PFH stands for per finished hour, the standard pricing unit for audiobook narration. You are paid for each hour of completed, edited audio in the final file, not for the longer hours spent recording and editing. A rate is quoted per finished hour and multiplied by the runtime to get the total fee.

How many words make one finished hour of audio?

Roughly 9,000 to 9,600 words equals one finished hour, based on a narration pace of about 150 to 160 words per minute. The exact figure shifts with genre, dialogue density and character work. This tool defaults to 9,300 and lets you change it to match your own measured pace.

Is royalty share or a flat fee better?

It depends on how well the title sells. A flat PFH fee is guaranteed and paid upfront, so it wins for unproven authors or slow genres. Royalty share has no ceiling and can exceed a flat fee for a popular series, but pays nothing if the book stalls. The calculator shows the exact sales break-even.

How is the royalty per copy calculated?

Multiply the retail price by the net royalty percentage (the share of the sale price that becomes royalties, 40% under ACX royalty share), then by your slice of that pool. For a 20 audiobook at 40% net with a 50/50 split, the narrator earns about 4 per unit. Promotions and library lending can change the effective figure.

Can I use this for non-ACX deals?

Yes. The percentages are editable, so you can model Findaway Voices, a direct-to-author contract or a custom split. Enter the retail price, the net royalty pool percentage for your platform and your personal share. If there is an upfront stipend, add it so it counts toward your guaranteed earnings.

Audiobook Royalty Share vs PFH Break-Even Calculator

When to use this calculator

If you narrate audiobooks — whether on ACX, Findaway Voices, or directly for an author — you regularly face one decision per title: take a guaranteed Per-Finished-Hour (PFH) fee, or gamble on a royalty share that pays a slice of sales for years. A flat fee is certain but capped; royalty share is unlimited but only pays off if the book actually sells. This tool turns that gut call into numbers: it estimates how many finished hours the manuscript will produce, what each path pays, and exactly how many copies must sell before royalty share overtakes the flat fee.

How to use it

Enter the word count of the manuscript (or switch the toggle and enter finished hours directly if you already know the runtime).
Adjust words per finished hour to your own narration pace if it differs from the default.
Put in your flat PFH rate, then the royalty-share terms: retail price, the net royalty percentage, and your share of it.
Enter an honest estimate of lifetime sales. The result shows which option wins at that volume and the exact break-even units.

How finished hours are estimated

Audio length is driven by reading pace. A typical narrator reads roughly 150–160 words per minute, which works out to about 9,000–9,600 words for one finished hour of polished audio. This calculator defaults to 9,300 words per finished hour and lets you edit it, because pace varies with genre, character work, and pickups. Finished hours = word count ÷ words-per-finished-hour. If you already have a runtime, enter it directly to skip the estimate.

How the break-even works

The flat-fee path pays rate × finished hours, once. The royalty path pays (retail price × net royalty % × your share %) per unit sold, plus any upfront stipend. Setting the two equal and solving for units gives the break-even: the sales figure where royalty share finally matches the guaranteed cheque. Below it, the flat fee earns more; above it, royalties pull ahead and keep climbing.

A worked example

An 80,000-word novel at 9,300 words/hour is about 8.6 finished hours. At a {ex} PFH rate the flat fee is roughly that times 8.6. If the book retails for around 20, pays a 40% net pool, and you keep half of it, you earn about 4 per copy — so it takes a few hundred sales to match the flat fee. Whether that is realistic is the real question, and only you can judge the title's audience.

Common mistakes

Over-counting words. Front matter, footnotes, and back matter inflate the count but may not all be narrated. Trim to what you will actually read.
Ignoring time value. Royalties trickle in over years; a flat fee is cash today. Treat large break-even numbers with healthy skepticism.
Assuming bestseller sales. Most independent audiobooks sell modestly. Use a conservative lifetime estimate, then check the upside separately.
Forgetting platform splits. The net royalty percentage already reflects the platform's cut; do not double-subtract it.

Frequently asked questions

What does PFH mean?: PFH stands for "per finished hour," the standard pricing unit for audiobook narration. You are paid for each hour of completed, edited audio in the final file — not for the hours you spend recording or editing, which are usually several times longer. A rate is quoted per finished hour and multiplied by the runtime to get the total fee.
How many words make one finished hour of audio?: Roughly 9,000 to 9,600 words equals one finished hour, based on a comfortable narration pace of about 150–160 words per minute. The exact figure shifts with genre, dialogue density, and how much character work or pacing variation the book demands. This tool defaults to 9,300 and lets you change it to match your own measured pace.
Is royalty share or a flat fee better?: It depends entirely on how well the title sells. A flat PFH fee is guaranteed and paid upfront, so it wins for unproven authors or slow genres. Royalty share has no ceiling and can far exceed a flat fee for a popular series, but pays nothing if the book stalls. This calculator shows the exact sales break-even so you can weigh certainty against upside.
How is the royalty per copy calculated?: Take the retail price, multiply by the net royalty percentage (the share of the sale price that becomes royalties — 40% under ACX royalty share), then multiply by your slice of that pool. For a 20 audiobook at 40% net with a 50/50 split, the narrator earns about 4 per unit. Promotions, bounties, and library lending can change the effective figure, so treat per-copy royalty as an estimate.
Can I use this for non-ACX deals?: Yes. The percentages are fully editable, so you can model Findaway Voices, a direct-to-author contract, or a custom split. Just enter the retail price, the net royalty pool percentage that applies to your platform, and your personal share. If there is also an upfront stipend (common in "royalty share plus" arrangements), add it so it counts toward your guaranteed earnings.

Method: finished hours = words ÷ words-per-finished-hour; royalty per unit = price × net% × your share%; break-even units = (PFH rate × hours − upfront) ÷ royalty per unit. Estimate for guidance only, not financial or contractual advice. Verify all rates against your actual contract.