[Accord64]

I was recently contacted by Findaway Voices (findaway.com) pitching a new service that "connects authors with professional voice talent to create audiobooks at the best possible rates."

Does anyone have any experience with them? I've been toying with producing audiobooks and wondered if they were a viable alternative to ACX.

 

[Windvein]

Bumping this because I got an email from these guys today. I took a look at their website and find it a little vague. If anyone has any insights or experiences, would love to hear them.

Audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of the publishing industry, so I thought you might be interested in a better way to create and distribute audio versions of your work. My company, Findaway, is the world's largest business-to-business digital audiobook platform. We power leading audiobook sellers such as NOOK, TuneIn, Scribd, Baker & Taylor, and 3M, reaching listeners in more than 170 countries.

We're about to launch Findaway Voices, a new service to help publishers and authors create high-quality audiobooks and sell them around the world, through partnerships with the names above, plus Audible, Amazon, Apple, Audiobooks.com, and many more. We think our model offers clear advantages to authors over the limited options they've had in the past.

If you have 15 minutes to speak, I'd love to discuss how Findaway Voices can offer you a better way to create and market your audiobooks.

 

[Bickernicks]

I took a look at their website and find it a little vague.

Agreed. I was flipping through pages of jargon and crap to find their point. Even their email is pedantic.

 

[Accord64]

Sorry I missed the replies. I spoke with their representative last month. Nice guy, low pressure. Basically they are like ACX, except without a royalty share option (which killed it for me). Narrator costs were left vague, because it varies on who expresses interest in producing your manuscript. I suspect the costs will be on the high side if you want a quality audio production.   

 

[555aaa]

Bumping this - I sent a message to them regarding our existing catalog which is on the ACX non-exclusive contract. Findaway has been around for a long time as the company behind the little dedicated player devices that libraries use (it's called a playaway). I'm interested in anyone that's willing to be a better aggregator for the non-Audible market. I'll post back when I know more. I should add that I'm not interested in production services because that's what I do, just distribution, so I asked the audioengine folks.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Just got an email from Draft2Digital....

Draft2Digital is excited to announce our partnership with Findaway Voices, an audiobook creation and distribution service that gives authors more freedom and control over their work. With Voices, it's easy to create and sell audiobooks to listeners in more than 170 countries, through the world's largest audiobook distribution network.

Voices is a part of Findaway, an innovator in the audiobook industry for more than 10 years and a global leader in digital content delivery across retail, library, and K-12 channels.

Audiobooks are a vital part of an indie author's strategy, allowing you to increase discoverability and reach new audiences worldwide, while increasing the opportunity for revenue.

Until now, authors had limited options for creating and distributing audiobooks, and were often forced to surrender partial rights to their work or agree to lengthy exclusivity contracts. D2D's partnership with Findaway Voices aims to eliminate as many barriers between authors and audiobook listeners as possible.

Findaway Voices gives authors everything they need to create professionally narrated audiobooks, including:

Full Control-With Voices, you set the price, own the rights, control marketing, choose your distributors, and never sign an exclusivity agreement.
Global Distribution-You'll gain access to a global platform that reaches consumers in more than 170 countries, through all major audiobook sellers across retail, library, and K12 channels (and yes, this includes Audible).
Custom Narrator Casting-The experts at Voices review your book and create a tailored list of recommended narrators at a range of prices for your specific title. Voices will work with you at every step to ensure you choose the right voice at the right price for your book.
Professional Production-All narrators are vetted for quality, and all Voices audiobooks are quality-checked before publication, giving rights holders an extra level of assurance.
Full Service and Support-As a D2D author, you're used to high level customer support, and you can expect the same with Voices. If you have any questions or need help, you can reach out to a Voices expert.
Already have an audiobook?-If you've already produced your audiobook, you can distribute through Findaway Voices without exclusivity, and at no cost.

Starting July 18, 2017, you'll be able to quickly and easily start the audiobook production process, right from your D2D publication page. Once your eBook is successfully published with at least one of D2D's distribution channels, you can start creating your audiobook with Findaway Voices, with full support from the Voices team. You can determine your production budget, select a narrator, and have your book produced and distributed to a robust audiobook network.

Again, we are very excited about this partnership, and what it means for our authors. Audiobooks can be a tremendous benefit to an author's career, and producing something of professional quality is now easier than ever.

If you have questions or would like more information about the D2D and Findaway Voices partnership, reach out to Customer Support any time!

Sincerely,
The D2D Team

 

[Guest]

Just got an email from Draft2Digital....

Draft2Digital is excited to announce our partnership with Findaway Voices, an audiobook creation and distribution service that gives authors more freedom and control over their work. With Voices, it's easy to create and sell audiobooks to listeners in more than 170 countries, through the world's largest audiobook distribution network.

Voices is a part of Findaway, an innovator in the audiobook industry for more than 10 years and a global leader in digital content delivery across retail, library, and K-12 channels.

Audiobooks are a vital part of an indie author's strategy, allowing you to increase discoverability and reach new audiences worldwide, while increasing the opportunity for revenue.

Until now, authors had limited options for creating and distributing audiobooks, and were often forced to surrender partial rights to their work or agree to lengthy exclusivity contracts. D2D's partnership with Findaway Voices aims to eliminate as many barriers between authors and audiobook listeners as possible.

Findaway Voices gives authors everything they need to create professionally narrated audiobooks, including:

Full Control-With Voices, you set the price, own the rights, control marketing, choose your distributors, and never sign an exclusivity agreement.
Global Distribution-You'll gain access to a global platform that reaches consumers in more than 170 countries, through all major audiobook sellers across retail, library, and K12 channels (and yes, this includes Audible).
Custom Narrator Casting-The experts at Voices review your book and create a tailored list of recommended narrators at a range of prices for your specific title. Voices will work with you at every step to ensure you choose the right voice at the right price for your book.
Professional Production-All narrators are vetted for quality, and all Voices audiobooks are quality-checked before publication, giving rights holders an extra level of assurance.
Full Service and Support-As a D2D author, you're used to high level customer support, and you can expect the same with Voices. If you have any questions or need help, you can reach out to a Voices expert.
Already have an audiobook?-If you've already produced your audiobook, you can distribute through Findaway Voices without exclusivity, and at no cost.

Starting July 18, 2017, you'll be able to quickly and easily start the audiobook production process, right from your D2D publication page. Once your eBook is successfully published with at least one of D2D's distribution channels, you can start creating your audiobook with Findaway Voices, with full support from the Voices team. You can determine your production budget, select a narrator, and have your book produced and distributed to a robust audiobook network.

Again, we are very excited about this partnership, and what it means for our authors. Audiobooks can be a tremendous benefit to an author's career, and producing something of professional quality is now easier than ever.

If you have questions or would like more information about the D2D and Findaway Voices partnership, reach out to Customer Support any time!

Sincerely,
The D2D Team

I have this and am quite excited about it. I have my first book in audio, but have ZERO control or input into the marketing and its only worth about $100 a year to me in royalties. I don't like the restrictions of ACX either or the whispersync that reduces the value of the audio book down to a few $'s

I will be getting involved in this if I can.

 

[Elizabeth Barone]

Here's the D2D blog post announcement: https://draft2digital.com/blog/d2d-partners-with-findaway-voices-to-provide-an-alternative-to-acx-starting-7182017/

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[Robert A Michael]

I've not dipped my toes into audio yet (as I have not had wide enough appeal on my existing products to warrant the cost of audio production), but this is a good sign for indies. The more legitimate opportunities to go to market we have, the better chance we have to widely distribute. Between this announcement and Pronoun's announcement about Overdrive, I think that things are just heating up for us.

Now is the time to buckle down and make hard decisions about partnerships, contracts, exclusivity, and just how wide of a net we want to cast. Exciting times!

 

[DanaFraser]

Here's the D2D blog post announcement: https://draft2digital.com/blog/d2d-partners-with-findaway-voices-to-provide-an-alternative-to-acx-starting-7182017/

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Thank you for the link, Elizabeth. D2D should have included it in the email (or did I overlook it). I looked on the site and the partners mentioned didn't have Apple or Amazon listed, which caused me to shrug and close the window Glad to see they are on the list. I'm starting audiobook production in July, so I'll be keeping an eye on this development.

 

[Catherine Lea]

Hi Folks,
Take a look at the ListenUp Audiobook Production/Distribution Process. We added Self-Pub Production/Distribution to our offerings in 2015 and have very satisfied authors.

http://www.listenupindie.pub/

We offer Production and/or Distribution Services and we have affiliate partner discounts too.
[email protected]

I can vouch for ListenUp audiobooks. I had one of mine done by them. Very professional, cover all the distribution, and a fair royalty percentage. I'm delighted with them.

 

[555aaa]

I signed the distribution contract with Findaway on several of my non-exclusive ACX titles. Yes you have some control over pricing, but it is not completely straightforward as there are also membership plans at some of their distribution partners if I recall correctly and also library distribution pricing which is a different beast. I don't have the specifics in front of me as I write this unfortunately. They pay out quarterly (but Voices might be on a different payment schedule). I have enough sales so that it will be statistically meaningful when eventually I get a sales report from them. I am not on Findaway Voices however, just a straight distribution contract.

ETA: I see that they did get me distributed over to Barnes & Noble audio which is cool. That retail price is the price I set for them, so yay team! It is way less than the Audible retail price ($20 vs $7). In theory it will work out to the same payout for me.

title distributed to B&N via Findaway
https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/161003/poems-of-the-elder-edda
distributed to Audible via ACX
https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/161003/poems-of-the-elder-edda
distributed to Google Play via CD Baby
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Various_Artists_Poems_of_the_Elder_Edda?id=Bl7tc7ewsizu3pqzk6sxnjpjpke
MP3-audio CD distributed (by me) to Amazon via CD Baby
https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Elder-Edda/dp/1940650046/ref=sr_1_1_twi_aud_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497467703&sr=8-1&keywords=poems+of+the+elder+edda+CD

 

[Christopher Bunn]

I can vouch for ListenUp audiobooks. I had one of mine done by them. Very professional, cover all the distribution, and a fair royalty percentage. I'm delighted with them.

Does ListenUp require the author to pay for the narration and production costs up-front, or is their a royalty-share option?

 

[Teddy79]

I signed the distribution contract with Findaway on several of my non-exclusive ACX titles. Yes you have some control over pricing, but it is not completely straightforward as there are also membership plans at some of their distribution partners if I recall correctly and also library distribution pricing which is a different beast. I don't have the specifics in front of me as I write this unfortunately. They pay out quarterly (but Voices might be on a different payment schedule). I have enough sales so that it will be statistically meaningful when eventually I get a sales report from them. I am not on Findaway Voices however, just a straight distribution contract.

ETA: I see that they did get me distributed over to Barnes & Noble audio which is cool. That retail price is the price I set for them, so yay team! It is way less than the Audible retail price ($20 vs $7). In theory it will work out to the same payout for me.

title distributed to B&N via Findaway
https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/161003/poems-of-the-elder-edda
distributed to Audible via ACX
https://www.nookaudiobooks.com/audiobook/161003/poems-of-the-elder-edda
distributed to Google Play via CD Baby
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Various_Artists_Poems_of_the_Elder_Edda?id=Bl7tc7ewsizu3pqzk6sxnjpjpke
MP3-audio CD distributed (by me) to Amazon via CD Baby
https://www.amazon.com/Poems-Elder-Edda/dp/1940650046/ref=sr_1_1_twi_aud_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497467703&sr=8-1&keywords=poems+of+the+elder+edda+CD

Did you pay an upfront fees? Or is it like splitting a percentage on the turnover?

 

[A. N. Other Author]

Wasn't sure whether to resurrect this year-old zombie thread or start a new one. Since Halloween is only a few weeks away I went with the reanimation option.

So - has anyone used this since D2D got involved? I heard a couple of podcasts this week so sounds like they are pushing it a little more to find authors. The lower end of $100 per finished hour still sounds too rich for me, but has anyone done well using this service?

 

[AltMe]

I sent them an e-mail for more info a few months or so ago and found out that they don't have a searchable database of the narrators they work with. So apparently the way it works is once you sign up with them, they offer you a few choices of narrator, and you pick one of those. Which was kind of a dealbreaker for me. If I'm going to go the self-pub route for an audiobook, I want to be able to pick out the exact narrator I want. Being given a choice of three (where I'm likely not to be familiar with any of them at all), rather than being able to see if the narrator I want already works with that company before I start the process, is not acceptable to me. Also, their Audible rate is the same as I'd get by going straight to Audible with a non-exclusive audiobook myself, so there's no advantage to using FV there.

I'd like to see this company become a useful option to give a little competition to ACX, but as it stands currently, it doesn't look like it is to me.

I started the process with them, and you just keep rejecting their suggestions until they come up with one you like.

My main problem is most of them are in the $200-$300 bracket per hour, and that makes an expensive product to buy. When you have 18 books, its a huge outlay to consider.

 

[AltMe]

The other big issue is they wont actually quote on an all up cost. You're expected to accept a per finished hour rate, without knowing exactly how many hours it will be in the end.

 

[Guest]

I'm in the process of getting Mutant Hunter narrated. The narrator is British and $115 a finished hour. In fact he was my preferred voice against the more expensive ones. I'm due to see the finished product at the end of this month for around $1,000. I can afford that, but the more expensive ones don't warrant the price hike in my opinion. I also wanted a female narrator for Artis Prime which is a female protagonist, but they are all romancy and kiddish so no good for an SF novel, yet still over-priced big time in the $200-$300+ range. It's going to be narrated by a male voice instead, probably the same one.

FTR I'm not interested in royalty sharing which is why I liked the Findaway choice.

 

[Used To Be BH]

I'm going to give Findaway a try soon. I'm not quite selling in the range that would make royalty share a likely option for me, anyway. (Which probably means I shouldn't be doing audio, but that's another story!)

Two things I like about the service: It matches you up with narrators. On ACX, you put up the project and wait for someone to nibble. I waited a long time... Also, it has much wider distribution than ACX does. Oddly, it doesn't provide a full list, but D2D has one on their blog. Of course, the outlets ACX distributes to are probably the three biggest markets, but even so, I'm inclined to see what I can do with one title in those other markets.

I had a tech question, and I got a prompt and thorough response from customer support, which was encouraging.