Here is a practical path to turn your novel into an audiobook. You will confirm rights, pick a narration approach, prep a clean script, produce or generate audio, then publish on major stores. Use this checklist to avoid delays and choose smart distribution for 2025.
The 10 steps at a glance
- Confirm you hold audio rights and set goals.
- Pick narration: human, self-voice, or AI voice.
- Prep a clean recording script with notes.
- Create a short audio sample to test tone.
- Record or generate chapters in order.
- Edit, master, and run quality checks.
- Design a square cover and finalize metadata.
- Choose distribution and upload files.
- Set price and royalty model wisely.
- Launch, promote, and gather reviews.
Before you start: rights, goals, budget
Make sure you own the audiobook rights. Decide your goal: reach, revenue, or speed. Pick a budget range and a target release window.
- Exclusive vs non-exclusive
- Exclusive can pay more on some platforms, while non-exclusive lets you go wide. Audible’s new optional model for 2025 pays 50 percent exclusive or 30 percent non-exclusive according to ACX. Source.
- Timeline
- Human narration often takes weeks. AI narration can be days. Build in extra time for quality control and retailer review.
Choose a narration path
| Option | Best for | Pros | Watch outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional narrator | Character-driven fiction, memoir, brand voice | Performance quality, accents, pacing, listener trust | Higher cost, longer timeline; short casting auditions recommended |
| Author-narrated | Nonfiction, author-as-brand | Authenticity, direct fan appeal | Training and studio setup required; hire an engineer if possible |
| AI voice | Backlist, tight budgets, translation pilots | Fast, affordable, easy revisions | Must disclose where required; pick natural, genre-fit voices |
Apple Books offers free digital narration for eligible titles. Details. Google Play Books supports auto-narrated audiobooks in several languages and provides an editor. Learn more.
Prep your script
- Start from your final proof ebook or print file. Fix typos and simplify tricky phrasing.
- Add [pause], [pronunciation], and character notes for consistency.
- Create opening and closing credits text that matches your cover and metadata.
- Flag references that need rephrasing in audio such as URLs or charts.
Record or produce
Human recording
Record in a quiet, treated space with a large-diaphragm condenser mic, a pop filter, and closed-back headphones. Capture at consistent levels. Keep room tone for noise profiling. Expect multiple hours of work per finished hour.
AI generation
Test several voices and speaking styles. Export chapters one by one, then proof listen. Keep pronunciation dictionaries for names and invented terms.
Mastering and quality check
Edit breaths and clicks, normalize levels, and apply gentle noise reduction. Check for pacing, misreads, repeats, and missing lines. Retailers enforce technical standards, so verify your files meet each store’s specs before upload.
Cover, metadata, and ISBN
- Create a true square cover that includes title and author. Many retailers accept 2400 x 2400 pixels or higher.
- Write concise metadata: subtitle, series, narrator credit, and a benefit-led description with 7 to 10 keywords.
- ISBN: Some platforms assign their own IDs, but an audiobook ISBN helps with libraries and wide distribution. Bowker confirms each format can have its own ISBN. Consider purchasing one if you plan to go wide.
Upload and distribute
Audible via ACX. Use ACX to reach Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. The new royalty model announced by ACX offers 50 percent exclusive or 30 percent non-exclusive and is being rolled out as an option. ACX update.
Apple Books digital narration. If you opt for Apple’s AI narration, you can produce and publish inside Apple’s system at no additional production cost. Apple guidance.
Google Play Books. Create and edit auto-narrated audiobooks and sell them on Google Play. Program page.
Spotify and wide distribution in 2025. Spotify now handles direct uploads through Spotify for Authors, while a separate company, INaudio, serves wide retailers. Authors can route accordingly based on goals. ALLi brief.
Pricing and royalties
Common approaches include time-based pricing on credit stores and list-price controls on wide retailers. If you choose exclusivity on ACX, you may receive a higher rate than going non-exclusive, but you give up wide reach. If you prefer flexibility and libraries, go wide.
Launch and marketing
- Add the audio edition to your author website with a top-of-page audio sampler.
- Bundle formats and promote short audio clips on social platforms using tactics from our social media strategies guide.
- Plan retailer-agnostic links and include your audiobook in any distribution plan.
- If Amazon is central to your strategy, align with the steps in our Amazon publishing guide.
One-page checklist
- ✔ Confirm audio rights and choose exclusive or wide.
- ✔ Select human, self, or AI voice and test a one-page sample.
- ✔ Clean the script and prepare credits and pronunciations.
- ✔ Produce chapter files and keep naming consistent.
- ✔ Edit, master, and proof listen start to finish.
- ✔ Export to retailer specs and verify chapter order.
- ✔ Design a square cover and finalize metadata.
- ✔ Upload to your chosen platforms and set pricing.
- ✔ Announce with samples, newsletter, and ad tests.
- ✔ Track reviews and update metadata after 30 days.
FAQs
Do I need an ISBN for my audiobook?
It depends on distribution. ACX uses its own identifier, but an ISBN helps with libraries and wide retail. Bowker states each format can carry its own ISBN, which supports clean cataloging.
Can I publish an AI-narrated audiobook on major stores?
Yes, with limits. Apple Books and Google Play Books offer official digital narration programs. Spotify supports AI-narrated titles through its current pipelines. Always follow each platform’s disclosure rules.
What should I budget for narration?
Budgets vary by talent, length, and editing scope. Expect higher costs and more time for human narration and lower costs and faster turnarounds for AI. Start by costing a short test chapter.
Is exclusive distribution worth it?
If your audience is concentrated on Audible, exclusivity may increase earnings per sale. If you want library reach and multiple retailers, non-exclusive wide distribution gives you more outlets.
Last updated: October 2, 2025
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