out altogether. If the material is too detailed, you can provide a downloadable companion PDF, but make sure your narration still stands on its own.

Add notes to help guide the narrator. Mark pauses or key words where emphasis is needed and flag dialogue. If you have unusual names or technical terms, create a short pronunciation guide to keep the narration consistent

Finally, format the script for easy reading. Use clear spacing, large fonts, wide margins, and consistent chapter breaks to reduce eye strain and help focus on delivery.

Step 2: Record your audiobook (3 methods)

Recording is where quality is won or lost. You have three realistic options here

• Record it yourself 
• Hire a professional
• Use an AI voice

Each comes with clear benefits and trade-offs cost, performance, and speed to publish.

Let’s take a look.

Method 1: Record it yourself

Narrating your own audiobook using audio recording software gives you control and keeps costs low. But you’ll be both the performer and the engineer, so the performance and final audio quality are in your hands.

What it costs

A decent home studio will cost you anywhere from $100 to $500. Renting a professional studio might cost $30–$200 per hour, depending on location.

That said, your biggest investment will be the hours you spend recording and editing.

Pros

• Lowest cost if you already have gear.
• Full creative control over tone and pacing.
• Builds a personal connection with listeners (especially for authors).

Cons

• Must handle both narration and engineering at the same time.
• Time-intensive (recording, editing, mastering).
• Risk of lower audio quality if setup isn’t right.

Pro tip: Riverside is an all-in-one studio that will let you record and edit high-quality audio quickly and easily. Just set up an account, invite your guests for remote recording, and record in your virtual studio. Your recording will be saved locally, so you can export uncompressed WAV audio files in 48kHz quality without having to worry about a bad internet connection!  Once you’re done, you can use the text-based editor to cut mistakes and remove background noise, or even use AI tools like VideoDub to clone and correct your voice.

How to record an audiobook yourself:

1. Set up your space. Pick the quietest room in your home, ideally with carpet or rugs to absorb echo. Hang heavy blankets or foam panels on reflective surfaces. A walk-in closet filled with clothes works surprisingly well.
2. Choose your mic and gear. A good USB mic (Shure MV6 or Samson Q2U) works for beginners. For pro quality with a more technical setup, use an XLR mic like the Shure SM7B paired with an audio interface. Add a pop filter to reduce plosives and closed-back headphones for monitoring.
3. Check your sound levels. Do a test read before starting your recording. Your peaks should land around –6 dBFS and average around –18 dBFS. On Riverside, you can see this in your studio on the bottom toolbar. If it’s too hot, lower input gain under mic settings instead of backing away from the mic.
4. Warm up. Hydrate, then spend five minutes reading aloud to loosen your voice. Tongue twisters help here too.
5. Record in short sessions. Narration can be tiring. Aim for 20–30 minutes per block. Take breaks, stretch, and come back fresh. It’s also a good idea to record one chapter per file since many platforms require it. With Riverside, you can record all chapters as separate files in the same studio to keep things organized.
6. Correct mistakes as you go. If you stumble on a word, pause and re-read the sentence cleanly. Riverside’s markers help flag mistakes so you can easily fix them with the text-based editor.
7. Extra tip: At the start of each session, record 30–60 seconds of silence as your “room tone.” You’ll use it in editing to cover cuts and pauses.

Method 2: Hire a professional narrator

Hiring a pro saves you from the burden of technical setup and guarantees a polished performance. It’s the most expensive option but often the smoothest path to a market-ready audiobook.

What it costs

Rates typically fall between $100 and $250 per finished hour, depending on experience level and whether editing/mastering is included.

Pros

• Professional performance and pacing.
• High-quality, industry-standard audio.
• Saves you time on recording and editing.

Cons

• Highest cost option, especially for longer books.
• Less personal connection if you’re the author.
• Scheduling and revisions depend on the narrator.

How to hire a professional narrator to make an audiobook:

1. Write a brief. Define your audience, desired tone, pacing, and genre. Include pronunciation notes for unusual or technical terms.
2. Post an audition. Use ACX, Voices by INaudio (formerly Findaway Voices), or Voices.com to upload a sample of your book. Request short auditions (2–3 minutes) so you can compare how narrators handle your text. 
3. Select your narrator. Don’t just pick the “best voice,” pick the one your audience would trust and enjoy.
4. Set terms upfront. Agree on rates, deadlines, and pickup policies (corrections included vs. billed separately). Make sure rights ownership is spelled out in writing.
5. Review early samples. Ask for the first chapter before full production. Feedback on pace or tone is far easier to apply early.
6. Approve final files. Once the narration is complete, listen end-to-end. Keep a timestamped list of corrections and return it as one batch instead of piecemeal requests.
7. Extra tip: Some narrators also handle editing and mastering for an additional fee. If you want turnkey delivery, confirm this in your contract.

Method 3: Use AI narration

AI tools have evolved quickly. Many now produce narration that sounds surprisingly natural, especially for nonfiction or educational texts where content outweighs dramatic performance.

Some authors even use AI for a first pass, then switch to human narration later. It’s a quick way to test phrasing and flow.

What it costs

Self-service platforms like Speechki or ElevenLabs cost $30–$200 for a full audiobook. Premium voice-cloning is pricier but still far cheaper than human narration.

Pros

• Fast and affordable (fraction of human cost).
• Wide choice of voices, accents, and styles.
• Scales easily for multiple projects.

Cons

• Less emotional depth and nuance than a human narrator.
• Occasional mispronunciations or awkward phrasing.
• Some platforms and audiences still prefer human narration.

How to use AI narration to make an audiobook

1. Pick a platform. Options include:
   
   • Amazon’s Virtual Voice (for Kindle Direct authors).
   • ElevenLabs (realistic multi-language voices).
   • Speechki (geared toward audiobooks, with built-in distribution).
2. Prepare your script. AI needs clean input. Double-check punctuation, break long paragraphs into smaller chunks, and insert markers for pauses.
3. Select a voice. Listen to samples across genders, accents, and tones. Pick one that matches your book’s genre and target audience.
4. Tweak delivery. Most platforms let you adjust pace, pitch, and emphasis. Use these settings sparingly to keep the narration sounding natural.
5. Generate a pilot chapter. Listen carefully with headphones and speakers. If words are mispronounced, use a custom lexicon or phonetic spelling tool.
6. Render chapters individually. Export each chapter as a separate mono WAV file. This makes it easier to edit or replace single chapters later without reprocessing the entire book. Many audiobook distribution platforms also require one file per chapter.
7. Do light editing. Even with AI, you’ll want to normalize levels, enhance audio quality, trim silences, and double-check consistency in an audio editor like Riverside.

Step 3: Edit your audiobook

Editing turns your raw recording into a smooth, publishable audiobook. You can either handle this step yourself or bring in a professional editor.

DIY editing

If you recorded the audiobook yourself, start by cutting out any stumbles, false starts, filler words (“uhm” and “ah”), and long silences. You can use short clips of “room tone” to keep the audio smooth and consistent.

Pro Tip: You can use Riverside's text-based editor to edit your recording like you're editing a word document (or your actual book)!

Make sure every chapter has the same sound level, or the shifts will distract your audience. Loudness standards vary, but most publishers require:

• RMS between –23dB and –18dB
• Peaks under –3dB
• Noise floor below –60dB

Always review your files with headphones. Background noise that hides on speakers often pops out in earbuds. For a quick final pass, play at 1.25x speed. This makes it easier to spot small issues like clicks and hums.

Pro Tip: With Riverside’s Magic Audio, you can do everything with one click. AI will balance volume, remove background noise, clean up silences, and make your recording sound like it was recorded in a professional studio. 

Check your distributor’s specs before exporting. A common standard is 192 kbps MP3, mono, constant bit rate, with each chapter in its own file. Platforms like ACX also require separate intro and outro credits.

Hiring an editor

If you hired a professional narrator, editing may already be included in your package. Always confirm whether you’re getting raw files or fully mastered chapters.

When you outsource editing, rates usually run $75–$200+ per finished hour for editing, proofing, and mastering. It’s an extra cost, but it ensures your audiobook passes quality checks on the first submission, avoiding delays and resubmissions.

Step 4: Choose cover art for your audiobook

Audiobook platforms are stricter than print or ebooks when it comes to cover art. The most important rule is that the cover must be square. 

You’ll also need to meet these requirements:

• Size: At least 2400 x 2400 pixels.
• File type: JPG or PNG in RGB color.
• Text: Title and author name must be clear at thumbnail scale. Avoid thin fonts, tiny text, or cluttered layouts.

If you already have an ebook cover, don’t just crop it. Cropping often cuts off important elements and makes the design look awkward. Instead, ask a designer to adapt the layout for a square format.

Most listeners browse on small mobile screens, so bold typography and clean imagery will grab attention better than ornate details.

Distributing and promoting your audiobook

Now that you’ve recorded and edited your audiobook, it’s time to put it out into the world! There are lots of options here. 

Let’s take a look at how each one works and what audiobook creators can expect to find in the fine print.

ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange)

ACX is a common first choice for indie authors because it connects directly to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. You can publish exclusively for 40% royalties or go non-exclusive for 25%. Its biggest advantage is reach: most audiobook sales happen inside Amazon’s ecosystem. Uploading is straightforward, and the narrator marketplace makes it easier to find voice talent.

The tradeoff is flexibility. Exclusive deals lock you in for 7 years, and non-exclusive deals come with lower royalties. If you self-produce and don’t use a royalty-share agreement, you can request early opt-out after 90 days. ACX has also required human narration, though it recently began testing allowing selected U.S. narrators to use AI versions of their own voices. That option isn’t widely available yet, so most authors must still stick to human narration.

Voices by INaudio (formerly Findaway Voices / Voices.com)

Voices by INaudio offers the widest distribution network in the industry, reaching dozens of retailers and subscription platforms. Authors usually keep about 80% of net royalties after the platform’s share. 

It’s a good choice if you want broad, non-exclusive reach and the freedom to work with either human or AI narration. There are no upfront fees, and your book can appear on platforms like Apple Books, Google Play, OverDrive, and library systems. The only catch is that royalties vary depending on the retailer, so your earnings aren’t as predictable as they are with ACX.

Authors Republic

Authors Republic distributes audiobooks to more than 50 stores and library platforms, including Audible, Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo. Authors usually earn about 70% of net royalties, but they can climb to about 85% if you use a partner like Scribe Media.

Deals are non-exclusive, and AI-narrated audiobooks are accepted. The dashboard makes it easy to track sales across all channels in one place. The downside is that since most retailers take a 50% cut, you’ll earn less per sale than you would with ACX exclusivity. That, and you’re responsible for your own marketing.

Kobo Writing Life

Kobo is designed for international authors, especially those targeting Canada and Europe. It pays a flat 45% royalty on audiobooks. Distribution extends beyond the Kobo store via OverDrive for libraries, and Kobo Plus for subscription listeners. The dashboard is simple, and pricing is flexible, but its U.S. market reach is limited, and it has yet to clarify its stance on AI narration.

Google Play Books

Google Play Books lets you sell audiobooks worldwide with flexible pricing options and accepts AI-narrated titles. Authors receive around 52% of the list price in royalties. The main limit is visibility since Google's audiobook audience is much smaller than Audible’s. In other words, you’ll need some marketing muscle to get noticed.

Apple Books

Apple Books gives you access to a loyal audience of iOS users, who historically spend more on digital content. Plus, the integration with the Apple ecosystem will give your book prestige. Royalties hover around 45%. 

You cannot upload directly, though: distribution must happen through an aggregator such as Voices by INaudio or Authors Republic. This means you don’t get direct access to the dashboard, and AI narration is only possible if your aggregator supports it.

Chirp (via BookBub/Voices by INaudio or Authors Republic)

Chirp it’s a platform designed for promotions, not publishing. But it’s still a way to earn additional royalties through audiobook deals. 

If your audiobook is distributed through approved partners like INaudio, Chirp will market it at a discount to its massive U.S. and Canadian audience. Promotions can help you with short-term visibility and spikes in sales, though your per-sale royalties will dip during these runs.

BookFunnel

BookFunnel lets you deliver audiobooks directly to readers, either selling them outright or giving them away as freebies. You keep almost all the revenue, aside from payment processing fees. This option gives you full control over pricing and audience data, and it works well if you already have an email list or fanbase. What it doesn’t give you is built-in discoverability, so you’ll need to handle all the marketing yourself.

Monetizing your audiobook

How much you earn from an audiobook depends less on the book itself and more on the distribution model you choose. On average, authors keep somewhere between $3 and $10 per sale, but the range varies widely.

Let’s try to break this down with an example. Imagine you want to publish a $20 audiobook.

If you publish exclusively through ACX, the payout is 40% of the retail price, which will net you around $8 per sale. The tradeoff is that exclusivity locks you into their network for 7 years, limiting where you can sell.

A non-exclusive ACX deal or platforms like Authors Republic and Voices by INaudio will give you wider distribution. Your audiobook can reach dozens of storefronts and libraries, but earnings per unit will be lower, though (approx. $3–$6). Still, for writers with multiple titles or niche audiences, this broader reach often generates more consistent income than exclusivity.

Direct sales bring the largest cut. Selling through BookFunnel or your own website can leave you with $18–$19 after processing fees. That margin is hard to beat, but discoverability is entirely in your hands. You’ll need an existing audience or a strong marketing strategy to make it work.

Subscription and library models like Kobo Plus, Scribd, or OverDrive pay the least, sometimes under $3 per listen. What they lack in payout, they make up for in visibility. A steady stream of library checkouts or subscription streams can bring you new readers who might later buy other titles at full price.

FAQs about making an audiobook

How much does it cost to have a book made into an audiobook?

It depends on how you record your audiobook. A professional narrator usually charges $100–$250 per finished hour, so a 10-hour book might cost $1,000–$2,500 or more. Recording it yourself is cheaper, since you’ll mostly spend a few hundred dollars on equipment, but it will take time and effort. AI narration is the lowest-cost option, with many services charging just $30–$200 for a full book. However, not all audiobook platforms will accept books narrated by AI.

Is it hard to make an audiobook?

It’s not hard, but it does take patience and attention to details. The toughest parts are getting clean audio and editing it to meet distributor requirements (formatting, loudness, file specs). Tools like Riverside streamline recording and editing, but for a polished, human-narrated audiobook, be prepared for a learning curve.

How to get permission to make an audiobook?

You can turn a book into an audiobook if:

• You wrote the book and/or hold the copyright.
• You’ve been granted audio rights by the author or publisher.
• The book is in the public domain.

If you don’t fall into one of these categories, you’ll need a written license or contract giving you the rights.

Can I narrate an audiobook on YouTube?

Yes, but only if you own the rights or the book is in the public domain. Some creators earn ad revenue this way, but uploading copyrighted books without permission can get you into legal trouble. Always confirm rights first.