How much does it cost to make an audiobook? (2026 prices)
Narrator rates run about $200 to $300+ per finished hour, so a 10-hour novel costs roughly $2,000 to $3,000. Here is the full breakdown, and the cheaper routes.
Short answer: hiring a human narrator typically costs $200 to $300 or more per finished hour. A 90,000-word novel runs about 10 hours, so expect roughly $2,000 to $3,000 and several weeks. AI narration for the same book costs under $50 and takes minutes. Which one is right depends on your book and your budget.
Narrator rates come from Backstage's explainer on per-finished-hour rates. Warblize prices are from our pricing page.
What "per finished hour" means
Narrators quote by PFH, per finished hour: one hour of final, edited audio, not one hour in the booth. Recording, editing and proofing take several hours for each finished hour, which is why the rate looks high.
Human narrator costs
| Narrator level | Typical rate (per finished hour) | 10-hour book |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | about $200 | about $2,000 |
| SAG-AFTRA minimum | $250 | $2,500 |
| Experienced | $300+ | $3,000+ |
Extras can add up: proofing, mastering, character voices and rush fees. Some authors skip the up-front cost with a royalty-share deal, where the narrator is paid from future sales. That costs nothing now but gives away part of your royalties for years, and experienced narrators are selective about the books they take on that way.
How many hours is my book?
Roughly 9,000 words per hour of audio. 50,000 words is about 5.5 hours, 90,000 about 10 hours, 120,000 about 13 hours. See the word count to hours table.
Cost by route, for a 90,000-word novel
| Route | Cost | Time | What you control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire a narrator | $2,000 to $3,000+ | Weeks | Casting and direction |
| Royalty share | $0 up front | Weeks to months | Less, since you share revenue |
| Narrate it yourself | Equipment plus many hours | Weeks | Everything, if you can perform |
| AI narration with Warblize | 10 credits: $29 (Creator plan) or $45 (pay as you go) | 5 to 15 minutes to generate | Voices, casting, sentence edits |
Which is right for you?
- A human narrator fits when the performance is the product: a memoir in your own voice, a series with a signature narrator, comedy or highly emotional fiction where timing carries the book.
- AI narration fits when the alternative is no audiobook: back-catalog titles, non-fiction, translations, or testing whether your readers buy audio before you invest in a human edition.
- Both is common: AI for the back catalog, a human for the flagship title.
Listeners can tell the difference, and some stores require synthetic narration to be labeled. Read where you can sell an AI-narrated audiobook before you decide.
Is audio worth it?
US audiobook sales were $2.43 billion in 2025, up 9%, according to the Audio Publishers Association (June 2026). 58% of US adults have listened to an audiobook, and listeners average 3.8 a year. General fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, romance and mystery/thriller lead revenue.
Break-even in one line
If your audiobook earns $5 per sale, a $2,500 narrator needs 500 sales to break even. A $45 audiobook needs 9.
Common questions
Can I make an audiobook for free?
You can narrate and edit it yourself, but your time is the cost, and good audio needs a quiet room and a decent microphone. Free text-to-speech tools exist, but they often limit length or commercial use, so check the terms before you sell anything.
How long does it take to make an audiobook?
With a human narrator, usually several weeks from audition to final files. With AI narration, a 10-hour book generates in roughly 5 to 15 minutes, plus the time you spend listening through and fixing sentences.
What is a finished hour?
One hour of final, edited audio. Narrators quote per finished hour (PFH) because recording, editing and proofing take several hours of work for each hour you hear.
How many credits does a novel use on Warblize?
One credit covers 60 minutes of finished audio. A 90,000-word novel is about 10 hours, so about 10 credits: $29 on the Creator plan, or $45 as a one-time 10-credit pack.
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
