ACX is the best performing marketplaces for literary agents, authors, and publishers to connect with engineers, narrators, and recording studios to produce a finished audiobook.
Owned by Amazon and Audible, ACX aids match narrators with book and author-publishers by giving them a chance to submit auditions for open audiobook projects.
To use ACX, you will need to live in the United States, U.K, Ireland, or Canada. The best thing is that it does not have a formal application, and the whole process is 100% free. In addition, once you sign up with ACX, you can start getting paid for your project on the site.
However, the most asked question among the newbies is how much do ACX narrators make? Well, to find out, consider reading this post to the end as I answer this question along with other frequently asked questions on ACX narrators.
How Much Do ACX Narrators Make?
How much can I earn with ACX as A newbie without experience? As a newbie, you should note that ACX does not operate as a get-rich-quick platform. It takes persistence and effort to become successful when using this platform. However, in the meantime, getting projects on ACX is not as challenging as you can imagine.
Therefore, if you are on the lookout for an incredible way of making extra income from home, ACX could be the best platform for you. The only trick is that you should learn how to record audiobooks the best way.
Nonetheless, it is highly recommended not to jump into full-time until you have experience and optimize your workflow.
As a newbie, you can get paid maximum profits since you will be gaining experience and grow to become a seasoned narrator. However, the amount you get paid as an ACX narrator will highly depend on an array of factors, including pay rate, your experience as a narrator, your audiobook's length as well as a platform to create the audiobook.
As a novice, you can earn from $10 PFH (per finished hour) to $100 PFH. On the other hand, an experienced narrator can earn up to $100PFH to $350PFH. Usually, PFH is determined by the narrator's pay rate for every completed audiobook.
ACX uses three ways to pay narrators;
· PFH. This is a one flat rate payment for a whole audiobook).
· Royalty Share. This involves splitting royalties 50/50 with the rights holder or the author.
· Royalty Share Plus. This is the combination of PFH and Royalty Share.
PHF
PFH payment is as discussed above; therefore, let's move on to Royalty Share.
Royalty Share
Most ACX narrators use the Royalty Share; this means you will earn 50% of whether you make from audiobook sales on Amazon, Audible as well as iTunes.
For instance, when the author earns $10 for every audiobook sold, you will earn $5, which is 50% of the royalty. When the book sells well, this is without a doubt a great deal.
For instance, when my share is $6 per book (an average for five to six hours audiobooks), and the book sells approximately 100 copiers per month, this one book can earn you up to $600 per month.
Although this is a hypothetical scenario, it does not mean it's unattainable. By now, you can visualize how recording several royalty share audiobooks can add up as time progresses.
However, not all books recorded as royalty shares are guaranteed to sell incredibly well. Some books might sell worse or better depending on Amazon's sales rank, reviews, and the author's promotional efforts.
Recording royalty share audiobooks will be best for you if you need an excellent way of earning passive income. Although it will be slow to build it as a newbie, as time progresses and you become an experienced ACX narrator, you will start making more from royalty share audiobooks than taking a one-time PFH payment.
It is due to this reason that most ACX narrators prefer mixing PFH projects and royalty shares. With PFH, you will have a chance to make money right away.
On the other hand, royalty share will ensure you get paid over. This means that you will continue receiving payment even when you stop recording audiobooks in the future. This is why Royalty Share Plus stands out as the best form of payment in ACX.
Royalty Share Plus
Unlike royalty share, royalty share plus allows the author to pay a small fee to narrators that will cover production costs (proofing, editing as well as mastering). Usually, the author and narrator negotiate between the small upfront fee.
When the audiobook becomes available, you will receive 20% royalty as the narrator, and the author will also receive 20% royalties. What makes this program an excellent program is that when the author does not have sufficient money to use in the production program, you, as the author, will get paid a lower amount to aid the narrator.
Furthermore, you will also have access to narrators who might have previously considered pay for the production program. You will also have access to the bounty program as an ACX narrator. In case the author or you as the narrator receive new subscribers to Audible, you will earn $50 and $25, respectively.
how to make money on aCX reading
There are currently over 1,855 books listed on ACX ready for auditors to narrate, and every day, new titles are added to the platform. These high numbers of projects on the platform had remained consistent for years. Therefore, there is no shortage of work on ACX for an ambitious voice over artist.
To get started, here are things you will require;
- The required equipment.
- A narrator profile (free) on ACX.
- A quiet space for recording in your home (a closet will do)
- Approximately one to three audio samples to upload to your ACX profile.
- Audacity is a perfect digital audio workstation for creating audio samples, and the best part is that it is free! These samples will give your profile an excellent and professional feel.
- Start auditioning for the available books on ACX and keep doing so until you get the first job on the platform.
What Are ACX Narrators Additional Cost?
To get started, you will need to invest in high-quality equipment that will aid in recording some top-notch audiobooks. These tools include;
Professional high-quality microphone.
The most recommended microphone is a condenser microphone. You can pick up a condenser mic for under $100.
Pop filter
This tool is highly essential when it comes to preventing too much air from getting into the mic which will result in the popping sound, often known as plosives.
Microphone Stand
When recording an audiobook, stability, and flexibility are of great essence. This allows you to move the mic around and in a comfortable position for an extended period.
Headphones
A pair of studio monitor headphones over your ears is ideal when it comes to recording audiobooks.
Editing/recording software
To record and edit your recordings, you will require a program to help you create outstanding auditions, samples, and audiobook chapters. These are known in the audio industry as DAWs, here are some of the best free DAWs you can use.
Final Words
For an Amazon ACX narrator, earnings differ significantly, and it often depends on the method of revenue share as well as how you build your profile. Keeping your costs low while producing high quality outputs is a must.
After going through this article, choosing a platform to work with as a newbie narrator becomes relatively easy. As I conclude, I hope you have found this article beneficial as you plan to record audiobooks on ACX.
It may also interest you to learn that some authors are using AI to narrate their audiobooks via voice cloning, since the release of new technology allowing very human-like text-to-speech generations. So do keep this in mind going forwards!
