Audiobook Rates?

[Samuel Floyd]

I am doing my 2nd gig for a local author I connected with via social media and mutual connections. I did a short story for him which included recording, mixing, and added foley/sound design. I charged $250 for all this due to it being my first audiobook project and wanted to set the relationship off simple. I gave the voice actor (friend, and recording vocalist I have a trusted relationship with) $50, while I pocketed the $200 because the Sound Design took much longer than expected.

 

Anyways, I have just received another gig from him, this time with no sound design. Just record it, patch up any problems with the vocals (Soothe2 plugin is a lifesaver for this), and mix it to industry standard. 

 

Based off sampling the most popular audiobooks, I can confidently say I can accomplish industry standard with minimal effort. So it's not like Post for film where there would be a stark difference between my work and Skywalker Sound. 

 

The book is 108 pages, and based off the prior recording, I believe that would take myself and the vocalist anywhere from 8-16 hours. What should I charge per hour or per the whole project? I told the client I would give him a quote once the recording has been finished.

To add to this briefly, I was stunned at the low quality of a vast majority of popular audiobooks. Feels like an SM7B and a quiet room is literally all you need.

[codyman]

It always comes down to what your day rate (labor) + kit is.  Regardless, $200 is too low for any full day's worth of recording, that's for sure.