Self-published authors are increasingly waking up to the benefits of offering an audiobook version of their work.
If you’re an independent author with a book out, but no audiobook version, you’re leaving money on the table. The simple fact is there are plenty of people who will gladly consume audiobooks but are far less inclined to sit down and read an ebook or physical copy. Why? Listening to audiobooks allows people to enjoy content during their commute or training session at the gym.
There’s no denying that creating an audiobook edition of your work is a bit more complicated than sitting down and writing it. However, it’s probably a lot easier and more affordable than you expect. Findaway Voices is one option worth exploring.
This Findaway Voices review will break down everything you need to know about the service as an author, so you can decide if it’s the right option for your next audiobook release.
What is Findaway Voices?
Findaway Voices assist authors with their audiobook efforts in two major ways – with the process of creating the audiobook itself, and then with marketing and selling the finished product. The company has risen to greater prominence since being acquired by Spotify in 2021.
Let’s explore an overview of the main functionality of Findaway Voices.
We want you to make informed decisions when it comes to how and where to invest your money. That’s why our mission is to help educate authors on the various self-publishing companies and services that are on the market today.
Our reviews are meant to be unbiased, 3rd party reviews, but we will speak up if there is a scam or a clearly better option.
Audiobook marketplace
You might be wondering if Findaway Voices is still a worthwhile option for you if you’ve already created an audiobook. Does it have anything to offer aside from the creation process?
Absolutely! In addition to helping you create an audiobook, Findaway Voices will help you distribute and sell your work. This is the case even if you created your audiobook outside of the Findaway Voices platform. For example, you might have a done and dusted audiobook edition of your work, fully narrated, edited, and mixed and mastered. In such an instance, all you have to do is upload the audiobook file to Findaway and let their distribution and sales platform do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
Of course, marketing and selling your audiobook through Findaway Voices is only an option if you aren’t under any exclusivity restrictions elsewhere. Be sure to check this is the case before moving forward with your Findaway Voices audiobook upload.
Audiobook creation
Perhaps the main attraction of Findaway Voices for self-published authors is the way it helps you create an audiobook. There are plenty of places to sell your audiobook, and you’re probably already familiar with Amazon. However, finding an affordable and reliable platform to create your audiobook via is rarer. That’s where Findaway Voices comes into its own.
In addition to offering a marketplace for voice talent to assist with your audiobook creation, Findaway Voices also has step by step guides guiding you through the creation process. This ensures you don’t overlook any steps and are able to tick off all the actions needed to have a quality end product.
One of the best reasons to use Findaway Voice is its voice talent marketplace. You can search for narrators with particular accents or demographic profiles you need to create an authentic experience for your listeners. Also, each narrator has stats, so you can see how many hours of work they’ve contributed to Findaway Voices in the past.
The layout of the voice talent marketplace is incredibly user-friendly, helping you to quickly and easily find the right narrator for your next book.
How does Findaway Voices creation work?
Sadly, there are a lot of reasons to be wary about online services claiming to serve the independent authors marketplace. A lot of companies over-promise and under-deliver, or even out and out scam you in the worst cases. Is that the case with Findaway Voices? How does their business model work, and is there anything you need to be wary of?
Thankfully, Findaway Voices does not engage in any scammy or vanity press type practices. If you create an audiobook through their service, you have the full right to that audiobook. You can do with it as you please and sell it elsewhere if you desire.
How does selling audiobooks work when using Findaway voices?
Aside from the voice talent marketplace offered by Findaway Voices, the ability to market and sell your audiobook is the other main offering from the company. So what do you need to know about uploading and selling your audiobooks through Findaway Voices?
The first thing to be aware of is there is no upfront cost whatsoever. Some companies charge you either a one-off or a subscription cost to even upload your book to their platform. With Findaway Voices, you pay nothing upfront. You will only incur costs when your book actually sells.
Some of the key facts you need to know about selling an audiobook via Findaway Voices includes:
- You have the freedom to set whatever list price you want, provided its within the parameters of the retail platform in question.
- You can choose which of their 40+ partners your book is sold via – you aren’t forced to opt-in to all of them.
- You keep 80% of the royalties received for selling your audiobook.
- Real-time sales reporting is available when that option is supported by the retail partner in question.
- You can set promotional pricing and other deals to encourage sales of your audiobook.
To get a clearer picture of what selling your audiobook through Findaway Voices looks like, let’s consider an example. Imagine you sell your audiobook for $10. The retail platform might take $5, leaving $5 as a royalty payment. Your 80% cut would be $4, while Findaway Voices would take $1 in exchange for their services.
Who is Findaway Voices for?
You now know in detail exactly how Findaway Voices works, both in terms of creating audiobooks, and selling them through the platform.
But who exactly is Findaway Voices best suited to? Who will find maximum value from its services?
In our opinion, the following three groups of people will get the most value from using Findaway Voices:
- Authors looking to create an audiobook version of their work
- Authors with an existing audiobook looking for better distribution
- Authors looking for side income doing narration work
While the first two groups of users are perhaps the most obvious fit for Findaway Voices, don’t discount the third. Especially when you’re just starting out, finding a side-hustle to fund your author goals can be super important.
Choosing to be a narrator means you can save your time spent typing for your own projects. Don’t discount the difficulty of sitting down to type your own book if you’ve just spent 5 or 6 hours writing for a freelance client!
Findaway Voices – Pros and Cons
So what are the main pros and cons that would lead you to check out or avoid Findaway Voices?
Pros
- Claims to be world’s largest audiobook market, 40+ retail and library partnerships across the world.
- Lots of information available on each narrator including voice samples, stats, etc.
- Clear pricing structure.
Cons
- Have to weigh up value/ease/functionality compared to ACX and other audiobook services.
How much does Findaway Voices cost?
We’ve broken down the financial side of selling book through Findaway Voices above. To recap, it’s an 80/20 split in favor of the author for royalties received, with the 20% going to Findaway Voices.
But what about the cost of producing an audiobook using Findaway Voices? How much does that cost?
The company states that the average cost for producing a 50,000 word audiobook is between $1000 and $2000. This is worked out on the basis of an hourly rate paid to the narrator multiplied by the length of the book.
You can also enquire about a royalty sharing option with Findaway Voices. This involves a lower upfront cost but a lower slice of the revenue further down the line.
Alternatives to Findaway Voices
So what other options are out there for authors sold on the need for a service similar to Findaway Voices?
Of course, it’s essential to check out ACX, the audiobook service provided by Amazon.
In terms of audiobook creation, you might be able to find cheaper priced freelance talent via platforms like Upwork or even Fiverr.
You may also want to check out our Chirp Audiobooks review to see if you want to partner with the company to sell your audiobook.
Other services helping with the distribution and sales of your ebook include PublishDrive (#9 in this list) and StreetLib. You can check out the best organizations for self-publishers here, many of which have offerings relevant to audiobook creators.
Side note: If you're looking to consume good audiobooks in lesser-known places, check out these two articles from The Book Designer.
- Related: Best Audiobooks on Spotify
- Related: Best Audiobooks on YouTube
Findaway Voices Review Final Rating
Overall, we give Findaway Voices four and a half stars.
The pricing model is clear and the layout and user experience for finding voice talent is easy to use.
If you have any experience using Findaway Voices, or would like to suggest a better alternative to your fellow self-published authors, please feel free to leave us a comment below!
