How much does audiobook production cost in Australia?

Self-narrated production at Safe House Studios is priced hourly, $79/hr standard or $70/hr for self-published authors. A typical 50,000-word book lands between roughly $3,080 and $3,476 depending on rate and narration experience. Use the calculator on our pricing page for an instant estimate, your final quote is confirmed after manuscript review.

PFH means Per Finished Hour, a flat rate based on the final running time of the audiobook. It's the standard way professional narrator projects are priced. Self-narrated projects are priced hourly instead, because session pace and pickups vary too much for a flat rate to be fair.

How do you estimate finished hours from word count?

For self-narrated projects we don't quote by finished hours, we quote by production hours, which the calculator on our pricing page estimates from your word count. For professional narrator projects, the industry rule of thumb is roughly 9,300 words per finished hour.

Can I narrate my own audiobook?

Yes. We offer engineer-led sessions with coaching and direction so your performance stays consistent across long-form narration. Self-narrated projects are quoted hourly.

Do you accept audio recorded elsewhere?

Yes. We can do post-production only, as long as we can review a short sample first to confirm noise, consistency, and editing workload.

What loudness specs do you master to?

RMS between -23 dB and -18 dB, peaks no higher than -3 dB, and noise floor at or below -60 dB, the accepted standard across all major aggregators.

How long is the retail sample?

Between 1 and 5 minutes, starting with narration.

What files do I receive at delivery?

Typically: chapter/section MP3s, opening/closing credits, and a retail sample, with clear file naming and chapter splits ready for upload.

Do you offer a discount for self-published authors?

Yes. Self-published authors are billed at $70/hr instead of the standard $79/hr. Payment terms are the same on both rates, 50% deposit to secure your booking, 50% on delivery of final masters.

How long does production take?

It depends on word count, narration complexity, and pickups. After we review your manuscript and a short audio sample (if supplied), we'll confirm a timeline.

What do you need from me to quote accurately?

Word count, manuscript (or a sample chapter), genre, your target aggregator (Author's Republic, Spotify for Authors, direct-to-listeners, etc.), and whether you're self-narrating or using a narrator.

Are pickups/revisions included?

Pickup sessions are billed separately at your project's hourly rate, and almost every audiobook needs one, typically an extra 2 to 4 hours to re-record small errors caught during editing and QC. We'll compile the full pickup list before booking the session so you know the scope upfront.

Can you add music or sound effects?

Optional. Quoted separately depending on whether it's a standard audiobook or a more produced audio-drama style.

Do you offer revisions?

Editing corrections on our side, a mistake in our edit or mastering, are fixed at no charge. Re-recording lines, pickups, is billed at your hourly rate.

Audiobook Production

Author-narrated: $79/hr, or $70/hr for self-published authors. Typical 50k-word book: from ~$3.1k* (self-published rate)
*Excludes pickup sessions, billed separately if needed.

Audiobook Production
Safe House Studios
Sydney / Ultimo

An audiobook lives or dies on whether the listener stays with you for 8 hours, not on how clean the file is. Safe House Studios is an audiobook production studio in Ultimo, Sydney, working with self-narrating authors and publishers on performance direction and pacing through the full read, then editing, mastering and delivering chapter files that pass aggregator QC the first time. Self-narrating or bringing in a narrator, either way we're directing the performance, not just pressing record.

Pricing Estimates & Calculator

Get A Quote

Audiobook Recording and Production

Safe House Studios provides end-to-end audiobook production—built for authors and publishers who want clean, consistent narration and a smooth upload process. Choose the level of support you need:

Author self-narration (in-studio, Ultimo): we direct your performance and keep pacing and tone consistent across every session, then handle editing, mastering and QC behind it
Post-production only (you supply the narration): bring us your recorded audiobook narration and we'll edit, proof-listen and master it to pass aggregator delivery standards
Voice talent option (professional narrator): want a narrator's voice instead of your own, we cast and manage a professional narrator for the project too

Open book with headphones placed on top, on a wooden surface.

The Process

Pre-production – word count, aggregator goals, pronunciations, chapter map
Recording – in-studio (Ultimo) with engineer direction
Editing – cleanup, pacing, consistency, removals of mistakes/outtakes
QC / Proof listen – verify accuracy and continuity across chapters
Mastering + Delivery – final levels, export, file naming, upload-ready package

Open book with black headphones placed on it, on a dark wooden surface.

Retail-Ready Delivery + QC

We deliver chapter files that meet common retail-aggregator submission standards, recognised across Audible, Apple, Spotify, Google, and Kobo, including:

44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono, MP3 192 kbps CBR
Loudness within –23 dB to –18 dB RMS, peaks not exceeding –3 dB, noise floor ≤ –60 dB
Retail sample (1–5 minutes) and correctly formatted opening/closing credits

(Full spec reference: Understanding Audio Requirements, Author's Republic)

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Studio Location (Ultimo, Sydney)

Safe House Studios is located in Ultimo—convenient for Sydney CBD, Inner West, and surrounding suburbs. Sessions are engineer-led in a controlled recording environment focused on clean narration and consistency across long-form reads.

Looking for a Professional Narrator?

If you'd rather have an experienced voice bring your book to life, we can help with that too. We work with a small group of professional narrators across different styles and genres, so you can find the right voice before we start production.

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Place Holder

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Place Holder

Author-Narrated

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ACX-Compliant Delivery

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Editing

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End to End Audiobook Production

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Author-Narrated 🎧 ACX-Compliant Delivery 🎧 Editing 🎧 End to End Audiobook Production 🎧

Produced by Safe House Studios

(Producer of Record)

Dont' Become A Writer by Shrikar Badri - audiobook cover

Book cover titled "Christ Before Creeds" with a split face of a man, half a realistic photograph and half a digital text pattern, on a black background.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Self-narrated production at Safe House Studios is priced hourly, $79/hr standard or $70/hr for self-published authors. A typical 50,000-word book lands between roughly $3,080 and $3,476 depending on rate and narration experience. Use the calculator on our pricing page for an instant estimate, your final quote is confirmed after manuscript review.
PFH means Per Finished Hour, a flat rate based on the final running time of the audiobook. It's the standard way professional narrator projects are priced. Self-narrated projects are priced hourly instead, because session pace and pickups vary too much for a flat rate to be fair.
For self-narrated projects we don't quote by finished hours, we quote by production hours, which the calculator estimates from your word count. For professional narrator projects, the industry rule of thumb is roughly 9,300 words per finished hour.
Yes. We offer engineer-led sessions with coaching and direction so your performance stays consistent across long-form narration. Self-narrated projects are typically quoted hourly.
Yes. We can do post-production only as long as we can review a short sample first to confirm noise, consistency, and editing workload.

Yes. We deliver chapter MP3s and a retail sample meeting common retail-aggregator submission standards, recognised across Audible, Apple, Spotify, Google, and Kobo: CBR MP3 192 kbps at 44.1 kHz, 16-bit, mono.
RMS between –23 dB and –18 dB, peaks no higher than –3 dB, and noise floor at or below –60 dB, the accepted standard across all major aggregators.
Between 1 and 5 minutes, starting with narration.
Typically: chapter/section MP3s, opening/closing credits, and a retail sample, with clear file naming and chapter splits for upload.
Yes. Self-published authors are billed at $70/hr instead of the standard $79/hr. Payment terms are the same on both rates, 50% deposit to secure your booking, 50% on delivery of final masters.

It depends on word count, narration complexity, and pickups. After we review your manuscript and a short audio sample (if supplied), we’ll confirm a timeline.
Word count, manuscript (or a sample chapter), genre, your target aggregator (Author's Republic, Spotify for Authors, direct-to-listeners, etc.), and whether you're self-narrating or using a narrator.
Pickup sessions are billed separately at your project's hourly rate, and almost every audiobook needs one, typically an extra 2 to 4 hours to re-record small errors caught during editing and QC. We'll compile the full pickup list before booking the session so you know the scope upfront.
Optional. Quoted separately depending on whether it’s a standard audiobook or a more produced “audio drama” style.
Editing corrections on our side, a mistake in our edit or mastering, are fixed at no charge. Re-recording lines, pickups, is billed at your hourly rate as above.