Self-publish audiobooks with PortableVoices.

Reach more markets with audiobook publishing, quickly and easily with PortableVoices.

Recording an audiobook gives your audience another dynamic way to interact with your content. That’s where PortableVoices comes in. Our in-house team works with you through the entire audiobook creation process—recording, post-production, and distribution—with the same world-class approach we use in our publishing services.

Audiobook Publishing made Easy!

Along with ebook and print, PortableVoices helps manage audiobook production and distribution with time-saving and sales-boosting features.

Earn more royalties

PortableVoices takes only 20% sales commission, meaning your take-home royalties are the same as going directly to stores. Get up to 80% of the retail sales on average.

Exclusive promotions

Get featuring opportunities, run price campaigns, and so much more with stores like Google Play, Kobo, and OverDrive.

We Manage it all

Handle book upload, distribution, marketing, and sales on your behalf.

Global Audiobook Distribution

Publish audiobook on Audible? Don’t stop there. We’ve partnered with major audiobook publishing companies, independent audiobook publishers, audiobook distribution companies, audiobook publishers associations, and many more. We give you access to the entire listening world through retail and library partners ranging from major global brands to fresh new platforms.

Now is the time to self-publish audiobooks

Audio is the fastest growing format in online publishing. An estimated 300 million people worldwide listens to audiobooks on a monthly basis.

Succeeding as a self-publisher is about not only sustaining but maximizing your revenue streams. PortableVoices provides a simple yet effective process for getting your audiobook out to new and growing audiences.

Boost your sales with marketing tools and features

Regularly check our curated list for free featuring opportunities by thousands of our partners like Amazon and Apple. Run price promotions and buy paid placements that reach millions of book lovers.

Streamline your publishing gig

We work with audiobook publishers and authors wherever they are on their journey. Need support with putting your audio files together? How about filling out metadata? Or setting up pre-order strategies across retailers? We got you covered.

Our team is made up of top industry experts, ready to help with audio prepping, distribution, marketing, royalty reporting, and beyond.

More Control

You set the list price and keep 80% of the royalties on every sale. Our distribution fee is always just 20% of the royalties you earn, so we only make money when you make money.

See above for an example with a retail a la carte KES 10 audiobook.

What’s Included in the Audiobook Service?

The PortableVoices Audiobook production service includes everything you need to either be paired with a professional narrator or coached on how to speak it yourself, record, produce, and distribute it to the world.

RECORDING

  • Tell us who your narrator is—the voice you hear when you imagine your book being read to millions of people.
  • If you choose to narrate yourself, we’ll personally prepare you for the process, ensuring you give the best performance possible for your book.
  • The average audiobook is recorded over 2-5 sessions but could vary based on the length of your book. This process typically takes 1-2 weeks.

POST-PRODUCTION

  • Each audiobook goes through a detailed post-production process handled by 2 engineers: an editor & mastering engineer, and a quality control & spot check engineer.
  • Our team ensures audiobook files are prepared in accordance with distribution specifications.
  • We’ll be in contact with you throughout the process so you’re never left in the dark about what’s happening as we produce your audiobook

DISTRIBUTION

  • We help you distribute on over 50 platforms including Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, Apple Music, and Spotify.
  • Sales from all platforms are tracked in one easy-to-use dashboard.
  • For Authors who’ve already produced an Audiobook version of their book and have ready-to-upload audiobook files aligned with the publishing standards. PortableVoices will edit your cover for audiobook specs, set up distribution and upload all files. Once the upload is complete, we will ensure accuracy and integrity across all platforms.

GETTING STARTED

It is easy to start your audiobook creation journey with us:

1. MANUSCRIPT/BOOK EVALUATION

PortableVoices receives the manuscript (or the first few sections) and does an evaluation to determine the style of writing and develop a quote for the author.

3. WORK STARTS

Your producer gets started to work with you or your narrator to first record a sample of the audiobook, which you can approve or provide feedback on. When all is set, you are good to proceed with the full project.

5. DISTRIBUTION

PortableVoices distributes your audiobook through established independent bookstores and online retail channels under both the exclusive and non-exclusive contracts. If you grant non-exclusive distribution rights, then you can distribute through additional channels.

7. EARN ROYALTIES

You'll receive a monthly digital royalty statement and payment from PortableVoices via direct deposit and MPESA .

2. CONTRACT

Once evaluated and the pricing is agreed, PortableVoices and the author sign aProduction Contract (containing the terms of engagements, timelines and costs). At PortableVoices we refer to it as an Offer Agreement.

4. AUDIOBOOK APPROVAL

You can ask the PortableVoices to make up to two rounds of corrections to your finished book. When you're happy, you pay for production, unless you agreed to a Royalty Share deal.

6. PROMOTION

PortableVoices works with you to Promote the availability of your audiobook to your fans. Get started with great marketing advice and curated marketing strategy.

Production Costs & Earnings Sharing

PortableVoices enables you to have options to meet your budget needs and earning goals when you create your audiobook with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an audiobook and how does it work?

Audiobooks are voice recordings of the text of a book that you listen to rather than read. Audiobooks can be exact word-for-word versions of books or abridged versions. You can listen to audiobooks on any smartphone, tablet, computer, home speaker system, or in-car entertainment system.

How do I estimate how long my audiobook will be?

Dividing the word count of your book by 9,000 will give you an estimate on the final running time of the book. For example, a typical 50,000 word manuscript (200 book pages) will be roughly 5.5 hours of finished audio.

How long does it take to fully produce an audiobook?

The delivery time depends with size of the book but PortableVoices can deliver a retail-ready audiobook within 2 weeks to 3 months from signing your agreement.

How long does it take to record an audiobook?

A professional narrator will record close to a 2:1 ratio. This means that for every 2 hours they spend recording, 1 hour of audio will be used. Authors or newer narrators typically record at a 3:1 ratio which extends the recording time. This is why we typically recommend that all authors work with one of our professional narrators.

I’m going to narrate my audiobook. How do I prepare?

Long-form narration can be a strenuous task. To prepare, spend as much time as possible reading your manuscript out loud, restarting sentences when you make a mistake.

You can also use annotation software to give yourself subtle reminders to breathe and highlight words you’re having trouble with.

While many Authors love the idea of using their own voice to record their book, in most cases, we highly recommend working with one of our professional narrators to ensure your audiobook meets all the required audio standards and is just as enjoyable to listen to as it is to read.