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Your Audiobook
Your Audiobook by Song4God.net Media
Choose my work-made-for-hire model and allow me to narrate and produce your audiobook.
That’s the end of my involvement. No future stake in your royalties.
There is a ton of information out there about audiobook narration and production, how much it all costs and how long it takes, etc.
I will offer the complete narration and audio engineering package to provide quality, quality for you at a price you can afford.
I predict you’ll be quite happy.
Quality? You be the judge: https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Stephen+Robert+Cass
See, here’s the issue: Authors don’t often understand how much it costs to hire quality narrators AND then turn around and pay another studio to finish their audio files.
I have a detailed explanation of what it takes to get all this done below, but I plan to give you precise information here towards the top of the page.
Quickly, here is what it all will cost. Keep in mind there are so many factors that determine the exact amount.
The cost of a top narrator: 6-8 cents a word. At the top, that’s $4000 or more for a 50,000 word book.
The cost of a good editor and audio mastering engineer that knows the quality standards: 20 hours of studio time (varies greatly. There are a ton of factors involved. It’s safe to assume that if you get narration/editing/mastering done at the same time, the studio time will be managed as well as possible.
Separate recording/mixing/mastering facilities will increase your costs.)
That’s $2000 if the editing/mastering studio charges $100 per hour.
Are you ready to spend $4000 to $6000 to have a quality audiobook finished? Most people will balk at this.
The quality you’ll receive from Songs4God.net’s Your Audiobook service
Quality audiobook narration and production involves skilled voice acting and a meticulous process of recording, editing, and mastering audio. In the same scenario as above, you’ll receive quality narration and exquisitely technical engineering, all done in the same studio for less than half of this price. The same 50,000 word book would cost $2000 for final mastered files at Solid Walnut Media’s Your Audiobook service.
However, we apply a sliding scale discount beginning at 22,000 words and up to 50,000 words. We will discount $750 for your 50k word book. Depending on other factors, you could be quoted $1250 for your 50k word book.
No future stake in your royalties.
Quality? You be the judge: https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Stephen+Robert+Cass
Enter the basic details about your project at the Your Audiobook link above and receive a detailed quote, specific to your situation.
What I Offer
I have simpler rate for narrating and producing audiobooks.
After I ask you a few questions at the Your Audiobook link above I am going to send you an offer. My offer will have nothing to do with taking your future royalties. Your product will always remain yours.
You are hiring me as a voice talent, project director, and audiobook producer. This package offer is a work-made-for-hire with no future claims on your book.
My price will not be as expensive as the top narrators and producers but it will not be low. It will be reasonable, however. Why?
What is often not made clear to you: after you hire a narrator you need to hire another sound engineer to edit and master the audio to specific technical criteria of ACX (Audible), Findaway Voices, and Author’s Republic.
You’ll get extras when you hire me. For the price you might pay a top narrator, you’ll get technical and production extras from me, such as:
- Work-in-progress samples delivered from a private server.
- Closely work with you on determining the passion needed for your project.
- Consultation with you if I feel an area might be expanded on or told differently because of the audiobook format.
- Communication with you if any question about pronunciations
- No studio time charged for the time necessary for production extras such as the inclusion of background music or marketing blurbs.
- Final audio delivery through the private server.
- Your audiobook fully edited and mastered.
- I guarantee to deliver quality audio to the standards of Audible, Author’s Republic, and Findaway Voices.
- You will not have to hire an additional audio producer to finalize your files. This service is included.
I’ll be glad to deliver most requests of studio time within the price schedule for your project, but will quote you an hourly rate for special needs.
There will be studio time added for any other special requests such as time for producing long advertising, or for the delivery/upload of the files to other destinations.
Below are samples of my work and reviews. Thanks for reading today!
Enter the basic details about your project at the Your Audiobook link above and receive a detailed quote, specific to your situation.
Here is the price schedule page: https://songs4god.net/audiobook-price-schedule/
Ask me about the next available start project start date. Depending on the length of the project, I aim for an approximate 60-day turnaround.
Audio Samples
Six audiobooks. Five audio samples are found at https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Stephen+Robert+Cass
- 101 Things Every Man Should Know by Dak Frederick
- Worship Songs and the Law by Stephen Robert Cass
- The 5 Keys to a Clear Mix by Stephen Robert Cass
- The 5 Steps to Get Your Songs Heard by Stephen Robert Cass
- Establishing a Culture of Lead Worshipers by Stephen Robert Cass
- How to Be a Worship Songwriter by Stephen Robert Cass audio sample can be found at https://howtobeaworshipsongwriter.com
- Iron Sharpens Iron by Stephen Robert Cass is in process and will be released in the fall of 2025.
- All the audiobooks, graphics, and companion documents of the books of Stephen Robert Cass are found at https://youtube.com/@StephenRobertCass
Hire Stephen Robert Cass
Save on finding a narrator plus a final product audio producer. Enter the basic details about your project at the Your Audiobook link above.
Here is the price schedule: https://songs4god.net/audiobook-price-schedule/
My studio:
ProTools
Here is the short explanation of the audiobook production business, what it often takes to get your book narrated, and how much it will cost.
This is a Q & A section so you can get the information you need to make the right decisions.
Q: How much do people spend for audiobook production?
A: It seems the average cost spectrum to get a book fully produced into an audiobook is $2500 – 4000 or more. What are your best options?
Key factors:
A well-know narrator will command top dollar
Seeking additional editing and mastering requires more time and money
Book length figures in to your final costs
You can spend less to get your book recorded, but beware of the quality and lack of expertise.
The real answer is going to depend on whether you record your audiobook and self-publish or whether you hire a narrator PLUS an audiobook producer.
Or you hire an independent producer with both talents, but not interested in future royalties.
Here are some possibilities:
1. Invest $100 – 1000 in audio equipment and learn to record and produce.
Learn how to capture quality audio as well as to learn how to edit and produce the audio. You’ll also need to understand the technical production quality requirements of Audible, Findaway Voices, and Author’s Republic.
2. Enter into a revenue sharing agreement with an audiobook narrator.
You can find narrators who will split your book sales 50/50. Different platforms offer different deals. For example at ACX, you pay a reduced rate upfront and then receive 50% of royalties for 7 years. A downside is that your audiobook can only be sold on the Audible and ITunes platforms. The Findaway Voices revenue sharing is reduced up front cost and the narrator receives 20% of royalties for 10 years.
3. Pay a Per Finished Hour rate (2025 cost range is $100 – 300, less experienced narrators at the lower end).
This is a way to pay a narrator according to the number of words. To give yourself an idea of the cost: divide the total number of words by 9,300 to get an idea of how many hours the narrator will charge you for. This is most likely not your total cost. Not all narrators will ALSO produce the audio, which will be an additional PFH charge.
4. Find a hybrid deal between PFH and revenue sharing.
PROs
There are a few PROs going with the above scenarios. If you decide to invest in the equipment, you can retain all control and aren’t sharing any revenue. You’ll also learn for your next project. The revenue sharing/PFH options might be viable if you’re on an extremely tight budget.
CONs
There are many more cons to consider in all four above scenarios.
- You must enter into exclusive distribution contracts with revenue sharing and many PFH deals. In other words, no WIDE distribution.
- You’ll be sharing royalties for many years unless you DIY and keep control.
- You’ll lose out on book revenue. Narrators who charge up front plus royalty deals are collecting consistent revenue. It’s not beneficial for most authors unless they can generate consistent sales.
- You might not attract experienced narrators. Audiobook narrators that have invested time and money into their studios tend to be warry of accepting projects that don’t have prospects for sales.
- Be aware that actual audio production studio costs are on top of narration fees in most cases.
- Most narrators will not be promoting your book(s).
- For DIY, you’ll have a large learning curve of being an audio engineer and producer, plus learning how to produce audio files specifically for distribution. It’s doable, though.
Q: What is my best option?
A: Unless you are agreeable to the options above, find a narrator that is strictly paid to record and produce the audio. No revenue sharing.
It’s a bonus if you can find a narrator who also knows how to edit and produce the audio, plus knows how to produce the audio files at the quality needed to upload at ACX, Findaway Voices, and Author’s Republic.
Your brain will be relaxed simply knowing that the revenue sharing part of the equation has been removed. You pay the fee or fees and then you’re done. Free to collect all the revenue without splitting anything.
What should you look for when seeking such a narrator?
Performance Ability – The ability of the narrator to read your book passionately and appropriately. You need them to connect with your listeners and meet their expectations–as well as your expectations that they can interpret your intended emotions as an author.
Technical Skill – I mentioned that most audiobook publishing platforms have technical requirements that their audio must attain. Many authors are not audio engineers and don’t need to understand this criteria, but their hired editor or producer MUST.
Your total cost to produce your audiobook includes narration plus audio production. Seek a narrator who is qualified for both technical skills to reduce your costs.
Creative Control – If you want to have creative control over every aspect of the production, consider hiring a narrator/producer who seeks your guidance on the tone and voice character of your audiobook. Choose to work closely with a voice talent in a studio where you can act as the director. Or, be comfortable with the direction they want to take your audiobook. Ask for work-in-progress samples.
When working with freelance narrators online, you typically have to give up a lot of creative or directional control once you have chosen a narrator and trust their job progress and their interpretation of the manuscript.
Budget – It can be less expensive to record your own audiobook than to hire a professional narrator for a flat rate fee. At a minimum you will need to purchase basic equipment, but it can be used again on your own projects or you may even choose to do some freelance narrating of your own once you learn the process.
Q: Where do I go from here? How can I retain control of the creative process and royalties, but hire the right talent?
A: Hire an independent narrator/producer who is not interested in taking a piece of your book sales.
The bottom line: it sucks trying to get your audiobook recorded without spending a ton of money and/or giving away half of your royalties for years to come.
My humble solution: hire me! Ask what I can do for you in the Your Audiobook link.
Reviews
I loved working with Steve Cass to produce my audiobook. He did more than just read words off the page, he captured the heart and meaning behind them (all forty-three thousand of them).
His communication was excellent and he’s a very pleasant and professional person to work with. I would highly recommend him for any project!
Dak Frederick, 101 Things Every Man Should Know
*****
Interview with Rebecca Hefner of https://indieaudiobookdeals.com:
Further Research
For further research and real life examples of audiobook production:
https://krystalwascher.com/blog-audiobooks-for-authors/how-much-does-it-cost-to-create-an-audiobook
6 Lessons About Audiobook Production You Need to Know
I would love to help bring Your Audiobook to life!
If you’re interested, also hire me to create compelling audiobook companion documents and videos of your audiobook for YouTube! Check out samples at my YouTube channel audiobook playlist.
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