MattSound / Services / CH 03 · Audiobook Production

ACX-compliant audiobooks,
first submission approved.

Phrase-level editing, noise-floor control, RMS targeting, and peak limiting to meet ACX, Findaway, and Audible standards. Narrators send raw room tracks; I hand back master chapters ready to upload without a resubmission.

Request a quote → See standards

A — What's included

Raw narration in, distribution master out.

Every chapter passes the same checklist before delivery. If it doesn't meet ACX spec on my meter, it doesn't leave the studio.

Phrase EditingRetakes, flubs, and line-level edits seamlessly matched to the narrator's rhythm.
Breath & Mouth NoiseReduced where distracting, preserved where natural. Not every breath needs to go.
Silence TimingACX requires 0.5–1.0 s of room tone at head and tail; sentence gaps trimmed to consistent spacing.
Noise Floor ControlBroadband denoise targeting below −60 dBFS while preserving narrator presence.
RMS / Peak MasteringIntegrated across chapters so loudness stays consistent through a 12-hour listen.
Chapter Splits & QCOne MP3 per chapter, metadata tagged, ACX-validated before delivery.

B — Platform standards

Every platform, every spec.

ACX is the strictest and most common. Findaway, Audible Originals, and library platforms all have their own variations — I deliver against whichever set matches your distribution plan.

PlatformMetricTarget

ACX / AudibleRMS−23 to −18 dB

ACX / AudiblePeak ceiling−3 dBFS

ACX / AudibleNoise floor< −60 dBFS

Findaway VoicesMatches ACXSame as above

Spotify AudiobooksLoudness−14 LUFS · −1 dBTP

Apple BooksLoudness−16 LUFS · −1 dBTP

C — Workflow

Narrator, engineer, finished book.

Best practice is to send a test chapter first so we can confirm the noise floor and baseline character of your recording space before committing to the full book.

STEP 01

Test Chapter

Send one chapter raw. I analyze noise floor, room character, and recommend mic/booth adjustments if needed.

STEP 02

Phrase Edit

Retakes integrated, line-level edits, breath decisions. Chapter-by-chapter delivery.

STEP 03

Clean & Level

Noise floor, de-click, de-ess, compression, consistency across chapters.

STEP 04

Master

RMS targeting, peak limit, silence pad for ACX head/tail compliance.

STEP 05

QC & Deliver

Validate on ACX QC tools. Deliver MP3 per chapter + full WAV archive.

Placeholder testimonial — an audiobook author or publisher describing the consistency and ACX pass-rate.

CLIENT NAME · AUTHOR / PUBLISHER