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Common Ground News

How do I start an audiobook for small business?

Author

David Ramirez

Updated on February 23, 2026

How do I start an audiobook for small business?

Here are 14 of the best audiobooks for busy entrepreneurs to get you started:
  1. Business Adventures. When a book is Bill Gates' favorite business book, it's probably worth picking up.
  2. The Startup of You.
  3. $100 Startup.
  4. The Lean Startup.
  5. Pitch Anything.
  6. Outliers.
  7. Rework.
  8. Virtual Freedom.

Keeping this in view, how do I create an audio book for my business?

Start an audiobooks business by following these 10 steps:

  1. STEP 1: Plan your business.
  2. STEP 2: Form a legal entity.
  3. STEP 3: Register for taxes.
  4. STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card.
  5. STEP 5: Set up business accounting.
  6. STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses.
  7. STEP 7: Get business insurance.

Secondly, how much money can you make selling audiobooks? Audiobook narrators can expect to make between $10 and $50 an hour in the beginning for narrating for other people depending on their skills. Once established, audiobook narrators can make between $100 and $500 per hour of narrating.

In this way, how do I legally make an audio book?

  1. Prep your book for audiobook recording.
  2. Decide who will record it.
  3. Hire an audiobook narrator.
  4. Record the audiobook yourself.
  5. Work with an audiobook producer.
  6. Create the audiobook at home.
  7. Upload your audiobook to ACX.

How much do book narrators get paid?

Veteran or experienced narrators can expect to earn $168.25 per hour or $1,346 for a finished audio book of eight hours. Conversely, non-union narrators with experience may earn between $90 and $250 per finished hour. However, it is more typical for the ceiling to be $150 per hour for a non-union narrator.

What are the best audio books for entrepreneurs?

Here are 14 of the best audiobooks for busy entrepreneurs to get you started:
  • Business Adventures. When a book is Bill Gates' favorite business book, it's probably worth picking up.
  • The Startup of You.
  • $100 Startup.
  • The Lean Startup.
  • Pitch Anything.
  • Outliers.
  • Rework.
  • Virtual Freedom.

Which is the best audiobook app?

Best audiobook apps of 2021
  • Audible. Audible is one of the best audiobook apps out there with an excellent collection of over 470,000 titles to choose from.
  • Audiobooks.
  • Serial Box.
  • Smart Audiobook Player.
  • Google Play Books.
  • Sirin.
  • Spotify.
  • Voice Audiobook Player.

How do I become a successful audiobook?

To help you navigate the murky waters that lie between you and your goals, here is our list of the 20 best success audiobooks.
  1. The Power of Habit. By: Charles Duhigg.
  2. The Obstacle Is the Way. By: Ryan Holiday.
  3. Deep Work. By: Cal Newport.
  4. Can't Hurt Me.
  5. Mastery.
  6. Mindset.
  7. The Wisdom of Psychopaths.
  8. The Infinite Game.

Are audiobooks copyrighted?

An author must copyright their audiobooks in order to keep the proceeds from the sales. If the writer is planning to hire a narrator and/or producer, they have rights for their portion of the audiobook. If the author narrates and produces their own audiobook, they will own all the rights.

What is audible and how does it work?

Audible is an audiobook service from Amazon, offering the world's biggest selection of titles ranging from much-loved classics to new releases and original podcasts. Listeners can download or stream their chosen titles with a membership to Audible.

Who are the Mikkelsen twins?

Rasmus and Christian Mikkelsen are twin brothers who quickly became pioneers in the Amazon book and Audiobook publishing space, having collectively released over 150 books.

How long does it take to record an audiobook?

IT MIGHT TAKE THEM A MONTH TO RECORD ONE BOOK.

The average audiobook runs about 12 hours, but the process of making them takes a lot longer. For pros like Gilbert, the ratio of finished audio to recording time is tight—maybe 1 hour of final audiobook for every hour and 15 minutes spent in the booth.

How much does it cost to create an audiobook?

The average audiobook is about 12 hours in length, and costs about $300-$400 per finished hour. That means a finished product can run between $5000-$6000 to produce an audio book. Of course, the longer the book, the greater the cost to produce. Hiring an excellent narrator is vital!

Can you record yourself reading a book?

The short answer is, well, yes. While many well-intentioned commentators have warned teachers against this practice, the fact is that copyright law—specifically fair use—permits many read-aloud activities online.

Can I get paid to narrate audiobooks?

Author Roz Morris tells authors to expect to pay around $200 per finished hour for audiobook narration. SUMMARY: You can make over $100 an hour if you're in a union. You can also find gig and full-time salaried work for voice professionals, and payment will vary.

Can you make money off ACX?

ACX production costs are low, so there's more profit to go around. A unique and robust royalty model. Depending on the distribution rights granted to Audible, authors, publishers, and other Rights Holders, as well as narrators, studio professionals, and other Producers can earn royalties of up to 40%.

Can you make money selling audiobooks?

For every 10 ebooks you sell, you might sell one audiobook. Royalties are paid based on the revenue received from the purchase price, not the full retail price. You might earn $2-4 for each audiobook sold, so you can see it could take a while for the audiobook to start earning a profit.

How are ACX royalties calculated?

The royalties you earn are calculated using net receipts for the three categories of sales above. The royalty percentage you earn on net receipts is your royalty rate, and it is set forth in the contract you entered with ACX for the distribution of each specific Audiobook.

Is selling audiobooks on Amazon worth it?

Selling books on Amazon, especially selling audiobooks, can be a big process but it is a great way to build passive income. I've done very little promoting or advertising for my books other than a launch and some social media marketing.

Is selling audiobooks on Amazon profitable?

Audiobooks are profitable if you've written a paperback book and ebook that are already selling well. Amazon has really made it easy and free to take your manuscript and turn it into a well-formatted paperback book and ebook. Other companies offer this service such as Draft2Digital.

Can you make money with audible?

Narrators often have out-of-pocket production costs as well. It takes many hours to produce one hour of finished audio. Unlike authors and narrators, Audible/ACX makes zero investment in time and money in audiobook production. Audible bases much of our earnings on what they call a “listener credit”.

How do I make quick cash?

The Best Ways to Make Money Fast
  1. Reduce Spending by Refinancing Debts.
  2. Earn Quick Cash With Online Surveys.
  3. Get Paid to Shop.
  4. Collect Cash from Microinvesting Apps.
  5. Get paid to drive people in your car.
  6. Deliver Food for Local Restaurants.
  7. Rent Out a Room in Your House.
  8. Score a Bonus with a New Bank Account.

How much do celebrities get paid to narrate audiobooks?

The lowest amount that a SAG/AFTRA member can accept for audiobook production is $235 per finished hour of audio, however rates for working via large publishers like Random House, Penguin, etc. are higher, and celebrity narration is higher than that.

Who is the best audiobook narrator?

The best audiobook narrators of all time (so far)
  1. Jim Dale. Jim helped us launch audiobooks but his greater claim to fame is being the voice of the Harry Potter books.
  2. Jeremy Irons.
  3. Julia Whelan.
  4. Neil Gaiman.
  5. Finty Wiliams.
  6. Wil Wheaton.
  7. Stephen Fry.
  8. David Sedaris.

How much do actors get paid to read audiobooks?

If you're pursuing a career in audiobook narration, the standard rates commonly range between $200 – $300 per hour of recording. Since most audiobooks are comprised of about 4 – 6 hours of recording, an audiobook narrator's salary usually works out to about $1,500.