How to create a low-budget audiobook.

Claudia
Jun 11
6 min read

Audiobooks are a great way to reach a new audience. Tons of people listen to books while doing chores, driving to work, or walking around the block, so it makes sense to offer your readers an audiobook version of your manuscript.

Did you know that 'revenue in the Audiobooks market worldwide is projected to reach US$9.84bn in 2025' and that 'this revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 7.27%' between 2025 and 2029? (Statista)

The thought of producing an audiobook might seem daunting, especially on a tight budget; but I'm here to tell you that creating a high-quality audiobook on a low budget can be done.

I will discuss the following options:

Using a high-quality AI to narrate your audiobook for you.
Hiring a professional narrator and using a royalty share to keep the costs down.
Narrating your audiobook from a home studio.

According to ACX, it takes 5–7 hours to create one finished (narrated and edited) hour. 1. It takes about two hours to narrate what will become one finished hour. 2. After the narration is recorded, it then takes an editor (who might be the same person as the narrator) about three hours to edit each finished hour of recording. 3. At this point, it is strongly recommended that you run a quality control (QC) pass over the finished project. This means spending time re-listening and suggesting words, sentences, or sections to re-record. And that takes about 1.2 hours for every finished hour.

AI Narration

ElevenLabs calls itself 'the most realistic voice AI platform', and I must say, they're not wrong! Having listened to AI narration before, I wasn't going to include AI as an option for creating an audiobook for a small investment, but after trying ElevenLabs and hearing how good their AI narration is, I had to include it.

How much does it cost to create an AI-narrated book?

How much it will cost depends entirely on your manuscript and the program you go with. I'm sure there are free AI narration programs, but since I've been looking at ElevenLabs, I’ll use their pricing. I'll show you how much I think Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban may have cost to narrate with this program. (Fun fact: Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban has just over 107,000 words.)

My BorrowBox has an audio copy of The Prisoner of Azkaban, and the details state that the audiobook is 12 hours and 30 minutes long. This translates to 750 minutes.

According to the ElevenLabs pricing page, if you were to create your audiobook in one month:

The 'pro plan' at $99/month gives you approximately 500 narrated audio minutes. You can purchase an extra minute for $0.24. With this plan, you'd spend $99 on the plan for one month + $60 on extra minutes. That's a total of $159.
The 'scale plan' at $330/month gives you approximately 2,000 narrated audio minutes. You'll have minutes to spare.

You'll likely need more text-to-voice narration minutes than what you think you need because you'll be playing around with different voices and intonations until you find the right fit for you. Especially when you want to use different voices. Keep that in mind.

Using AI-narration to create an audiobook with ElevenLabs

Hire a professional narrator

You can easily find a professional narrator online, but (possibly) the best-known company for audiobook narration is ACX, an Amazon-owned company. With ACX there are different options when it comes to paying a narrator their fees.

Even if you're not going through ACX, these 'deals' may work with narrators from different platforms.

Pay-for-Production deal: Pay a fixed amount per narrated and/or edited hour upon completion of the narration. You get 100% of the royalties.
Royalty Share deal: You can opt for a royalty share with the narrator. This way, you don't pay a fixed fee for the narration upon completion of the project, and you both receive royalties.
Royalty Share Plus deal: You can opt to pay your narrator a reduced fixed amount + a royalty share.

More information on royalties/fees with ACX can be found here.

ACX isn't the only way to get a narrator. You can always find narrators online. Make sure you do your due diligence and sign a contract.

Freelancer websites: Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.

Narrate your audiobook from a home studio

This means that instead of paying for a narrator, you invest money in studio equipment. You also have to invest your free time (don't forget it takes between 5–7 hours to create one finished narrated hour).

Here's a tip 1. Watch these YouTube videos discussing audiobook narration by ACX. 2. Read this blog post series by ACX on choosing the best microphone, headphones, and digital audio workstation.

Woman narrating a book using simple tools to create an audiobook

Setting up your recording space

Creating a professional-sounding audiobook doesn't require expensive studios. Here’s how to set up an effective recording space at home:

Soundproofing: Use soft furnishings, rugs, or blankets to absorb echoes and background noise. You can invest in foam panels to put on your walls and/or ceiling and door seals. It doesn't have to cost much; for example, a 12-pack of 12-inch foam panels is only £12.50 on Amazon.
Location: Select a quiet room away from outside noise like traffic and loud appliances. You don't need a large room to narrate a book: lots of narrators have converted a small walk-in wardrobe into their studio.
Equipment: A good-quality microphone is important (and these don't have to be expensive!).

Equipment recommendations

For successful recording, consider investing in the following basic equipment:

Microphone: USB condenser mics 'can be a cost-effective alternative to condenser microphones', and you don't need to purchase an audio interface – just connect them to your computer and start recording right away.
Headphones: A good pair of closed-back headphones allows you to monitor your audio accurately.
Audio interface: If using a non-USB mic, an audio interface connects your microphone to your computer.
Computer with quiet fans: The quieter, the better! You want to minimise all external sounds.

Have a look at these USB mics:

Snowball ICE £55
Rode NT-USB Mini Condenser Microphone £90
Rode NT-USB+ USB Condenser Microphone £160
Samson G-Track Pro £180

Have a look at these audio-interface starter packs from Gear4Music:

SubZero BASE-1 2-Channel Audio Interface Bundle £100
SubZero BASE-1 2-Channel Home Recording Bundle £150
M-Audio AIR 192 4 Vocal Studio Pack £225
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Studio 4th Gen Recording Pack £250

Recording tips

Now that your setup is ready, here are some tips to optimise your recording process:

Warm up your voice: Perform vocal exercises to improve clarity and mitigate strain on your vocal cords.
Maintain distance: Keep a consistent distance from the microphone to ensure uniform audio quality. 'A microphone is best set up at a point no further than 40% away from the front wall, half-way between the side walls, and 60% away from the back wall.' (ACX)
Pace yourself: Speak clearly at a moderate speed. Listeners appreciate a tempo that allows them to absorb the content.
Record in segments: Breaking your audiobook into smaller sections can reduce fatigue and make editing easier.

Editing

Once your recordings are complete, editing is crucial for enhancing audio quality. Utilising free audio editing software, like Audacity, can substantially improve your audiobook quality. Don't forget to take your time: Quality matters.

Here’s what you can do with an audio editing program:

Trim: Remove unnecessary pauses and mistakes to maintain an engaging flow.
Reduce noise: Improve sound quality by minimising background noise.
Level volume: Consistent volume levels make your audiobook easy to listen to; avoid sharp differences in loudness.
Add effects: Adding some effects can enhance the listening experience. For example, my children's audiobooks often have a jingle between chapters or after the intro.

Getting feedback

After editing, seek feedback from your friends and family. They can offer insights on pacing and clarity that you may have missed when editing.

The finishing touches

Cover design: It should resonate with your audience and match your book's genre. (It's important to research book covers.) You can use free design tools, like Canva, to create a low-budget cover.
Metadata: Include your title, author name, and genre. This information is crucial if you want your audiobook to pop up when someone is searching for a new read.