New Podcast Episode: An Audiobook FAQ with David Wolf

Why is having an audiobook important? 

For any content creator, not participating in audio excludes a lot of opportunities for new audience members. We’ve observed that the audiobook side of publishing is the fastest growing part of digital publishing, surprisingly, even more than eBooks. I would like to think this is due to people shifting their behaviors and liking to multitask. People like to take the book with them. They have become accustomed to processing information and content using audio rather than reading. Many people like to multitask, for example while walking the dog, doing laundry, or whatever it may be. I think there’s a scarcity of time, too. People don’t feel like they have time to sit and read in a way they did at one point. Therefore, there’s a convenience factor to listening to an audiobook while working on other commitments.

Should authors self-narrate their books?

We have been in this business since the early days of audiobooks, so we’ve been able to observe the varying author strategies. We work with 200 audiobooks a year, of which about 60%-70% is author read with a producer coaching them in a virtual studio. We don’t just set an author loose and hope that they get it right because it needs to be a guided experience, especially if the author’s not used to reading aloud. Surprisingly, a lot of the publishers really dissuade their authors to be the reader because they’re not a professional voiceover. Meanwhile, I would always argue, unless they’re really not able to fluidly read at a certain threshold, they should be the reader as they are the brand. There’s this delicate sort of emotional intelligence that has to go with producing an author reading their own book. I actually prefer when the author narrates their audiobook, especially with nonfiction books because they’re used to talking about it. They know how to pronounce everything as they are so used to the terminology in their work. 

Regarding time and resources needed to produce an audiobook, is it true that you have to go to a physical location to record? Does recording from home negatively affect the process?

No. Our model is almost entirely virtual. We’re using technology that records studio quality through the internet, this is called local recording. It records and captures the audio on the local computer of the client, and then it’s uploaded systematically to the cloud. The technology has enabled us to have virtual studios, where we drop ship a microphone to the client. We typically schedule a series of 90 minute recording sessions where the reader will go through sessions with the producer, go through retakes, complete outtakes, etc. so we can submit it for editing. 

Regarding the studio environment, we have a pre-production meeting at the very beginning of our process where we assess the acoustic environment that the author will be in. We’ll guide and work with the author on how to set up their space and ensure their mic quality is working. We’ve dealt with all kinds of environments, even midtown Manhattan with a window open and you can hear every siren!

So typically, the whole process takes about eight to twelve weeks for the average book, a 30,000 to 65,000 word range for a nonfiction book. 

How does distribution of audiobooks work?

About 70%-80% of the market is in the big three: Audible, Amazon, and Apple. Most of our authors want to be somewhere in there so they can link to their Amazon author page and get the natural traffic that comes with all things Amazon. However, there are other places such as Libby and other more niche sites where your book could land. When we work with an individual author, most of the time we’re doing the uploading and we’re helping to consult them on what site is ideal for their distribution. These decisions really depend on your goals as an author. Are you looking to make more money? Are you looking to make your book more accessible? Are you looking to engage, educate, or entertain? Only the author knows the answers to these questions. 

David Wolf spent years serving as a music composer and producer of audio content for radio, TV, film, podcasts, audiobooks and multimedia. His previous company, Crywolf Productions, Inc. (1985-1999) and its recording studios provided music, sound design and production services for advertising and also studios such as Amblin, Discovery Channel, NBC Universal and Disney and for many well-known brands such as Southwest Airlines, Miller Brewing, Embassy Suites, Procter & Gamble, Texas Instruments, Brock Hotel Corporation and many more. David founded Audivita Studios in 2016 to apply his experience and the talents, skills  and expertise of his creative team to help companies, publishers, entrepreneurs, influencers and thought leaders grow their brands and businesses with podcasts and audiobooks. In 2024, Wolf is on a course to expand the core production business into related industry verticals with the creation of Media Capital Ventures, leveraging his experience in business building and operating experience in production and media. Concurrently, he co-founded 1125 Studios with Christian Bruun to develop and produce original series podcasts, film and television series. MCV has recently added Stock Day Media to its portfolio of companies to leverage the production team at Audivita Studios specifically for the OTC markets.