How long will my audiobook be? Word count to hours and cost
A 90,000-word novel is about 10 hours of audio. Use the table to convert your word count to audiobook length, narrator cost and AI credits.
Short answer: about 9,000 words per hour of finished audio. Divide your word count by 9,000. A 90,000-word novel is about 10 hours.
Pace varies by narrator, genre and punctuation. A fast thriller reads a little quicker and dense non-fiction a little slower, so treat the figures as estimates.
Word count to hours
| Words | Hours | Human narrator at $200 to $300 per finished hour | Warblize credits (60 minutes each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | 2.2 | $440 to $660 | 3 |
| 40,000 | 4.4 | $880 to $1,320 | 5 |
| 60,000 | 6.7 | $1,340 to $2,000 | 7 |
| 80,000 | 8.9 | $1,780 to $2,670 | 9 |
| 90,000 | 10 | $2,000 to $3,000 | 10 |
| 100,000 | 11.1 | $2,220 to $3,330 | 12 |
| 120,000 | 13.3 | $2,660 to $4,000 | 14 |
Credits round up to the next whole credit. Narrator figures use the rates in our cost guide. A credit is $2 to $3 depending on the plan or pack, so check the pricing page for the current price.
How to get your word count
- Word: Review, then Word Count.
- Google Docs: Tools, then Word count.
- Scrivener: Project, then Project Statistics.
Leave out front and back matter you won't narrate, such as the copyright page and acknowledgments.
Then what?
Once you know the length, you know the cost either way. Clean the manuscript first: how to prepare your manuscript for an audiobook.
Common questions
How many manuscript pages make an hour of audio?
Roughly 30 to 40 manuscript pages, depending on layout and font size. Word count is more reliable than page count.
How long is a 100,000-word audiobook?
About 11 hours of finished audio at 9,000 words per hour.
Does audio length change what AI narration costs?
Yes. Warblize charges by finished audio minutes: one credit covers 60 minutes. Uploading and editing in the studio is free.
Want to hear your own book?Upload a manuscript to see its length and hear a narrated chapter before you pay for anything.
Create your audiobook
