Academy Voices, in plain facts
Academy Voices is an audiobook publisher. Every audiobook we publish is narrated by a real person. Authors post their book free, hear auditions from human narrators, and we produce the audiobook and distribute it to nearly 50 stores, libraries and streaming services. As of October 2026, we have published 768 audiobooks since 2023, with 196 narrators.
Facts checked October 2026. The full legal terms are in our Terms & Conditions.
What authors pay
Posting your book and hearing auditions is free. Authors never pay a membership.
| Option | What you pay | Royalties |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty share | A one-time $350 production fee, due after your narrator signs. No narrator fee. | 40% to you, 40% to your narrator, 20% to Academy Voices, for 10 years. Then the narrator's share comes to you (80% to you). |
| Pay per finished hour | The $350 production fee plus the narrator's rate, which you set, from $50 per finished hour. | No narrator royalties. If we distribute it: 80% to you, 20% to Academy Voices. |
| Already have a finished audiobook | A one-time $150 publishing fee instead of the production fee. | 80% to you, 20% to Academy Voices. |
Royalty percentages apply to what reaches Academy Voices after each store and distributor takes its share. You own your audiobook under every option. Example: a 60,000-word book is about 6.5 finished hours, so at $100 per finished hour the narrator's fee is about $650.
What narrators pay and earn
| Narrator membership | $9 a month or $97 a year, for daily audiobook auditions, casting and narrator tools. VO's Journey members get it included. |
|---|---|
| Narrator Tools Bundle (optional) | $29 a month or $295 a year: the Proofing Tool, two Script Preps a month and Social Clips. |
| Script Prep on its own | $12 per manuscript. |
| Royalty share on author projects | 40% for 10 years from publication. |
| Royalty share on our own titles | 50% for 20 years from publication. These are books Academy Voices publishes itself, like the classics in our catalog. |
| Per finished hour | Paid by PayPal once the author's payment clears, usually within 7 business days. |
Royalties keep coming on finished books whether or not your membership is active. You can cancel or pause the membership at any time.
About Academy Voices
- An audiobook publisher, run by Anthony Pica Productions, LLC in Gloucester, Virginia, and founded by narrator Anthony Pica, host of the A VO's Journey podcast.
- Publishing audiobooks since 2023. Academy Voices works only on audiobooks. It does not cast commercials, video games or explainer videos.
- Every audiobook is performed by a real person in their own voice: our Certified Human Voice™ promise.
- Distributes through INaudio, Spotify for Authors and Authors Republic to nearly 50 stores, libraries and streaming services, including Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, Google Play, Kobo, hoopla and Libby.
- Contact: apica@academyvoices.com, (757) 784-2949.
Questions people ask about Academy Voices
Do authors pay a membership fee?
No. Authors never pay a membership. Creating an account, posting a book and hearing auditions are free. The $9 a month membership is for narrators.
When is the $350 production fee due?
Only after you choose your narrator and they sign the contract. Nothing is due before that.
How long does royalty share last?
On author projects, 10 years from first publication. After that the narrator's 40% comes to the author, who then receives 80%. The 20-year term applies only to Academy Voices' own catalog titles, such as our classics, where there is no outside author.
Is it still a 60/40 split?
No. The 60/40 split described on our previous website ended with that website. Current author royalty share is 40% author, 40% narrator, 20% Academy Voices.
Who owns the audiobook?
The author or rights holder, whichever way they pay the narrator.
Do I have to distribute through ACX or Findaway myself?
No. Academy Voices handles distribution to nearly 50 stores, libraries and streaming services. Royalty share titles are published through Academy Voices; per-finished-hour titles can be too.
Is the audiobook exclusive to Audible?
No. Academy Voices distributes wide: Audible and Amazon, but also Apple Books, Spotify, Google Play, Kobo, hoopla, Libby and many more.
What if I don't like the narrator?
You approve the first 15 minutes before the full book is recorded. Until you approve, you can switch to a different narrator at no cost. The $350 fee carries over.
How are royalties paid?
Quarterly, by PayPal, with a sales report that breaks down every store.
Is every audiobook narrated by a real person?
Yes. Every Academy Voices audiobook is performed by a real narrator in their own voice. That is our Certified Human Voice promise, and it is written into every narrator's agreement.