Spokenworld Audio is the new home for audio fans of all ages…a safe-haven for forgotten and ignored audio…a commissioner of new audio productions and unknown authors…and your one-stop shop for independently-published audiobooks! We are passionate about audio and you are invited to join us…as a listener, as a contributor and as a creative partner. Owned and run by multi-award winning audiobook producer/narrator Neil Gardner, Spokenworld Audio works in partnership with authors and independent publishers to bring a wide variety of amazing audio adventures to life.
Spokenworld Audio was formed in 2010 and is wholly owned by Ladbroke Audio Limited. It is run by:
Neil Gardner has worked in professional radio for 26 years, starting in local BBC and commercial radio as a technician and working his way up to programme controller. He has worked in local, regional, national and international radio stations, has engineered, presented, produced and programmed at all levels. He is an award-winning radio writer & director, with a love of scifi and comedy. He is also the Managing Director of Ladbroke Productions, the UK’s oldest radio indie. He can also be found producing numerous audiobooks for Audible UK, Red Apple Creative, Random House and AudioGo (the home of BBC Audiobooks and Doctor Who Audio Adventures). He was the Chair of the Radio Independents Group, Trustee of the Radio Academy and Trustee/Tutor at the Gateway School of Sound Engineering. He is the founder of the Audiobook Creators Alliance.
Our Ethos
Audio, be it audiobooks, drama or radio programming, is the most exciting and innovative creative medium, and it deserves to championed by those that believe in its history as much as its future. Spokenworld Audio is owned and run by experienced audio and radio producers who have a passion of audio production, and who want to see the medium continue to grow in popularity and flourish as new technologies and platforms emerge.
Our U.S.P.
Spokenworld Audio is different not just because of our many years of producing award-winning and popular audio and radio productions for broadcasters and publishers, but because we believe there is a bright future for audio productions, one that embraces the digital evolution, and one that can take advantage of the public’s continuing love of audio and radio. There is often talk of audio and radio becoming redundant in the near-future. But we believe that now is the time to really get behind audio & radio production, the audience is there (in the UK over 90% of the adult population tune in to radio every week!) and the download-to-own market is growing year-on-year. So where others pull back, we step up…Spokenworld Audio is happy to take on the mantle of responsibility for the future of audio & radio production.
Downloads & CDs
As you browse our ever-growing catalogue, you will notice that what we produce is available as Download-To-Own only. However, every now and again we will be releasing some titles as limited edition CDs. These will be Event Releases, such as our range of full-cast dramatisations. We hope to start releasing more titles on CD just as soon as possible. In the meantime, if there is a specific title you really want to own on CD, drop us a line and we’ll see what can be arranged.
Become A Supplier
Spokenworld Audio was the first agregator of independently produced audio and radio productions in the UK. With over 120 UK indies producing up to 10% of the BBC’s national radio output, there is a whole lot of high-quality radio and audio being produced every year, and until now it has been a chore for indies to take advantage of their hard-earned commercial exploitation rights.
Well no more! Spokenworld Audio is here to take the strain off your shoulders, and allow you to get back to making those unique and award-winning productions. Run by former RIG Chair and indie owner Neil Gardner (Ladbroke Productions), the company is your one-stop for making your productions available as download-to-own titles to consumers around the world.
Our 2014 deal is simple…and the best you’ll find out there:
We will host, distribute and sell YOUR radio/audio production – hassle-free for you
We can additionally distribute via Audible (UK & US) and iTunes platforms
We share the GROSS profits with you 50/50%
We will guide you through the basic steps to get your production ready for sale
We pay any monies earned every 6 months (Feb & August)
And it is as simple as that. We believe that radio and audio productions from indies should not disappear into the BBC archive, or gather dust on a hard-drive or shelf somewhere…they should be made available to consumers and given the opportunity to help YOU earn some additional income.
We are already representing the output of LADBROKE PRODUCTIONS, and we look forward to letting the world know about YOUR work. We are happy to create production company pages where all your titles can be found in one place, and to link to your other websites, promotions and marketing activities.
If this is of interest then do please drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out together.
Get Involved
Spokenworld Audio is about what we know, and what you know. We want your input, your ideas and your feedback. We can only grow bigger if you like what we do, and we don’t just want your money, we want your involvement. So don’t be shy in getting involved, keep an eye out for opportunities to submit your own writing, make suggestions for new productions, and most of all, help build those communities!
AUTHORS
Have YOU written a novel, short story, non-fiction article that you think would be of interest to audiobook downloaders? If so then we want to hear from you. We are OPEN to submissions direct from authors…you don’t have to be published by a big ‘name’ publishing house, it could be your own book that you’ve published yourself. All we ask is that YOU own all the audio rights and are over 18 years old. Our 2014 deal is simple:
We pay NOTHING up front…there is no advance and no rights fee
We give you a 50% share of the NET profits of any sales
It is a NON-EXCLUSIVE deal…you can still sell the rights on again
We cover all the costs of distribution and marketing
Through our partners at Ladbroke Audio we can offer great discounts on production costs
We take a 5 year right-to-sell followed by a rolling 1 year contract
You retain ownership of all your rights
Payment of any monies earned is half-yearly (Feb & August)
We hope, by 2015 to improve this offer with upfront fees in some cases, but for now, we are using all profits to reinvest in the company.
If this is of interest then do please drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out together.
READERS
Are YOU an actor, or Voice-Over…or possibly you are trying to break in to the industry? Everyone needs work for their portfolio and references to help them win those big gigs. Well, we need YOUR VOICE to read our audiobooks. Some basics we are looking for:
Can you do character voices and sustain them over the length of a novel
Do you have an understanding of timing and pacing
And that is it! We have studios in Croydon (south London/north Surrey), so you need to be able to get to us. Of course, if you have your own recording space/studio that is up to BBC/commercial audio specifications, all the better! If this is of interest then do please drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out together.
PUBLISHERS
Are you a publisher who doesn’t have their own in-house audiobook department and has been dismayed by the cost of producing audiobook editions of your titles? Well, we are here to offer a simple solution. Spokenworld Audio will be YOUR audiobook department. Here’s the 2013/14 deal:
We charge a one-off £250 production fee, nothing else…no per final hour rates!
We ask you to cover only the cost of the reader (approx. £70 per finished hour)
We pay NO UPFRONT RIGHTS FEE in return
We share the NET profits of any sales with you 50/50%
We take a 5 year right-to-sell followed by a 1 tear rolling contract
We will sell and distribute your audio titles via our sales network (including Audible UK & US and iTunes)
You retain ALL RIGHTS, this is a NON-EXCLUSIVE audio rights contract
And that’s it. Let us take the strain of audiobook production and sales off your hands…at an unbeatablly low cost to you!
If this is of interest then do please drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out together.
REVIEWERS
We are looking for people to write short reviews of our titles. No more than 500 words, and constructive in nature. We are also looking for people to help create, maintain and contribute to a Spokenworld Audio blog, which will contain new product information, reviews, updates and articles about audiobooks, radio and the world as a whole.
At this time we are looking for volunteers as we simply don’t have the money to pay. HOWEVER, we are happy to help publicise your other work, blogs, products, etc… in return for your wordsmithing!
If this is of interest then do please drop us a line and we’ll see what we can work out together.