Audiobook Production ACX and Audiobook Distribution Platforms 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the standard royalty rate for ACX exclusive distribution to narrators under the Royalty Share model?
- 20% to narrator, 20% to rights holder
- 25% to narrator, 25% to rights holder (Correct answer)
- 40% to narrator, 40% to rights holder
- 50% to narrator, 50% to rights holder
Correct answer: 25% to narrator, 25% to rights holder
Under ACX Royalty Share, the rights holder and narrator each receive 25% of the retail price for each sale, with Audible retaining the remaining 50%.
Question 2: What is the purpose of the 'audition' process on ACX?
- A performance review after the audiobook is published
- Narrators submit sample recordings of a manuscript excerpt so rights holders can select a voice (Correct answer)
- A trial period for new members of the ACX platform
- A test recording to calibrate recording equipment
Correct answer: Narrators submit sample recordings of a manuscript excerpt so rights holders can select a voice
Rights holders post audition scripts on ACX, and narrators submit sample recordings of those scripts so the rights holder can evaluate fit and select their preferred narrator.
Question 3: What is 'Authors Republic' in the audiobook industry?
- A self-publishing service for print books
- An audiobook distribution aggregator for indie authors (Correct answer)
- A guild representing audiobook narrators
- A podcast network for authors
Correct answer: An audiobook distribution aggregator for indie authors
Authors Republic is an audiobook distribution aggregator that allows independent authors and publishers to distribute their audio titles to numerous retail and library platforms.
Question 4: On ACX, what is a 'PFH' rate?
- Percentage of Final Hourly earnings
- Per Finished Hour — the payment rate per hour of completed audio (Correct answer)
- Partial File Header format
- Post-Final Hour bonus payment
Correct answer: Per Finished Hour — the payment rate per hour of completed audio
PFH stands for Per Finished Hour, the standard way audiobook production rates are quoted on ACX, based on how many hours the completed audio file runs.
Question 5: What is the typical PFH rate range for experienced ACX narrators in the US market?
- $5–$25 PFH
- $25–$100 PFH
- $100–$400 PFH (Correct answer)
- $500–$1,000 PFH
Correct answer: $100–$400 PFH
Experienced US audiobook narrators on ACX typically charge between $100 and $400 per finished hour, with top narrators commanding rates at or above $400 PFH.
Question 6: What does 'BISAC' categorization refer to in audiobook metadata?
- A type of audio file compression format
- Book Industry Standards and Communications subject codes used to categorize titles (Correct answer)
- A digital rights management system for audiobooks
- A narration quality certification level
Correct answer: Book Industry Standards and Communications subject codes used to categorize titles
BISAC codes are a standardized classification system used across the book industry to categorize titles by subject, helping retailers and libraries organize and discover audiobooks.
Audiobook Production ACX and Audiobook Distribution Platforms 2
What is the standard royalty rate for ACX exclusive distribution to narrators under the Royalty Share model?