Audiobook production is a great career for a lot of people – you get to set your own hours, choose what projects you work on, and set your own rates (all while in pajamas at home!)

It’s the perfect gig*!

*disclaimers incoming!!

Let’s chat about those rates, first up. In this essay I will…

The quintessential question is: how much do audiobook producers make? (The flipside question for authors is: how much does it cost to have my audiobook produced?)

The answer is: it varies.

Common Payment Structures for Narrators

First up, there are different pay structures for audiobook producers (also called narrators). There are 3 that are the most common:

1. RS (Royalty Share)
2. PFH (Per Finished Hour)
3. RS+ (Royalty Share+an upfront fee)

RS – the author and narrator split profits of the book. This is popular when the author is unable to front a PFH fee. Mileage may vary for the narrator as far as earnings.

PFH: Based on the wordcount, you calculate how many hours the finished audiobook will be. Then, you pay the producer that amount times their hourly rate. Ex: narrator charges $200 PFH, and the book is 6 hours. The final fee would be $1,200.

Note: this isn’t an hourly wage. It will take many more than 6 hours to record a 6 hour audiobook. More on that here. Be sure to set a PFH rate that takes into account your hours of actual labor.

Finally, RS+. This is a combo of the two payment structures. Typically the narrator takes a *smaller percentage* of royalties in exchange for a *smaller* upfront fee. Using the same six hour book, it could look like: $100 per finished hour upfront (so $600) and then a share of the royalties as the book sells.

All of these options are valid – and you can make money from both. But this isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme. It’s a trade to learn, just like any other. But this will give you an idea of how much you can earn *once you know what you’re doing*.