.wav Enthusiast
Audiobook Production for Independent Authors
Downtown Los Angeles
Looking for our general audiobook production page? Visit our Audiobooks page for a broader overview of our services.
Your book deserves a professional sound. We make that happen — wherever you are.
You've written the book. Now you want it on Audible, Spotify, and everywhere listeners are. But the path from manuscript to finished audiobook can feel complicated — narrator casting, studio recording, ACX compliance, distribution logistics.
That's exactly what we do, every day, at .wav Enthusiast.
We specialize in working with independently published and self-published authors who want a professional, award-winning production without having to navigate the process alone. Whether you're producing your first audiobook or your fifth, we handle every step — all the way through distribution — so you can focus on your next book.
🏆 Audie Award Credits
🏆 Earphones Award Credits
Our team has earned the industry's highest audiobook production honors working with Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Podium, and Sourcebooks. Every independently published title gets that same standard of craft.
What's included in our audiobook production package
Every .wav Enthusiast audiobook production includes:
Pre-production & planning
We start with a free consultation to understand your book, your timeline, and your goals. We'll align a strategy with your vision, advise on narrator options, help you understand ACX and wide distribution, and map out a production plan before a single word is recorded.
Narrator casting (if needed)
Not sure who should voice your book? We draw from our network of professional narrators to find the right voice for your genre and audience. You approve the narrator before we begin.
Directed recording sessions
Whether you're narrating yourself or working with a cast narrator, our engineers direct every session in our acoustically treated Downtown Los Angeles studio or at a professional studio local to you, wherever you may be. We know how to get the best performance, even from first-time author-narrators.
Audio editing & post-production
Every recorded file goes through detailed editing to remove noises, pacing issues, and technical imperfections. We don't hand you raw files.
Mixing, mastering & ACX-compliant delivery
Final audio is mixed and mastered to ACX technical specifications — including integrated loudness, peak ceiling, and signal-to-noise ratio requirements — and delivered as distribution-ready MP3 and WAV files. Ready for Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, and beyond.
Quality control & final review
Before delivery, every file is reviewed against ACX requirements. We've never had a file rejected at submission. We don't plan to start.
Metadata, ISBNs & distribution
We handle everything after production too — metadata, ISBNs, and full upload to Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, and any other platform you choose. From manuscript to live, we manage it.
Audiobook production pricing for independent authors
Audiobook production is priced per finished hour (PFH) of delivered audio — not by studio time or word count. Our full-service packages start at $750 per finished hour and include everything: recording, directing, editing, mixing, mastering, metadata, ISBNs and ACX-compliant delivery. Estimating your project cost is straightforward: —
Divide your word count by 8,500 to get your estimated finished hours, then multiply by our PFH rate.
We use 8,500 words per hour — slightly lower than the industry average — to account for natural pacing and performance quality. Professional audiobooks aren't speed-read. The extra time shows in the final product.
A typical independently published audiobook runs:
40,000 words → ~5 finished hours → from $3,750
55,000 words → ~6.5 finished hours → from $4,875
70,000 words → ~8 finished hours → from $6,000
Most .wav Enthusiast audiobook projects are completed between $4,000 and $6,000 depending on scope, narrator, and turnaround timeline.
Every project starts with a free consultation and custom quote. No commitment required.
Why independent authors choose .wav Enthusiast
Award-winning credentials, indie author focus
Our team has earned Audie Award and Earphones Award credits working with Macmillan, Penguin Random House, among several major publishers. We bring that same standard of craft to every independently published title — because your readers deserve the same listening experience as any Big Five release.
Led by Jack Heidelman, our founder and head of audiobook production
Every project at .wav Enthusiast is led by Jack, our founder and the person who built this studio around independent authors. When you reach out, you're talking to the person who will actually produce your book — not a salesperson or a junior engineer.
.wav Enthusiast
A studio built for first-timers and veterans alike
Never narrated before? We've guided dozens of first-time author-narrators through the process. You'll leave the session surprised by how good you sound. Already an experienced narrator or returning client? We'll match your pace and get straight to work.
Downtown Los Angeles — easy to get to, worth the trip
We're located at 1667 N Main St in Downtown LA, minutes from the 101, 110, and 10 freeways. Street parking and paid lots nearby. We'll send you everything you need to know before your first session.
Not in Los Angeles, in California, or even the United States?
We’ve worked with authors located internationally. Our network of audiobook recording studios runs deep and we have a tried and true process for finding a studio local to you if you’re located somewhere new for us. We research to find the right studio fit for you. You show up and have a comfortable, professional experience.
A two-person team that actually picks up the phone
.wav Enthusiast is run by a small, dedicated team. When you work with us, you work with us — not an intern or a junior engineer. Every project gets our full attention from consultation to delivery.
How the process works
Step 1 — Free consultation
Tell us about your book: genre, word count, narrator preference, and timeline. Tell us why you wrote the book in the first place. We'll align a strategy with your vision, give you a custom quote and answer every question you have. No pressure, no commitment.
Step 2 — Pre-production
We finalize your production plan, confirm your narrator (or prepare for your author-narrated session), and schedule your recording dates.
Step 3 — Recording
We record your audiobook in our Downtown Los Angeles studio or at a studio that is both local and convenient for you. Sessions are directed by our engineers to ensure clean, consistent, broadcast-quality audio from start to finish.
Step 4 — Post-production
Your audio goes through editing, mixing, mastering, and quality control. We handle every technical requirement so you don't have to.
Step 5 — Delivery & distribution
You receive ACX-compliant MP3 and WAV files and all the necessary metadata and assets. Then we upload to Audible, Apple Books, Spotify, and any other platform you choose. We'll walk you through the entire submission process if needed.
Frequently asked questions:
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No. We work with authors located anywhere in the world. For authors outside Los Angeles, we tap into our network of professional recording studios to find a space that's local and convenient for you. We research, vet, and coordinate everything — you just show up and have a comfortable, professional experience. Jack directs every session remotely regardless of where recording takes place.
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A typical independently published audiobook takes 4–8 weeks from first session to final delivery, depending on the length of your book, your availability for recording sessions, and revision rounds. We'll give you a specific production timeline during your free consultation so you know exactly what to expect before we begin.
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Both options are available. Many of our clients choose to narrate their own book — we'll coach you through the process and you'll be surprised how good you sound with the right direction and environment. If you'd prefer a professional narrator, we draw from our network of experienced voice talent to find the right voice for your genre and audience. You approve the narrator before we begin recording.
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ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is Amazon's platform for producing and distributing audiobooks to Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. You don't need to understand it before working with us — that's our job. We produce every audiobook to ACX technical specifications and handle the submission process on your behalf. We've never had a file rejected at submission.
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Our full-service audiobook production is priced at $750 per finished hour (PFH) of delivered audio. A finished hour is not the same as a studio hour — it refers to the length of the final audiobook. To estimate your project cost, divide your word count by 8,500 to get your finished hours, then multiply by $750. Most independently published audiobooks run between $4,000 and $6,000 depending on length, narrator choice, and turnaround timeline. Every project starts with a free consultation and custom quote — no commitment required.
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Just your manuscript and yourself. We handle everything else — studio setup, microphones, direction, and engineering. If you're working with a cast narrator, you don't even need to be in the room. Before your first session we'll send you a full preparation guide so you know exactly what to expect and how to get the most out of your recording time.
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Yes — completely. Once your audiobook is produced and approved, we handle all metadata, ISBNs, and upload to every platform you choose, including Audible, Apple Books, and Spotify. You don't need an account, technical knowledge, or any prior experience with distribution. We manage the entire process through to your book going live.
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Most of our audiobook clients haven't. We've guided many first-time author-narrators through the process and it's one of our favorite parts of the job. Jack will walk you through everything before the session begins, coach your performance in real time, and make sure you leave feeling confident about the result. First-timers consistently tell us they were surprised by how natural and enjoyable the experience was.
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Yes. If you have clean recorded files that need editing, mixing, mastering, and ACX-compliant delivery, we can take it from there. Contact us with your file details and we'll give you a custom quote for post-production only.
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Fill out the form below, email us at “info@waventhusiast.com” or call us at (909) 702-2280. Ask for Jack. We'll schedule a free consultation, learn about your book and goals, and give you a custom quote with no pressure and no commitment. Most consultations take about 30 minutes and you'll leave with a clear picture of the process, timeline, and cost.
“Creating an audiobook for Payroll Pioneer seemed like a daunting task until I found Jack and the .wav Enthusiast team. From our very first conversation, Jack guided me through every step of the process, making what could have been a complicated project remarkably simple.
As an author, I knew my subject matter well, but I had no experience producing a professional audiobook. Jack and his team handled every detail with expertise — from coaching me through the recording process to editing, mastering, and distributing the finished product. Their patience, professionalism, and attention to detail were evident throughout the entire journey.
The final audiobook exceeded my expectations. The production quality is outstanding, and I couldn't be happier with the result. If you're an author considering turning your book into an audiobook, I highly recommend Jack and the .wav Enthusiast team. They made the experience enjoyable, stress-free, and truly first-class.”
— Farsheed Ferdowsi, author of Payroll Pioneer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Thank you Jack and .wav Enthusiast for all of your efforts to create my audiobook, BE THE CEO OF YOUR LIFE! Your attention to every detail, along with your exceptional customer service was impressive. If you are launching an audiobook, I highly, highly recommend Jack Heidelman and .wav Enthusiast!"
— Dan Leonardi, author of Be the CEO of Your Life ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Jack led me through the process of creating an audiobook from one of my most popular publications. He made the entire process easy. The result was incredibly professional — Jack and his team shepherded me through from start to finish, including distribution. I could not have done this on my own."
— Danny Creed, author of Champions Never Make Cold Calls ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Jack and his team were very professional and patient with me as a first-time author-narrator. The results felt natural and genuine — which is exactly what you hope for with your book."
— Donald Andres ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I loved working with Jack and team on the release of my audiobook RETHINK PHILANTHROPY: Breaking Rules, Raising Funds and Doing Good. Highly recommend."
— Sarah Ernest, author of RETHINK PHILANTHROPY ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ready to turn your book into an audiobook?
Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch within one business day to schedule your free consultation.
Have a quick question first? Email us at info@waventhusiast.com or call us at (909) 702-2280. Ask for Jack, our founder and head of audiobook production.
At the bottom of the page, you can check out a selection of the audiobook projects our team has produced.