Per Finished Hour (PFH)
The standard payment unit in audiobook production, representing the rate paid for each hour of final, mastered audio delivered.
Per Finished Hour, or PFH, is the industry-standard way audiobook narrators are compensated. Rather than being paid by studio time or by the word, narrators earn a set rate for each hour of completed, mastered audio they deliver. This aligns incentives: the narrator is paid for output, not for how long it takes to produce it.
Typical PFH rates vary widely based on experience and the type of work. New narrators on platforms like ACX may start around $100 to $150 PFH. Experienced narrators working directly with publishers typically earn $250 to $400+ PFH, with top talent commanding even higher rates for complex material. Royalty-share arrangements on ACX are a separate model where the narrator receives no upfront PFH but instead earns a percentage of ongoing sales.
The ratio of studio time to finished audio is a critical factor in a narrator’s effective hourly rate. Most narrators average a 2:1 to 3:1 ratio, meaning two to three hours of studio time to produce one finished hour. A narrator earning $300 PFH with a 2:1 ratio effectively earns $150 per studio hour. Anything that reduces that ratio directly increases income, which is why efficient recording tools and techniques like punch-and-roll matter so much to working narrators.