1 Washington Park, Newark NJ 07102

Audible Studios:
India Full Production
Guidelines 2019

1
Quick Start Guide to India Full Productions
Pre-recording
 Studios, book prep is extremely important once narrators are cast. Narrators should read
the book in its entirety and reach out to you with any questions prior to recording.
 FOR details see Pre-recording section p. 6
Recording
 Audiobooks should be recorded in 16-bit / 44.1kHz mono WAV file format.
o The “punch record” method is generally used when recording.
o Make note of specific requirements for what should be included in recording.
o Watch out for and avoid common record mistakes.
o Pronunciations - any text in question must be researched and read correctly.
o No File Processing. DO NOT compress, gate, or use noise reduction/downward
expansion.
 FOR details see Recording section p. 7
Editing
 Once the audiobook has been recorded, it should be fully edited.
o The editor’s main objective is pacing.
o Always use Room Tone. Never leave silence or spaces of any kind.
o Requirements to note: file organization/length, spacing, breaths, mouth noise.
o No File Processing. DO volume (gain) adjust relative levels when necessary.
o Samples must be selected and delivered with the final retail-ready masters.
 FOR details see Editing section p. 11
Quality Control (QC)
 Once the audiobook has been edited, it should be fully QC’d (Quality Control pass).
o All errors must be corrected before final retail-ready masters are delivered.
 FOR details see Quality Control section p. 13
Mastering
 Once the audiobook has been edited and QC’d, it should be mastered.
o To make the audiobook levels louder and more even throughout is vital.
 Standard dynamic range required - audio should be peaking between -6
dB to -4 dB with an average RMS of -18 dB.
o EQ should be applied during mastering to make audio more pleasing to the ear.
 FOR details see Mastering and Delivery section p. 15
Delivery
 Mastered/Mixed audiobooks should be fully assembled into final retail-ready masters.
 FOR details see Title Credits and Assembly through Uploading Full Productions sections
p. 16 – 26
How to Invoice
 FOR details see How to Invoice section p. 44

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Table of Contents
I. Quick Start Guide to India Full Productions ............................................. 2
Pre-recording .................................................................................................................................... 2

Recording .......................................................................................................................................... 2

Editing................................................................................................................................................. 2

Quality Control (QC) ........................................................................................................................ 2

Mastering ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Delivery .............................................................................................................................................. 2

How to Invoice .................................................................................................................................. 2

II. Receiving India Full Productions ............................................................... 6

III. Pre-recording ............................................................................................. 6
Voicing – Character Voicing and Narration .................................................................. 6
First Person Point of View vs Third Person Point of View .............................................................. 6

IV. Recording ................................................................................................... 7

Format and Method – Punch Record ............................................................................. 7
Punch Record ................................................................................................................................... 7

Room Tone ........................................................................................................................................ 7

What to include in recording ......................................................................................................... 7

Title Credits ........................................................................................................................................ 8

Upsells ................................................................................................................................................. 8

Visual Aids – Referencing supplemental material in

audio/contacting Audible Studios ................................................................................................ 8

Common Mistakes ........................................................................................................................... 9

Pronunciations ................................................................................................................... 10
Pronunciation Resources ................................................................................................. 10
V. Editing........................................................................................................ 11
Organizing Files ............................................................................................................................... 11

Pacing .............................................................................................................................................. 11

Room Tone ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Breaths ............................................................................................................................................. 11

Spacing ............................................................................................................................................ 11
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 Clicks and Undesirable Mouth Sounds within Words ................................................................ 12

SAMPLE SELECTION ............................................................................................................ 12

VI. Quality Control ......................................................................................... 13
VII. Mastering and Delivery ........................................................................... 15
Mastering ............................................................................................................................ 15
Title Credits and Assembly ............................................................................................... 16
TITLE CREDITS.................................................................................................................................... 16

UPSELLS ............................................................................................................................................. 16

VISUAL AIDS ..................................................................................................................................... 16

SAMPLES ........................................................................................................................................... 16

FILE ASSEMBLY – Terminal VS Collection ...................................................................................... 16

Collection - Part Announcements (pi2 files) .............................................................................. 17

Music Mixing ....................................................................................................................... 17

Picking Music................................................................................................................................... 17

Mix Template ................................................................................................................................... 18

Mixed File Format ........................................................................................................................... 19

Labeling Files ...................................................................................................................... 19

Delivery ............................................................................................................................... 21
ENCODING ...................................................................................................................................... 21

PACKAGING and UPLOADING for Full Productions .................................................................. 21

PACKAGING and UPLOADING for Revised Full

Productions ..................................................................................................................................... 22

In the Event of a Delivery Delay ..................................................................................... 23

Upload Notices for India Full Productions ..................................................................... 24
Upload Notices for Revised India Full Productions ...................................................... 25
FTP CREDENTIALS ............................................................................................................... 26
Requesting Audible Studios FTP Credentials .............................................................................. 26

UPLOADING FULL PRODUCTIONS.................................................................................... 26

FileZilla Instructions for Audible Studios ....................................................................................... 26

Installation and Setup for PC and Mac ...................................................................................... 27

How to Upload files using FileZilla................................................................................................. 29

Operational Notes ......................................................................................................................... 29

VIII. Title Credits-Upsells: What to Record in General ................................... 30

Intro-Outro Title Credits ..................................................................................................... 30
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 Upsells .................................................................................................................................. 30
Visual Aids – Downloadable PDF .................................................................................... 30
How to reference supplemental material in audio .................................................................. 30

Contacting Audible Studios concerning visual aids................................................................. 30

Collection - Part Announcements (pi2 files) ................................................................. 31

IX. Credits/Intro-Outro Title Credits – Special Conditions .......................... 32
Executive Producers (Outro title credits only) .............................................................. 32
Producers (Outro title credits only) ................................................................................ 32
Product IDs ......................................................................................................................... 33
Language ........................................................................................................................... 33
Pseudonyms ....................................................................................................................... 33
Author reads ...................................................................................................................... 34
Multicast.............................................................................................................................. 34
Breakouts ............................................................................................................................ 34
Upsells .................................................................................................................................. 34
Please note the following ................................................................................................ 34
X. Upsell Guidelines – In Detail .................................................................... 34
The Golden Rule of Upsells .............................................................................................. 34
Datasheets ......................................................................................................................... 35
How to Add an Upsell ....................................................................................................... 35
UPSELL SCRIPT ..................................................................................................................... 36
Upsells and Full Productions............................................................................................. 36
Exceptions and Special Cases ........................................................................................ 36
 Upsell Tags .................................................................................................................... 36
Contact Information for Upsell Questions ..................................................................... 37
XI. Appendix .................................................................................................. 38
XII. Assembly/File Labeling – Further Details................................................ 38
File Labeling – Assembly Details ..................................................................................... 38
Part Announcements – Assembly Details ..................................................................... 40
XIII. Audible Original Productions .................................................................. 42
Audible Original Intro-Outro Title Credits....................................................................... 42
Audible Original’s File Labeling....................................................................................... 42
Labeling Files ................................................................................................................................... 42

XIV. How to Invoice ......................................................................................... 44

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Receiving India Full Productions
Audible Studios will expect to receive full retail ready audio when assigning Full Productions.

Retail ready audio means the following:

 Fully Edited
 Fully QC’ed (Quality Control pass)
 Fully Mastered
 Fully Assembled audio that is consumer ready

Details/requirements/quality standards are outlined in the guidelines.

Project assignments will be sent via email. The download link you receive will contain all the scripts
stated in the email, as well as a datasheet. The datasheet contains vital information regarding
each title, such as Product ID, Due Date, and other notes.

If at any time you feel a project may go over the approved rate, before proceeding any further,
you must contact and receive prior approval from Audible Studios for any additional costs.

NOTE: By default, Full Productions are due 30 days upon receipt. If this is not possible,
please let the Production Team know ASAP by replying all to the project delivery email
upon receipt.

(See also section ‘In the Event of a Delivery Delay’ p 23)

Pre-recording
 Studios, book prep is extremely important once narrators are cast.
o Narrators should read/prep the book in its entirety and reach out to you with any
questions prior to recording.

Voicing – Character Voicing and Narration

First Person Point of View vs Third Person Point of View

First Person Point of View - In general, unless otherwise requested, the Narrator/VO voices the
narrative in the same accent as the main character telling the story.
 Meaning, because the story is first person, it is being told from the point of view of the
main character. Therefore, if the main character has an accent (i.e. Regional Dialect or
another accent like Irish, American, Australian, etc.) generally the character’s dialogue
and narration should have the same accent.

Third Person Point of View - In general, unless otherwise requested, the Narrator/VO voices the
narrative in their own voice (narrator voice). For dialogue, the Narrator/VO will use their own
character voices, and will voice each character’s accent/voice as appropriate to the story.

If there are any questions please contact Audible Studios.

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Recording
In general, the audiobook read should be well-paced, easy to understand, and up to the same
professional industry standards found in other audiobooks. If you have not spent much time
listening to audiobooks, please do so before embarking on the labor-intensive process of narrating
and editing an audiobook.

Format and Method – Punch Record

Audiobooks should be recorded in 16-bit / 44.1kHz mono WAV file format. This is
considered CD quality.

Generally, audiobooks are recorded by using the “punch record” method:

Punch Record
When a mistake is made, go back to the previous sentence or break, and punch in (pick up the
read from where you left off). Be careful not to cut off breaths, as the recording should sound
clean, and any chopped audio will need to be fixed later. One of the main pros of using this
method is that it becomes much quicker to edit, since the book is already put together during
recording. One of the cons is that it takes a reasonable amount of audio production experience
to be able to “punch” cleanly and correctly to achieve this.

Room Tone
At least 30 seconds of clean room tone should be recorded at the end of every day of recording,
using the same settings that were used to record the narration. This is ‘dead air’, where only the
mic is recorded, by itself, capturing the ambience of the room. Later, this room tone is added
between sentences, and used to mask noises and adjust pacing in the edit.

What to include in recording

 Author Notes –
o Unless specifically asked to exclude, DO include author notes at the beginning of
the book.
o Unless specifically requested, DO NOT include author’s notes at the end of the
book unless they contain information absolutely essential to the audiobook.
 Unless specifically requested –
o DO NOT include dedications, acknowledgements, or footnotes. Introductions and
appendixes are not normally included, but if they contain information absolutely
essential to the audiobook include them.
 Unless specifically asked to exclude –
o DO include prefaces, forewords, and afterwords if the information within the text
is an essential part of the audiobook.

7
 NOTE: No File Processing. During the record process DO NOT compress, gate, or
use noise reduction. Never use downward expansion

Title Credits
Title Credits for the tops and tails of our audiobooks will be provided by you. These title credits go
at the very start and end of the audiobook. They should be attached to the first and last bodies
of the audiobook (not independent files). Refer to the section mentioned below for specific
instructions.

* Please refer to the Title Credits-Upsells (p30) and please use the provided Audible Studio India
Titles Templates.

Upsells
If the book contains an upsell (a promo ad for another audiobook), it should be included in the
last file of the audiobook. Refer to the section mentioned below for specific instructions.

* Please refer to the Title Credits-Upsells (p30) and please use the provided Audible Studio India
Titles Templates.

Visual Aids – Referencing supplemental material in audio/contacting Audible Studios

How to reference supplemental material in audio

Any references to items that would appear in a supplemental downloadable PDF or Visual Aid
should be read as they appear in the text, including any references to figure or chart numbers
(i.e. Figure 3.4).

 Text or captions within a table/chart/photo etc. should never be read, with the
exception of standalone text boxes or sidebars.
 If text contains visual references such as (as shown above) or (see below), please modify
to fit an audio-only format.

Contacting Audible Studios concerning visual aids

If the book includes references to graphs, charts, figures, etc. includes references to graphs, charts,
figures, etc. that are not described in detail in the text, a downloadable PDF is required. Please
contact Audible Studios to let us know a downloadable PDF is required.

NOTE: By default photographs, artwork, and illustrations are not included in downloadable PDFs
due to rights issues.

Please contact Audible Studios immediately IF: (please specify the situation in the email)

1. Figures found in the text are a combination of charts/graphs, photos, illustrations.

2. The text contains only photos or only illustrations that are vital to understanding the text.
3. Studio/narrator/editor is unsure whether or not a title requires a visual aid.

8
Once Audible Studios has been notified and confirmed a downloadable PDF is required, include
the following PDF announcement in the opening credits only with this verbiage:

“Visual Aids found in the print edition of this book are available to you as a downloadable PDF.
To access this file please click on the link on the product page where you purchased this title.
Thank you.”

* Please refer to the Title Credits-Upsells section (p30).

Common Mistakes
 Movement: Noises caused by the narrator moving around (this can be clothing, jewelry,
rustling papers, or rubbing against the chair, for example) should be avoided. These
sounds can take the listener ‘out of the element’, and ruin the experience.

 Plosives: Wind from the narrator’s mouth can often hit the mic too hard, and cause a
plosive. This is an unwanted pop which can occur on any word, but usually on ones that
start with the letter “P”. Plosives sound bad, and are distracting to the listener. If a plosive
occurs, the line should be re-read, while making adjustments to the position of the
narrator and/or force with which the word is read, so that no pop is audible.

 Audio Distortion: If the audio is too loud, it will distort. The level meter will usually show this
by displaying red, or indicating that you have gone over the ‘zero’ mark. Often, distortion
cannot be heard while playing back the audio within the software program that is being
used for recording, because there is built in ‘headroom’, which allows you to decrease
the volume of that part in the edit without having to re-record. But even if distortion is not
heard, if the level hits ‘zero’ (or goes into the red)’, it will distort once we encode the
book for Audible.com and iTunes. To avoid all distortion in the audiobook, the actual
level meter must be constantly monitored, keeping it below zero at all times.

 Continuity: Any part of the audiobook that requires consideration for continuity should be
treated with care, so that it remains consistent throughout. This can include distinct
character voices, accents, or alternate pronunciations. It’s always a good idea to add
markers during recording (or manually note the time) for anything that may need
continuity. This way, it’s easy to go back and see how it was read the first time. For
example, the narrator may give a minor character a child-like voice in chapter one, but
then forget what it sounded like when the character recurs later. In another example, the
narrator may choose how to read a word that has two dictionary-accepted
pronunciations. Later, if that word reappears in the text, it needs to be pronounced the
exact same way. Markers (or notation of the record time) make it easier to locate these
kind of things.

 Reading Too Fast: The narrator should read at a pace which can be followed by any
reasonable listener of audiobooks. A diverse group of people listen to audiobooks, and
many listeners will not be able to follow along if the narrator is reading too fast. A pace
which is too quick can also lead to skipping words, sentences, or paragraphs, which can
cause edit and QC time to take longer. (Please see the Editing Guidelines below for
more details on proper pacing, and how to know if it’s the correct speed.)
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Pronunciations
If pronunciations are not included, any text in question [people, places, terms (medical,
scientific, technical), etc.] must be researched and read with the correct pronunciations.

Pronunciation Resources
The following sites are great for pronunciation research:

Merriam Webster: http://www.m-w.com

Dictionary.com

Say How, the NLS key to pronunciation: http://www.loc.gov/nls/other/sayhow.html

Audio Eloquence, pronunciation, dialect and speech resources for narrators

Howjsay.com

Forvo.com

When researching the pronunciation of a person’s name, you can often go to YouTube and look
for an interview with the person or a reading or other video where they introduce themselves.

When looking for the pronunciation of a geographic location, you can often call the local library
or chamber of commerce and ask.

10
Editing
Once the audiobook has been recorded, it should be fully edited and QC’d, as follows:

Organizing Files
All books should be separated into chapters so that the editing process is facilitated by each file
starting at zero. The final edited master should contain the entire book broken up into divisions
called “bodies”. Each body is its own file (author notes, prologues, epilogues, chapters, etc.)
The maximum length of a body is 120 minutes. If a chapter/body exceeds that maximum length,
it should be divided into two bodies at a suitable point in the narration.

Pacing
Pacing is the editor’s art. Keeping the read natural sounding and flowing as well as preserving
and promoting the phrasing and dramatic intent of the reader and author, should be the
editor’s main objective. Nothing is more disturbing to the listening experience than an unnatural
presentation of words or phrases as well as the spaces between them. As a suggestion, sit back
at the start (and then, again, at the end) of the editing process, and simply listen to a few
minutes of the audiobook, while closing your eyes and asking, ‘is this moving too fast? Too
slowly? What pace feels right?

Room Tone
Always use Room Tone. Never leave silence or spaces of any kind.
Please listen carefully to the Room Tone and make sure it is free of all click, pops, and
background noise. All spaces between words, phrases and sentences should be void of clicks,
pops, smacks or any other sounds (stomach noises, car horns, etc.) and should be replaced
when necessary with Room Tone only.

Breaths
Breaths at the beginning of paragraphs should often be removed.
Preserve breaths unless it will disturb the flow of the phrase. More breaths should be removed in
an instructional read than a dramatic read. Breaths that seem “out of the element” of the
narration, should be cut. Breaths that feel natural should be left in.

Spacing
There should be exactly 500ms (0.5 seconds) at the head of each body, and exactly 3.5 seconds
at the tail. It is also recommended that there be exactly 2.5 seconds after the narrator
announces the chapter (“chapter x”), however, this may be adjusted to whatever pacing
sounds best for the read, as long as it remains consistent throughout. (The spacing at the head
and tail of the each body should not be adjusted and must always be 500ms and 3.5 seconds,
respectively.)

11
Clicks and Undesirable Mouth Sounds within Words
Remove as many clicks and undesirable mouth sounds from within words and phrases as time
will allow. A baseline production value should be established at the beginning of the edit that is
adhered to throughout the program. Care should be taken when fixing or removing any
undesirable sounds around or within words so that the end result actually sounds better.

No File Processing: DO NOT compress, gate, use noise reduction or change overall levels
without consultation. Never use any gates or downward expansion. This is against our policy
unless you have specifically consulted with us before using on a project. DO adjust relative
levels, when necessary, by simply adjusting the volume level (gain) of audio to match other
parts. If a chapter or section is noticeably lower in volume, you may raise or lower it to match
other parts of the audiobook.

SAMPLE SELECTION
Please select and include a “sample” snippet of audio from your final audiobook production
master. This should be a self-contained MP3 file body, chosen using the following guidelines:

 Please select a compelling sample that you feel will do a good job of selling the book.

 The sample should be anywhere from 2 minutes to 5 minutes long. However, if the total
running time (TRT) of the book is less than 15 minutes, please keep the sample 1 minute or
less.

 You may decide to cut the sample directly from the start of the book, as this is often the
best set-up and pulls you in to the rest of the book, but please do not include
announcements, such as “introduction” or “chapter 1.” The sample should start with
narration.

 If the book is erotic, please do your best to choose a “clean”, but romantic sample.

 Please include the sample when you submit the final masters. The sample should be
labeled like this: bk_adbl_000965_sample.mp3

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Quality Control

During QC, the editor reviews the edited material to detect and repair all errors.

QC: The process of Quality Control begins after the edit. When problems arise in the read that
cannot be readily repaired, such as omitted words or phrases, misreads etc., the editor should
note the chapter, time, and nature of the issue. Once mistakes are noted, they should be re-
read and fixed in the original audio files.

Re-records usually include misreads, omissions, mispronunciations, noises, and other errors that
could not be patched with Room Tone. All of this must be corrected and fixed before the edit is
considered ‘complete’.

For example Audible Studios will expect errors like the following to be flagged and corrected
before final retail ready masters are delivered:

 Audio Quality
o Noises that cannot be removed in editing
o Distortion
o Diction
o Plosives
 Misreads
 Incorrect Pronunciations
o To help facilitate the recording of corrections it is recommended that all flagged
pronunciation errors on the QC sheet should include how to correctly pronounce
the word either in phonetics and/or have a link to the correct audio
pronunciation.
 Inconsistent Pronunciations
o Consistent pronunciation of terms/names is vital throughout each book and/or
book series.
 Inconsistent Character Voicing
o Consistent voicing of Characters is vital throughout each book and/or book
series.
 Missing Audio

ETC.

A QC pack for the narrator should contain the following:

 QC Sheet: All errors should be noted. The QC sheet should be neat and legible.
o Please deliver in both Excel and PDF Formats

• Highlighted script pages: a copy of script pages (not the full, original script sent to you)
containing the requested corrections. The line with the mistake should be highlighted
along with the sentence before it and the sentence after it.
13
 o This marked script should contain full script pages for each page where an error
occurs.

• Reference Audio: A folder containing separate WAV files of each correction requested
from the original read. The files should be labeled as such:

“01_P12_BOOKTITLE.wav”
“02_P23_BOOKTITLE.wav”

NOTE: Please be sure to provide audio references that are long enough that the
narrator/engineer can use this audio to match tone, volume, emotion, character
voicing, etc.

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Mastering and Delivery

Once the book is fully edited and QC’d, it should be mastered. Mastering is the
process of adjusting the sound to make it more even and ‘listenable’.

Mastering
To make the audiobook levels louder and more even throughout is vital. Often, this process is
achieved by RMS normalization somewhere around -20db, or compression/limiting. Compression
should be applied with a fast attack and release, around a ratio of 3:1. A hard limiter may also
be used, and audiobooks are EQ’d during this time, to sweeten the sound and make it more
pleasing to the ear. Often, muddled low end and mid-range is cut to make the audiobook
sound more clear and smooth.

The following is the chain of mastering used in-house, at Audible, using Sony Sound Forge. This is
here as a reference only. Using these exact settings, even in Sound Forge, may distort the audio.
Please use your own judgment and ears to come up with a chain and settings that sound good
for the audiobook you are mastering.

A. Hard limit the audio with a threshold of ‐6.0 dB, the fastest attack possible, and release
at 500ms.

B. RMS Normalize (NOT peak normalize) the audio at ‐19 dB

C. Hard limit the audio with a threshold of ‐3.8 dB, the fastest attack possible, and release
at 500ms.

D. RMS Normalize (NOT peak normalize) the audio at ‐18 dB

E. Hard limit the audio with a threshold of ‐3.8 dB, the fastest attack possible, and release
at 500ms.

F. EQ

G. Apply Noise Reduction to bring the noise floor below -55 dB or better, without altering the
sound of the voice.

a. Please Note, we request that you utilize noise reduction that has the ability to
learn and selectively reduce noise, rather than a downward expander. The Noise
Floor should never in any circumstances be reduced to zero.

NOTE: The audio should be peaking between - 6 dB to - 4 dB as an average. Please do not over
compress or limit the book so that it’s too loud. We do not want audiobooks pinned at 0 dB, as a
music song might do. ‐6 or ‐4, with an RMS of ‐18 dB, is loud enough and our standard dynamic
range and level for original books created for Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

15
Title Credits and Assembly
TITLE CREDITS
See Title Credits-Upsells section (p30).

UPSELLS
See Title Credits-Upsells section (p30).

VISUAL AIDS
See Title Credits-Upsells section (p30).

SAMPLES
See in Editing section (p12).

FILE ASSEMBLY – Terminal VS Collection

This assembly has nothing to do with the structure of the book. This is for how the customer
will download the audio files from the store to their device.

NOTE 1: A book with a total running time of 12 hours or less is referred to as a ‘Terminal’ product and
does NOT need to be broken into multiple parts.
 However, a terminal cannot contain more than 99 bodies. If this situation should arise please
break the book up into two evenly split parts. (A Child and B Child)

NOTE 2: A book with a total running time over 12 hours is referred to as a ‘Collection’ product and will
need to be broken into multiple parts called “children”.

SEE APPENDIX – ASSEMBLY/FILE LABELING – FURTHER DETAILS SECTION p. 38

If the book is over 12 hours it is referred to as a collection. The book will need to divide into parts
called ‘children’.

As an example, a 14 hour book would be split into two parts/halves (called “A Child” and “B
Child”). Please split the book as evenly as possible in regard to running time.

EXAMPLE (For a 14 hour book)

o Total running time of the A Child = 7 hours
o Total running time of the B Child = 7 hours

Before the body that starts the second half, or “B Child”, there should be a separate file named,
as an example, bk_adbl_000000bin_rev1_pi2 containing an announcement for the new part.

NOTE each Child cannot exceed 12hrs. This means if a book is over 24 hours it will need to be
broken into 3 evenly split parts (“A Child”, “B Child”, “C Child”).

For every additional “Child”, another part announcement will be needed. (Please see section
on ‘Labeling files’ for file naming/assembly details)
 12+ hours = 2 parts/children, total running times evenly split
 24+ hours = 3 parts/children, total running times evenly split
 36+ hours = 4 parts/children, total running times evenly split
 48+ hours = 5 parts/children, total running times evenly split
 60+ hours = 6 parts/children, total running times evenly split

16
Collection - Part Announcements (pi2 files)
As mentioned, the part announcement file (pi2 file) is its own individual file. Please do not
combine this file with any other audio.

pi2 files announce to the listener that a new part of their audiobook is about to begin. (Please
see the pi2 file example below)

File name example: bk_adbl_000000bin_rev1_pi2.mp3

“And now, part 2 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by
Leland Palmer.”

File name example: bk_adbl_000000cin_rev1_pi2.mp3

“And now, part 3 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by
Leland Palmer.”

File name example: bk_adbl_000000din_rev1_pi2.mp3

“And now, part 4 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by
Leland Palmer.”

NOTE:
The “rev1” and “pi2” portion of the file names are indicators used by our encoders. These portions
should never be changed and must always be present in the file names.

Please make sure all files are labeled in lower-case.

SEE APPENDIX – ASSEMBLY/FILE LABELING – FURTHER DETAILS SECTION p. 38

Music Mixing
The book should contain a mix with music over the title credits at the top, and another at the
end. The book should open with music, followed immediately by the title credits (which are
underscored by the music). Once the title credits end, the music should continue and slowly
fade out to a conclusion at the start of the chapter.

At the end of the book, the music should begin within a couple seconds of the last line of the
text, underscoring the closing title credits. Following the title credits the music should come to a
“button”, fading out shortly thereafter. The music in both the tops and tails SHOULD NOT be
mixed into the book content, but should rather be stand-alone mixes for the opening and
closing title credits.

Picking Music

 Look up the genre, category and synopsis of the title, listening to the beginning and end
of the book, and choose from Music Selections in provided Categorized Music Folders

17
Mix Template
Intro Titles
Mix in appropriately with Intro title credits, and fade out just as the chapter begins

Outro Titles
No Upsell
Music should start a few seconds after the end of the final chapter and mix into the outro title
credits. Fade out at appropriate conclusion after title credits.

Outro Titles
Upsell
Music should start shortly after the first Upsell Line “This book is over, but the story continues…”.
Mix in appropriately with the outro title credits, and fade out at appropriate conclusion with
reverb at the start of the next upsell line “And now a free preview of…”

18
Mixed File Format

All mixes should be in stereo. The music files will be delivered to you in stereo.
All files – title credits and audiobook files should be stereo.

 Stereo Mixed Files: 320 kbps Stereo MP3

Labeling Files
The final Production Masters that you will need to deliver back to us should be labeled with a
“product ID” provided to you, following the example below. Even though the product ID is
uppercase in the excel sheet provided please make sure it is all lowercase when labeling the
audio. The files should remain divided by chapter, as indicated in the Editing Section.

NOTE 1: For International titles, the two letter country code (for India “in”) must be
present in all file names except for the sample file.

NOTE 2: The sample file should be labeled with the first 14 characters of the product ID
then _sample.

EXAMPLE: bk_adbl_000000_sample.mp3

SEE APPENDIX – ASSEMBLY/FILE LABELING - FURTHER DETAILS SECTION p. 38

For a book under 12 hrs (Terminal):

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s1b.mp3 (prologue)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s2b.mp3 (author note)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s4b.mp3 (chapter 2)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s5b.mp3 (chapter 3)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s6b.mp3 (epilogue)
bk_adbl_000620_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

19
For a book over 12 hrs (Collection):

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 (foreword)
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 2)

bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 3)
bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (epilogue)
bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (afterword)
bk_adbl_000577_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

For a book over 24 hrs (Collection):

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 2)
bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 3)

bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 4)
bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 5)
bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 6)

bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 7)
bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 8)
bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 9)
bk_adbl_001085_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

NOTE:
The “rev1” and “pi2” portion of the file names are indicators used by our encoders. These portions
should never be changed and must always be present in the file names.

Please make sure all files are labeled in lower-case as indicated above.

SEE APPENDIX – ASSEMBLY/FILE LABELING - FURTHER DETAILS SECTION p. 38

20
Delivery

ENCODING
All files should be delivered to Audible as 320 kbps Stereo MP3 files encoded in a constant bitrate
(CBR). Please be aware that we have been experiencing an MP3 bug where the very last few
words through to the end of the file are being cutoff in Sound Forge and our Encoders that
deliver audio to our website.

The codec that saves files as Fraunhofer IIS MP3 v04.01.02 and Fraunhofer IIS MP3 v04.00.03
seems to be the main culprit. We strongly recommend encoding with the LAME MP3 library,
freely available for download at lame.sourceforge.net. Please avoid encoding your files using
commercial audio playback software such as iTunes. iTunes 11 uses the codec that causes
truncation.

PACKAGING and UPLOADING for Full Productions

All completed audiobooks should be delivered as a non-encrypted zip file. Please do not use
your operating system’s stock zip packaging utility, as these built-in features are known to be
unreliable. We recommend the use of WinZip for Windows computers, and StuffIt Expander for
Macintosh computers. Please observe the following file structure when creating your zip file:

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE].zip [zip file]

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE] [folder]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 [audio files]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s2b.mp3
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s3b.mp3, etc.

Example:

21
PACKAGING and UPLOADING for Revised Full Productions
Please upload revised audiobooks using the same method as above. Please ensure the audio
file names are correctly labeled the exact same way as the original audio files. The Folder and
Zip file name is the only place that should include the word “-revised”, “_revised”, etc. Please
observe the following file structure when creating your zip file:

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE]_revised.zip [zip file]

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE]_revised [folder]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 [audio files]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s2b.mp3
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s3b.mp3, etc.

Example:

← contains revised audio

Note: Audible Studios reserves the right to 2nd QC full productions at any time. If errors
are flagged and corrections are found to be essential, Audible Studios will reach out
for required revisions.

IF you are re-uploading due to 2nd QC corrections/revisions please ensure the audio file names
are correctly labeled the exact same way as the original audio files. The Folder and Zip file
name is the only place that should include the word “-2ND QC revised”, “_2ND QC revised”, etc.
Please observe the following file structure when creating your zip file:

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE]_2ND QC revised.zip [zip file]

bk_adbl_000577in [BOOK TITLE]_2ND QC revised [folder]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 [audio files]

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s2b.mp3
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s3b.mp3, etc.
22
In the Event of a Delivery Delay
If there are delays to uploading final audio by Due Date (ET) here are the steps to follow:

If final audio will not be uploaded by Due Date (ET):

The studio will email audibledeliveries@amazon.com and CC tiwarner@audible.com,

thomman@audible.com, husshoa@audible.com every time, if the studio expects there to be
delays to final audio upload. Please mark email with high importance.

Subject line in this format:

DELIVERY DELAY: Product ID, Book Title, Description

Product ID for Subject Line: bk_adbl_000577in

Example Subject: DELIVERY DELAY: bk_adbl_000577in, It All Adds Up, IND Full Production

Include the following information in the body of the email:

Example email body:

Due to [reason for delay] the final production masters for [list the product ID/Book Title that will
not upload in time] will not be uploaded by Due Date (ET).

These files will be uploaded by [Time (ET)]

NOTE 1: If assigned a full production and studio is not able to accommodate the required 30 day
turnaround please reply all to the delivery email upon receipt.
(See section ‘Receiving India Full Productions’ p 6)

NOTE 2: If the due date is agreed upon but later on in the production it is discovered there will be
severe delays (i.e. due to re-casting, narrator out sick, etc.) please send a ‘DELIVERY DELAY’
notification as seen above immediately.

23
Upload Notices for India Full Productions
Email audibledeliveries@amazon.com and CC tiwarner@audible.com, thomman@audible.com,
husshoa@audible.com every time you upload content to us, with the subject line in this format:

UPLOADED: Product ID, Book Title, Description

Product IDs: bk_adbl_xxxxxxin

Description for Subject Line:

IND Full Production = you recorded, edited, corrected, QC’d and mastered the product

Example Subject: UPLOADED: bk_adbl_000577in, It All Adds Up, IND Full Production

Include the following information in the body of the email for IND full production masters: (Please
copy/paste this and fill in the fields as necessary)

Example email body:

Name of the Book: [BOOK TITLE]

Product ID: bk_adbl_000577in
Narrator: [narrator name(s)]
Narrator Pseudonym: [list Narrator’s pseudonym if applicable.]
Total Running Time: 12:07:36
Total Number of Parts: 2
Number of bodies: 7 in part a, 5 in part b
Number of chapters: [Chapters/sections, etc.]
Example: Introduction, Chapters 1- 10, Epilogue
Production Notes: [Any notes to flag for Audible Studios? Script call outs, approved production
notes from producer/director, etc.]
International Productions: IND

Due to the volume of files we receive on a daily basis, we will only respond to your delivery notice if
there is an error.

24
Upload Notices for Revised India Full Productions
Email audibledeliveries@amazon.com and CC tiwarner@audible.com, thomman@audible.com,
husshoa@audible.com every time you upload revised content to us, with the subject line in this
format:

UPLOADED: Product ID, Book Title, Descriptions

Product IDs: bk_adbl_xxxxxxin

Descriptions for Subject Line:

IND Full Production - Revised = you are sending corrections/revised audio.

IND Full Production – 2nd QC Revisions = due to 2nd QC, you are sending corrected/revised audio.

Include the following information in the email subject header/body of the email for revised IND full
production masters. Please also note in the email body the reason for re-uploading: (Please
copy/paste the appropriate notice below and fill in the fields as necessary)

EXAMPLE Subject: UPLOADED: bk_adbl_000577in, It All Adds Up, IND Full Production - Revised

EXAMPLE email body:

Reason for re-uploading: [i.e. Corrected – audio dropouts, missing files, file format, etc.]
Name of the Book: [BOOK TITLE]
Product ID: bk_adbl_000577in
Narrator: [narrator name(s)]
Narrator Pseudonym: [list Narrator’s pseudonym if applicable.]
Total Running Time: 12:07:36
Total Number of Parts: 2
Number of bodies: 7 in part a, 5 in part b
Number of chapters: [Chapters/sections, etc.]
Example: Introduction, Chapters 1- 10, Epilogue
Production Notes: [Any notes to flag for Audible Studios? Were any requested corrections
skipped? IF YES, please call out what was skipped and why.]
International Productions: IND

-------------------------

Note: Audible Studios reserves the right to 2nd QC full productions at any time. If errors
are flagged and corrections are found to be essential, Audible Studios will reach out
for required revisions.

EXAMPLE Subject: UPLOADED: bk_adbl_000577in, It All Adds Up, IND Full Production – 2nd QC
Revisions

EXAMPLE email body:

Reason for re-uploading: Corrections after 2nd QC

Name of the Book: [BOOK TITLE]
Product ID: bk_adbl_000577in
Narrator: [narrator name(s)]
25
Narrator Pseudonym: [list Narrator’s pseudonym if applicable.]
Total Running Time: 12:07:36
Total Number of Parts: 2
Number of bodies: 7 in part a, 5 in part b
Number of chapters: [Chapters/sections, etc.]
Example: Introduction, Chapters 1- 10, Epilogue
Production Notes: [Any notes to flag for Audible Studios? Were any requested corrections
skipped? IF YES, please call out what was skipped and why.]
 For example:
o Typo – narrator/studio fixed a typo. Pickup/error # [ ] is/are fine as is.
o Script Call Outs – Repeated pages in scripts – page #s [ ]. Pickup/error # [ ]
is/are fine as is.
o Character Voice – voicing is correct. Pickup/error # [ ] is/are fine as is.
o Pronunciations – pronunciation is correct within the context of the script/region
dialect. Pickup/error # [ ] is/are fine as is.
o Producer/Director Notes – during recording producer/director approved
change. Pickup/error # [ ] is/are fine as is.
International Productions: IND

FTP CREDENTIALS

Requesting Audible Studios FTP Credentials

Please request Audible Studios FTP credentials by emailing studiosFTPrequest@audible.com

You will receive FTP credentials within 2 Business Days.

You will receive an email containing the following pertinent information:

 Host: sftp://dar.amazon-digital-ftp.com
 Username: from_youruniquestudioname_ftp
 Password: S@mpl3p@ssw0rd
 Port: 22

As a reminder, it is of the utmost importance that you notify

audibledeliveries@amazon.com any time you upload content to Audible Studios.

UPLOADING FULL PRODUCTIONS

FileZilla Instructions for Audible Studios
The final zip file should be uploaded to your Audible FTP folder. Please follow the FTP guidelines
below for complete FTP and uploading information.

For delivering files to Audible Studios we must ask you to upload via File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
Our FTP system is for inbound transfers only, but other than that it functions in a traditional
manner.
26
Installation and Setup for PC and Mac
We have had a lot of success using FileZilla as a free FTP solution. You can download the PC or
Mac version by visiting https://filezilla-project.org/ and then choosing Client (not Server).

After you download, install and open the program you’ll need the unique credentials supplied
by email. Go up to File > Site Manager.

1) Click New Site and name it Audible Studios.

2) Copy/paste the Host name from your email. It will be sftp://dar.amazon-digital-ftp.com
3) Put 22 as the Port number.
4) Choose Normal for Logon Type.
5) Copy/paste your User and Password from your email.

The Site Manager window will now look like this:

27
Click OK to save this connection information.

Now you can open your new connection by returning to the Site Manager, selecting Audible
Studios, and clicking Connect. The first time you do this, FileZilla may ask you if you “trust” the
connection and wish to continue. You do. Click OK.

A happy, successful connection will look much like this:

As a reminder, it is of the utmost importance that you notify

audibledeliveries@amazon.com any time you upload something to Audible Studios.

28
How to Upload files using FileZilla
To upload files, you can simply drag-and-drop them into the Destination area –OR– navigate to
them in the Source area, right-click the desired file and choose Upload.

Operational Notes
The Status area displays connection and activity information. The Queue area shows files as
they’re being transferred and lets you check on their success or failure.

After our FTP server detects that your upload is complete, it will automatically move the files to
an encrypted cloud storage space. This means you may see your files disappear from the
Destination area after a few minutes. This is normal.

As a reminder, once the upload has finished, send an email notification to

audibledeliveries@amazon.com indicating that the full production audiobook has been
completed. Remember to include all relevant information (such as body/chapter counts,
narrator name/pseudonym, total record time, etc.) about the audiobook in the body of your
email.
29
Title Credits-Upsells: What to Record in General
Intro-Outro Title Credits
Title credits for the tops and tails of our audiobooks will be provided by you. These title credits go
at the very start and end of the audiobook. They should be attached to the first and last bodies
of the audiobook (not independent files). Refer to the provided Audible Studio Title Credit
Templates and section on Intro-Outro Title Credits – Special Conditions.

Upsells
If the book contains an upsell (a promo ad for another audiobook), it should be included in the
last file of the audiobook. Refer to the guidelines mentioned below for specific instructions.

See the Upsell Guidelines – In Detail section for instructions on:

 Upsells
 Upsell Tags
 Upsells for Novellas and Companion Novels

Visual Aids – Downloadable PDF

How to reference supplemental material in audio

Any references to items that would appear in a supplemental downloadable PDF or Visual Aid
should be read as they appear in the text, including any references to figure or chart numbers
(i.e. Figure 3.4).

 Text or captions within a table/chart/photo etc. should never be read, with the
exception of standalone text boxes or sidebars.
 If text contains visual references such as (as shown above) or (see below), please modify
to fit an audio-only format.

Contacting Audible Studios concerning visual aids

If the book includes references to graphs, charts, figures, etc. that are not described in detail in
the text, a downloadable PDF is required. Please contact Audible Studios to let us know a
downloadable PDF is required.

NOTE: By default photographs, artwork, and illustrations are not included in downloadable PDFs due
to rights issues.

Please contact Audible Studios immediately IF: (please specify the situation in the email)

1. Figures found in the text are a combination of charts/graphs, photos, illustrations.

30
2. The text contains only photos or only illustrations that are vital to understanding the text.
3. Studio/narrator/editor is unsure whether or not a title requires a visual aid.

Once Audible Studios has been notified and confirmed a downloadable PDF is required, include
the following PDF announcement in the opening credits only with this verbiage:

“Visual Aids found in the print edition of this book are available to you as a downloadable PDF.
To access this file please click on the link on the product page where you purchased this title.
Thank you.”

Example:

Audible Studios presents:

The Five Keys to Mindful Communication
Written by,
Susan Gillis Chapman
Performed by,
Jane Smith

[pause]

“Visual Aids found in the print edition of this book are available to you as a downloadable PDF.
To access this file please click on the link on the product page where you purchased this title.
Thank you.”

[audiobook begins]

Collection - Part Announcements (pi2 files)

NOTE: Please see ‘FILE ASSEMBLY – Terminal VS Collection’ section for details.

If the book is over 12 hours it is referred to as a collection. The book will need to divide into parts
called ‘children’.

Before the body that starts the second half, or “B Child”, there should be a separate file named,
as an example, bk_adbl_000000bin_rev1_pi2 containing an announcement for the new part.

NOTE each Child cannot exceed 12hrs. This means if a book is over 24 hours it will need to be
broken into 3 evenly split parts (“A Child”, “B Child”, “C Child”).

For every additional “Child”, another part announcement will be needed. (Please see section
on ‘Labeling files’ for file naming/assembly details)

As mentioned above, the part announcement file (pi2 file) is its own individual file. Please do not
combine this file with any other audio.

pi2 files announce to the listener that a new part of their audiobook is about to begin.

File name example: bk_adbl_000000bin_rev1_pi2.mp3

“And now, part 2 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by Leland
Palmer.”
31
File name example: bk_adbl_000000cin_rev1_pi2.mp3
“And now, part 3 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by Leland
Palmer.”

File name example: bk_adbl_000000din_rev1_pi2.mp3

“And now, part 4 of Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and performed by
Leland Palmer.”

For Part Announcements please do not record subtitles. Only the main book title should be read.

Credits/Intro-Outro Title Credits – Special Conditions

Please check the following list of special case titles.

Executive Producers (Outro title credits only)

 All books should include an Executive Producer credit. The data sheets that list projects
assignments contains the Executive Producer column. Please be sure to check this
column before recording Outro title credits.
 Executive Producers will always include a) Mike Charzuk, and b) the individual listed in
the “Executive Producer” column

Executive Producer Pronunciations:

 Mike Charzuk [CHAR-zuck]

 Rena Ayer [AIR]
 Hannah Birenz [buhr-ENZ] (rhymes with “her friends”)
 Heidi Blauvelt [BLAW-velt] (blaw = rhymes with slaw) (velt = rhymes with felt)
 Pablo Bonne [BOH-NAY] oh = toe
 Ari Fox [AR-ee]
 Laura Gachko [LOW-ruh GACH-koh] ow = pow, oh = toe, gach = rhymes with catch
 Christina Harcar [HAR-car]
 Lee Jarit [JAIR-it]
 Kristin Lang [LANG] (rhymes with BANG)
 Paulo Lemgruber [POW-loh LEM-groober] ow = pow
 Ryan Macgavin [MAK GA-vin] A = “cat”
 Sean McManus [mic-MAN-us]
 Laura Michaels [LOR-uh]
 Nicole Op Den Bosch [OP-DEN-BAHSH] AH = father
 Henna Silvennoinen [HEN-na SIL-venn-NOY-nen]
 Liz Skoler [SKOH-ler] rhymes with molar (as in teeth)

Producers (Outro title credits only)

 All books should include a Producer credit. The data sheets that list projects assignments
contains the Producer column. Please be sure to check this column before recording
Outro title credits.

32
  Producers will always include the individual listed in the “Producer” column
 Exception – if either of the below two occur, the title credits can omit the “Producer”
credit and only include the “Executive Producers” credit:
o Mike Charzuk is listed as the “Producer”
o The “Producer” field is blank

Producer Pronunciations:

 Neil Baczek [BAY-zik]

 Samantha Chan [CHAN] A = apple
 Bruce Kitovich [kih-TOE-vich]
 Kat Lambrix [LAM-brix] A = apple
 Martha Little [LITT-el]
 Chealsea Pita [CHELL-see PEE-tuh]
 Tim Warner [WOR-ner] OR = for
 Chris Sacco [SA-coh] A = apple

Product IDs
 All or_orig product IDs use the Audible Originals Title Credit Template unless otherwise
specified by Audible Studios.

See Appendix for Audible Original Productions Intro/Outro title credit instructions.

Language
 The data sheets that list projects assignments contain a Language column. Please be
sure to check this column before recording title credits. The language noted in the
column will indicate which Audible Studios Title Credit template should be used for the
project.
o Language column notes ‘English’ –
 If the book is in English, please use the corresponding Audible Studios
English Title Credit Templates
o Language column notes ‘Hindi’ or ‘Tamil’ –
 If the book is in Hindi or Tamil, please use the corresponding Audible
Studios Hindi or Tamil Title Credit Templates

Please make sure the accent on the Title Credits is consistent with the narration accent of the book.

Pseudonyms
 If a narrator wishes to use a pseudonym please be sure the title credits contain their
chosen pseudonym.

33
Author reads
 Change the script from "Written by” & “Performed by" to "Written and performed by"

Multicast
 We will provide title credits for large multicast titles

Breakouts
 These are special cases, where one book is released as several products. Each breakout
will be given its own product ID and will be treated as an individual product that will
require intro-outro titles. The intro-outro titles for these will use the same Audible Studios
title credit script used for regular titles.

The new product names are often derived from chapter titles and are likely to have character
names and the like in them, so consider asking the book's original narrator to do them for
ease/consistency of pronunciation.

Upsells
 All consecutively numbered ADBL titles within a series, novellas, and companion novels
must include an upsell/upsell tag.

See the Upsell Guidelines – In Detail section for instructions on:

 Upsells
 Upsell Tags
 Upsells for Novellas and Companion Novels

Please note the following

 Title credits do not have to be read by the same narrator.

 Please be aware of pronunciations for all title credits, most notably any sci-fi books that
might have unique names and locations. Please make sure these unique names and
locations match what is said within the audiobook.

Upsell Guidelines – In Detail

Q: What are upsells?

A: An upsell is a simple addition at the end of a series book, where the listener is made aware of
the next book in the series and is offered a 30 minute sample of that book.

The Golden Rule of Upsells

All ADBL series books followed by another (continuously numbered) book in the same series get
an upsell. Only ADBL series books require them.
34
Examples:
 We have books 1-3.
Upsells go on 1 and 2. Book 3 is not followed by another book.
 We have books 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Upsells go on books 1-3 and 7-9. Book 4 is not followed by a continuously numbered book
and book 10 is not followed by another book.
 We have books 2-14.
Upsells go on books 2-13. Book 14 is not followed by another book.

Datasheets
There are two fields on your datasheet that can be referenced. However, the datasheets are
not the definitive answer on whether or not an upsell/upsell tag is required. The Upsell Guidelines
provided here are the final answer and should always be utilized when determining if an ADBL
series requires upsells/upsell tags.

The two fields to reference on the datasheets are:

 Upsell – True/False field

 Upsell Type – Two types
 Full Upsell with 30 minute preview
 Upsell Tag

If there is an ADBL series on your datasheet and the two Upsell columns are blank, please use the
Upsell Guidelines to determine whether or not an upsell/upsell tag is required.

How to Add an Upsell

1) Whenever a series book is complete, hold it until the next book is recorded.

2) When the next book in the series is available, cut an approximately 30 minute sample of the
next book, starting at the beginning of chapter 1, or the prologue if applicable. Choose a
logical stopping point, such as the end of a paragraph or – if possible – a section.

3) Please record the additional upsell narration below (see UPSELL SCRIPT below).

4) Edit the upsell narration and 30 minute sample into the end of the book as indicated by the
information in brackets [ ] on the upsell script below. Unless the file exceeds 2hrs, the entire upsell
should be part of the last file of the book.

35
UPSELL SCRIPT

[end of book]

This book is over but the story continues. Keep listening after the credits to hear the beginning of
[name of next book], book [#x] in the [name of series] series, free.

[outro title credits go here]

And now, a free preview of [name of next book], book [#x] in the [name of series] series.

[approx. 30 minute sample of book goes here]

We hope you enjoyed this free preview of [name of next book], book [#x] in the [name of series]
series. To keep the story going, get the complete book today.

Upsells and Full Productions

Studios are responsible for holding series books until the next one is recorded and delivering with
upsells. If a book is delivered without an expected upsell, it is considered an error. If a series is
delivered to your studio for full production and is not listed as an upsell within the datasheet,
please refer to the upsell guidelines.

Exceptions and Special Cases

Very occasionally we have a series in name only. The content is not continuous from book to
book – meaning elements like character, setting and plotline do not carry over. This is especially
true for non-fiction. For example, we would not upsell books in the “For Dummies” series. In this
case we would not use upsells, but it is a good practice to confirm briefly with Audible Studios by
email.

 Upsell Tags

o If a series is not numbered, nor a part of a continuous storyline but takes place
within the same universe, omit the 30 minute preview and add the following tag
to the end of the book:

“If you enjoyed this audiobook, be sure to get more books in the [name of series]
series today.”

 Upsells for Novellas and Companion Novels

o A Novella is a short book in a long series, while a companion novel is a full-sized

novel that happens to be about a side-character or something else not related
to the main story.

36
 o Novella’s are identified by odd series numbering like: Book "0" or "1.5"

A novella upsell is different from a regular series upsell, omit the 30 minute preview
and add the following tag to the end of the title credits script:

"If you enjoyed this audiobook, be sure to get more books in the [name of series]
series today."

o If one of these books serves as a prequel/intro to the series, upsell book 1 on it

with a full upsell. Otherwise, omit the 30 minute preview and add the standard
novella tag to the end of the title credits script.

Contact Information for Upsell Questions

If you have any question at all about an upsells/upsell tags, email John
(johdracy@audible.com), Thomas (thomman@audible.com) and Joe (dellaqui@audible.com)
and CC Post Managers (postmanagers@audible.com) and Sam (samachan@audible.com). We
will get back to you right away.

37
Appendix

Assembly/File Labeling – Further Details

File Labeling – Assembly Details
File labeling is a requirement. File labeling is an important part of final assembly and is integral to
having audio encoded/exported correctly to the online store for customer download.

NOTE 1: For International titles, the two letter country code (for India “in”) must be
present in all file names except for the sample file.

NOTE 2: The sample file should be labeled with the first 14 characters of the product ID
then _sample.

EXAMPLE: bk_adbl_000000_sample.mp3

EXAMPLES -

NOTE: Even though the product ID is uppercase in the excel sheet provided please make sure it
is all lowercase when labeling the audio. The files should remain divided by chapter, as
indicated in the Editing Section. The “rev1” and “pi2” portion of the file names are indicators
used by our encoders. These portions should never be changed and must always be present in
the file names.

A book with a total running time of 12 hours or less is referred to as a ‘Terminal’ product and does
NOT need to be broken into multiple parts.

For a book under 12 hrs (Terminal):

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s1b.mp3 (prologue)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s2b.mp3 (author note)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s4b.mp3 (chapter 2)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s5b.mp3 (chapter 3)
bk_adbl_000620in_rev1_s6b.mp3 (epilogue)
bk_adbl_000620_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

38
A book with a total running time over 12 hours is referred to as a ‘Collection’ product and will
need to be broken into multiple parts called “children”.

For a book over 12 hrs (Collection):

Final retail-ready masters will need to be assembled into two evenly split parts (“A Child” and “B
Child”).

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 (foreword)
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_000577ain_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 2)

bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 3)
bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (epilogue)
bk_adbl_000577bin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (afterword)
bk_adbl_000577_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

For a book over 24 hrs (Collection):

Final retail-ready masters will need to be assembled into three evenly split parts (“A Child”,
“B Child”, and “C Child”).

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 1)
bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 2)
bk_adbl_001085ain_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 3)

bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 4)
bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 5)
bk_adbl_001085bin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 6)

bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_pi2.mp3 This is a special file name for the part announcement

bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (chapter 7)
bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (chapter 8)
bk_adbl_001085cin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (chapter 9)
bk_adbl_001085_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers)

39
Part Announcements – Assembly Details
Part announcements are a requirement, regardless of whether or not there are “part headers” in
the manuscript. Part announcements are for final assembly and have to do with how customers
download content from the online store.

With books that are over 12 hours, the different children end up being separate downloads in a
customer’s library. When a customer downloads multiple parts in their library each part is
announced by the part announcements we ask to have recorded.

See the screen shot below of what a download looks like for a customer in the Audible store:

For example purposes let’s say the total runtime of a book is 14 hours and it contains “part
headers”. Here is an example of how to assemble the final retail-ready masters (full production)
as a collection:

EXAMPLE:

***The parentheses are there for informational purposes only.***

bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s1b.mp3 (Prologue: Marie Antoinette (spirit))

bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s2b.mp3 (Part I: Our Lady of Victories/Chapter 1: My new life begins)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s3b.mp3 (Chapter 2: I break the news to my family & friends)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s4b.mp3 (Chapter 3: In which the past continues to haunt me)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s5b.mp3 (Chapter 4: In which I learn the Facts of Life)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s6b.mp3 (Chapter 5: In which I finally depart)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s7b.mp3 (Part II: La Regina/Chapter 6: I join the Liberator of Italy)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s8b.mp3 (Chapter 7: In which I learn about war)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s9b.mp3 (Chapter 8: In which I am surrounded by Bonapartes)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s10b.mp3 (Chapter 9: In which I receive shocking news)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s11b.mp3 (Part III: Profiteer/Chapter 10: Problems await me at home)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s12b.mp3 (Chapter 11: In which I become involved in intrigues)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s13b.mp3 (Chapter 12: In which I am accused)
bk_adbl_031182ain_rev1_s14b.mp3 (Chapter 13: In which I must stay behind)
Total Running Time for Part A (“Child A”) = 7 hours

40
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_pi2.mp3 • this is a special file name for the “Part” announcement

bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s1b.mp3 (Part IV: Lobbyist/Chapter 14: In which I very nearly die)

bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s2b.mp3 (Chapter 15: In which victories are followed by defeat)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s3b.mp3 (Chapter 16: In which I have enemies everywhere)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s4b.mp3 (Chapter 17: In which I retreat)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s5b.mp3 (Chapter 18: In which I am forgiven (& forgive)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s6b.mp3 (Part V: Conspirator/Chapter 19: In which Eugène is healed)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s7b.mp3 (Chapter 20: In which I must make a choice)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s8b.mp3 (Chapter 21: In which we have “a day” (or two))
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s9b.mp3 (Part VI: Angel of Mercy/Chapter 22: I must live in a palace)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s10b.mp3 (Chapter 23: I must sleep in Marie Antoinette’s bed)
bk_adbl_031182bin_rev1_s11b.mp3 (Chapter 24: In which I am called Angel of Mercy)
Total Running Time for Part B (“Child B”) = 7 hours

Total Running Time of Book = 14 hours

bk_adbl_031182_sample.mp3 (5 min or less clip of audiobook without chapter headers. This

sample is made available to customers in the online store.)

41
Audible Original Productions

Unless otherwise specified, please follow the Audible Studios INDIA Full Production Guidelines
2019 for recording, editing/QC, mastering, samples, and assembly. FOR delivery, please deliver
.WAV masters, NOT MP3s.
 16 bit 44.1 kHz mono .WAV for books without music/SFX.
 16 bit 44.1 kHz stereo .WAV for books with music/SFX.

Audible Original Intro-Outro Title Credits

NOTE: Project assignments identified as Audible Originals and/or with an OR_ORIG

product ID pre-fix will require specific Intro-Outro Title Credits.

Please use only the provided Audible Original Intro-Outro Title Credit Template provided.

If an Audible Original Intro-Outro Title Credit template has not been provided, please reach out
to the Audible Studios team immediately with Post Managers CC’d
(postmanagers@audible.com).

Audible Original’s File Labeling

Labeling Files
The final Production Masters that you will need to deliver back to us should be labeled with a
“product ID” provided to you, following the example below. Even though the product ID is
uppercase in the excel sheet provided please make sure it is all lowercase when labeling the
audio. The files should remain divided by chapter, as indicated in the Editing Section.

For a book under 12 hrs (Terminal):

or_orig_000620in_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_000620in_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_000620in_rev1_s3b.wav
or_orig_000620in_rev1_s4b.wav
or_orig_000620_sample.wav

For a book over 12 hrs (Collection):

or_orig_000577ain_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_000577ain_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_000577ain_rev1_s3b.wav

or_orig_000577bin_rev1_pi2.wav This is a special file name for the part announcement

or_orig_000577bin_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_000577bin_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_000577bin_rev1_s3b.wav
or_orig_000577_sample.wav
42
For a book over 24 hrs (Collection):
or_orig_001085ain_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_001085ain_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_001085ain_rev1_s3b.wav

or_orig_001085bin_rev1_pi2.wav This is a special file name for the part announcement

or_orig_001085bin_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_001085bin_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_001085bin_rev1_s3b.wav

or_orig_001085cin_rev1_pi2.wav This is a special file name for the part announcement

or_orig_001085cin_rev1_s1b.wav
or_orig_001085cin_rev1_s2b.wav
or_orig_001085cin_rev1_s3b.wav
or_orig_001085_sample.wav

NOTE:
The “rev1” and “pi2” portion of the file names are indicators used by our encoders. These portions
should never be changed and must always be present in the file names.

Please make sure all files are labeled in lower-case as indicated above.

43
How to Invoice

Unless otherwise specified, it is the studio’s responsibility to invoice for all completed work.

Invoices should be sent as an attachment via email to the following recipients:

TO: audsg-accountspayable@audible.com
CC:
o Lavina Tan, tlavina@audible.com
o Joyce Liang, joyliang@audible.com
o Timothy Warner, tiwarner@audible.com
o Shoa Hussain, husshoa@audible.com

The following information should be included on every invoice every time:

 Audible’s Accounts Payable Singapore Address –

TO: Audible Singapore Pte Ltd

One George Street
Level 9
Singapore 049145
audsg-accountspayable@audible.com

 Address studio wishes payment to be mailed to.

 Date –
o Date invoice submitted.

 Payment Terms –
o Net 30

 Invoice Number –
o Each invoice should have its own individual number for easy reference/tracking.
 This can be based on whatever invoicing system you utilize.

 Product ID(s) –
o Provided to you by Audible Studios at the time of project assignment.
 Example: bk_adbl_000001

 Project Title(s) –
o Usually the main book title.

 Total Run Time(s) (TRT) –

o In finished hours.

 Rate –
o Per finished hour.

 Amount –
o Sub-total per project.

 Total Due –
o Sum of Amounts
44