Professional audiobook production & narration

Your Book in Every Ear — Studio-Quality Audiobook Production in 4–6 Weeks.

Audiobooks are the fastest-growing format in publishing. We match your manuscript to a professional narrator from our vetted roster, produce in our partner studios, master to ACX and Findaway specs, and deliver distribution-ready files. Royalty-share or per-finished-hour — your choice.

  • Genre-matched professional narrator from 200+ vetted voice artists
  • ACX & Findaway-compliant masters — zero quality rejection guarantee
  • Author retains 100% rights — no exclusive deals, no royalty share required
  • Delivered in 4–6 weeks — Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, and 40+ platforms
★★★★★4.9 / 5 from 870+ verified author reviews

Get Your Free Consultation

Tell us your word count and genre — we'll match you with the right narrator today

100% confidential. NDA on request. Reply within 1 business day.

Audiobooks generate 20–40% additional revenue from the same manuscript. Most authors still haven’t produced one.

The audiobook market grew 25% last year. Audible alone has 700,000+ titles — but with 500M+ Audible members looking for new listening, a well-produced audiobook in the right genre earns significant passive royalties from day one.

DIY or low-budget audiobook

  • ACX quality rejection — background noise, level inconsistency, or wrong sample rate
  • Wrong narrator voice for the genre — listeners return books and leave bad reviews
  • Locked into ACX exclusive deal — you can’t put the audiobook on Spotify, Findaway, or libraries
  • No mastering — audio is loud in some chapters and quiet in others
  • Author does their own QC — missed mispronunciations and pickup errors get published
  • Months of back-and-forth — self-managed productions average 4–6 months to complete

With Hawthorne Publishers

  • Studio-quality production mastered to ACX, Findaway & Google Play specs — zero rejection
  • Genre-matched narrator from 200+ vetted professionals — sample audition before commitment
  • Non-exclusive distribution — Audible, Apple, Spotify, Libro.fm, and libraries
  • Full professional mastering — consistent levels, noise floor, and chapter normalization
  • Independent QC team listens cover-to-cover — every error caught before you hear it
  • 4–6 week production-to-distribution — one of the fastest timelines in the industry
650+Audiobooks produced & distributed
200+Vetted professional narrators
4–6 wksAverage production timeline
4.9Average author rating

What Every Audiobook Production
Project Includes — Start to Published.

From narrator matching to distribution-ready masters — every step of professional audiobook production handled for you.

Narrator matching & audition

Your manuscript reviewed for genre, tone, POV, and character voices. Three narrator candidates selected and a 5-minute sample audition produced — you choose the voice before production begins.

Professional studio recording

Full manuscript recorded in a professional-grade studio or home studio meeting ACX noise floor and frequency requirements — not a bedroom mic with audible room tone.

Audio editing & mastering

Full chapter-by-chapter edit — breath removal, noise reduction, pickup splicing — then mastered to ACX spec: -23 LUFS ± 1, -3 dBFS peak, noise floor below -60 dBFS RMS.

Independent QC review

A separate QC listener follows the manuscript word-for-word — catching mispronunciations, missed words, level drops, and background noise errors before you hear the finished files.

Author review & approvals

Full file package delivered to you for listening before distribution. You mark any final corrections — re-records handled within the project budget — and sign off before upload.

ACX upload & Audible distribution

Completed files uploaded to ACX and submitted for Audible distribution — non-exclusive option selected so you retain the right to distribute on all other platforms simultaneously.

Audiobook cover design

Square audiobook cover designed to ACX and Findaway specification — a distinct asset from your print cover, optimised for the square thumbnail format used across all listening apps.

Rights & royalty ownership

You retain 100% of audiobook rights. No ACX royalty-share deal required — per-finished-hour payment option available so you keep every dollar of royalties from every platform.

Distribution-ready master files

Final MP3 chapter files, combined single-file MP3, and WAV masters delivered for your archive — ready for Findaway Voices, Authors Republic, and any future distribution platform.

From manuscript to live on Audible in 4–6 weeks.

A structured five-step process with clear approval gates — you hear and approve before we distribute.

01

Brief & Narrator Match

Manuscript intake, genre and tone analysis, narrator shortlist of three candidates, and 5-minute sample audition produced — you select the voice before recording begins.

02

First Chapter Review

First chapter recorded and delivered to you for approval — pacing, tone, character voice consistency, and pronunciation guide completed before the full manuscript is recorded.

03

Full Recording & Edit

Complete manuscript recorded, edited chapter by chapter, breath removal and noise reduction applied, and independently QC’d against the manuscript before mastering.

04

Mastering & Author Review

All chapters mastered to ACX spec and delivered to you for full listening review. Final corrections made, sign-off received, then audiobook cover and metadata prepared for upload.

05

Upload & Distribution

ACX submission and approval managed, Findaway Voices upload coordinated, and master files delivered to you. Live on Audible, Apple Books Audio, and Spotify within 4–6 weeks.

Audiobook Production
Production proof

650+ audiobooks produced. Zero ACX quality rejections across all of them.

The most common reason audiobooks fail on ACX isn’t narration quality — it’s technical spec failures that could have been caught in mastering. We’ve produced 650+ audiobooks and never had a quality rejection because our mastering engineers know ACX’s technical requirements and build to them from the first session. Every file we upload passes first time.

  • Zero ACX quality rejections across 650+ productions
  • 200+ vetted narrators across every genre — fiction, non-fiction, children’s, business
  • 4–6 week average from manuscript to Audible listing — one of the fastest in the industry
  • 100% rights retained — non-exclusive, no royalty share required
Get your audiobook quote →

Our Audiobook Production Packages

Solo Narrator

Single narrator production for fiction, memoir, non-fiction, and business books up to 60,000 words.

from $1,800 per finished hour
  • Genre-matched narrator (3 audition samples)
  • Professional studio recording
  • Full edit, noise reduction & mastering
  • Independent QC review
  • ACX-compliant master files
  • Audiobook cover design included
  • ACX upload & Audible distribution
Most Popular
Full Distribution

Complete production plus wide audiobook distribution — Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Libro.fm, and libraries via Findaway Voices.

from $2,200 per finished hour
  • Everything in Solo Narrator
  • Findaway Voices distribution setup
  • Spotify, Apple, Libro.fm, & 40+ platforms
  • Library distribution (OverDrive/Hoopla)
  • Non-exclusive — retain 100% rights
  • Audiobook metadata optimisation
  • All master files delivered to you
Premium Cast

Multi-voice or celebrity narrator production for fiction, children’s, and prestige non-fiction titles.

Custom
  • Everything in Full Distribution
  • Multi-voice cast (fiction/children’s)
  • Celebrity or high-profile narrator access
  • Sound design & ambient music (children’s)
  • Dedicated audio director
  • Full cast recording & mix

What every audiobook production is guaranteed.

These commitments are confirmed before we match your first narrator candidate.

Zero ACX Rejection

Every file mastered to ACX technical specification before upload. Zero quality rejections across 650+ productions — if ACX rejects for technical reasons, we fix at no charge.

Narrator Approval

Three narrator candidates with sample auditions — you choose before recording begins. If you’re not satisfied after the first chapter, we re-cast at no additional charge.

4–6 Week Delivery

Completed, distribution-ready files within 4–6 weeks of project kickoff. Timeline confirmed before we accept your manuscript — and held to throughout production.

100% Rights Retained

No exclusivity required. Non-exclusive ACX option selected — you can distribute on Findaway, Spotify, libraries, and every other platform simultaneously from day one.

Independent QC

A dedicated QC listener follows your manuscript word-for-word before delivery. Every mispronunciation, level drop, and background noise error caught before you hear the file.

Master Files Delivered

All chapter MP3s, combined single-file MP3, and WAV masters handed over to you at project close — your audio archive is yours to use on any future platform, forever.

Trusted by business leaders, entrepreneurs & executives

From first-time authors to seasoned CEOs — our clients use their books to build authority, attract clients, and leave a lasting legacy.

I've been running my consulting firm for 14 years and always knew a book would elevate my positioning. Hawthorne made it real. The ghostwriter they matched me with understood my industry from day one. The final manuscript reads exactly like me — sharp, direct, and full of the frameworks I use with clients. Closed two six-figure engagements before the official launch.

MT
Marcus T.
Mar 2026
★★★★★

I came in with a half-finished manuscript and no clear direction. The developmental editing process was transformative — they helped me restructure the entire argument without losing my voice. The book is now the anchor of my thought leadership strategy and has been picked up by three business podcasts. Worth every dollar.

SK
Sarah K.
Jan 2026
★★★★★

Hawthorne handled my business memoir from outline to Amazon launch. The project manager kept everything on schedule and the ghostwriter captured 20 years of entrepreneurial lessons in a way that is genuinely engaging. It's already ranking in two categories on KDP and my speaking inquiries have tripled since launch.

DR
Daniel R.
Feb 2026
★★★★★

As a business coach, credibility is everything. Publishing my book with Hawthorne gave me a tangible asset I can put in front of every prospective client. The team handled the cover, interior layout, ISBN, and KDP submission flawlessly. I didn't have to touch a single technical detail. Professional from start to finish.

JW
Jennifer W.
Dec 2025
★★★★★

My executive team had been suggesting I write a strategy book for years. Hawthorne turned that idea into a polished, published reality in under five months. The ghostwriter conducted thorough interviews, the editor tightened every chapter, and the cover design looked better than books I've seen from major publishers.

RA
Robert A.
Nov 2025
★★★★★

I used Hawthorne's book marketing and Amazon Ads service post-launch. The team built a proper campaign strategy, ran the ads, and optimised the metadata. Within six weeks we hit bestseller status in two categories. The visibility it created for my startup brand was unlike anything I'd achieved through traditional PR.

MC
Michael C.
Oct 2025
★★★★★
Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to the questions authors ask most about this service.

Full audiobook production includes narrator casting and direction, studio-quality recording, audio editing and mastering (removing breath noise, room sound, and errors), chapter file creation to ACX and Findaway Voices specifications, and quality control before submission. A completed, distribution-ready audiobook is the deliverable.

Yes. We present a shortlist of narrators whose voice, pacing, and style suit your genre. You audition each with a sample from your manuscript and make the final selection. If you want to narrate your own book, we provide studio access guidance and a production-only package.

A 60,000-word book (approximately 6–8 hours of finished audio) typically takes 6–10 weeks from narrator cast to final mastered files — including recording, editing, and two quality review rounds.

All audio is delivered to ACX specifications: 192kbps CBR MP3, -23 LUFS integrated loudness, -3 dB peak, and less than -60 dB noise floor. Files pass ACX QA without flags.

Yes. You retain full copyright to the audiobook. We produce it on a work-for-hire basis — the finished audio files belong to you. We do not take a royalty share under any arrangement.

Yes. ACX (Audible/Amazon) offers exclusive distribution (higher royalties) or non-exclusive. Non-exclusive allows simultaneous distribution to Spotify, Kobo Audio, Apple Books, OverDrive, and other platforms via Findaway Voices. We advise on the right strategy for your title.

A 3-minute strategy call is the fastest way to find the right path. No obligation. NDA on request.

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