Academy Voices Has a New Home

Academy Voices has a new home, and it starts with a promise: every audiobook we publish is performed by a real person, live, in their own voice. We call it Certified Human Voice™. Since 2023 our narrators have performed about 750 audiobooks and sold more than 115,000 copies, and every one of them carries that promise.

Here's what the promise means, what changed on the new site, and the questions we hear most.

Certified Human Voice™

Every narrator who works with us signs it. They perform the book themselves, in real time, in their own natural voice. No generated voices, no copies of their own voice, no exceptions. A recording that breaks the promise doesn't get published. Read the full promise.

Why it matters: in a 2026 survey of 3,589 readers, more than 80% said they prefer human narrators (Written Word Media). Your listeners are choosing a person. So are we.

Hear it first

The best way to understand what we do is to listen. This is The Call of the Wild, narrated by Brian Pederson.

Every book in our catalog has a sample like this one. Tap any cover and it plays.

What's new

One place for everything. Authors, narrators and listeners all start from the same site. No more jumping between pages and forms.

An author portal. Submit your book, hear auditions, approve the audio, and follow your project from first audition to release.

Your sales on your dashboard. Authors and narrators see their sales and quarterly royalty statements in their own account.

New auditions every day. 64 books are opening for audition through October, about two a day.

For authors

Create a free author account, upload your manuscript and an audition passage, and narrators audition for your book. You listen, you choose the voice, and you approve a 15-minute sample before the full recording starts. When it's finished, we publish it to nearly 50 retailers, libraries and streaming services, not just one store.

You choose how your narrator is paid: a flat rate per finished hour, or a share of the royalties instead. See how it works, including a cost estimator.

Not ready yet? Our free Author Audiobook Checklist walks you through costs, choosing a narrator, and what happens after you publish. You'll find it on our blog.

For narrators

Members browse the job board, send custom auditions, and see their earnings and statements in one place. If you narrated with us before, your past titles and royalties come with you. Sign up with the email your membership is billed to and we'll find them.

For listeners

Browse the catalog by genre and press play on any cover. Every title names the narrator who performed it, and every voice you hear belongs to that person.

Questions we hear most

Do I own my audiobook?
Yes. You keep full ownership of your audiobook. We handle distribution and send you your royalties.

How long does it take?
You approve a 15-minute sample first. After that, most books under 50,000 words are finished in about 4 to 6 weeks. Longer books get a timeline agreed up front.

What does it cost?
There's a one-time $350 production fee. Then you pick how the narrator is paid. Pay per finished hour at a rate you set, and you keep 80% of net royalties. Or share royalties instead: 40% to you, 40% to your narrator and 20% to Academy Voices, for 10 years.

Where will my audiobook be sold?
Nearly 50 retailers, libraries and streaming services, including Audible, Spotify, Apple, Kobo, Libro.fm and OverDrive.

Who are the narrators?
Working voice actors, vetted before they can audition. Every narrator on our roster has a profile and demos you can hear.

Take a look

Start with the catalog, read how it works, or get in touch. A real person will answer.