What is Quality Control?

Quality Control is an integral part of the audiobook production process, whereby a Quality Control Specialist (QCer):

  • Listens to the finished audiobook, while reading along on a PDF copy of the book

  • Notates errors in the recording that need to be fixed

  • Later verifies that the appropriate fixes have been made prior to distribution.

Where Does Quality Control Fit into the Audiobook Production Process?

The Audiobook Production Process
From Page to Listener

Before the Booth

  • Author writes a book, graphic novel, collection of poems, or any other written material, and would like to create an audible version of it

  • A production team is assembled, including a Narrator (oftentimes the author), a Producer, a Director, an Editor, and a Quality Control Specialist

Narrator Records the Audiobook

  • The narrator and director record the audiobook over several recording sessions, rerecording and fixing errors in real time

Editor Puts It Together

  • The editor takes the raw audio, spaces it out, gets rid of extra takes and excessive noises, and makes sure the volume is set to an appropriate level for the listener

QC Checks for Errors

  • QC listens to the edited audio while reading along on a PDF copy of the book

  • QC notates errors still present in the recording, including but not limited to misreads (deviations from the words on the page), diction issues, sound issues, and pronunciation issues

  • A spreadsheet of the errors and their location data (page number, place on page, track number, and timestamp) is delivered to the production team

Errors Are Fixed

  • Producer weighs in on which issues they would like fixed and which are okay as-is

  • Editor fixes the issues that don’t require a new take

  • Issues that the editor can’t fix are rerecorded in a “pick-up” session

  • The new takes from the pickup session are reinserted into the master audio

QC Verifies Fixes

  • QC reviews the fixed audio to confirm that the appropriate fixes have been made in the recording

  • Any remaining or unfixed issues are noted for a second opinion from the Producer (this step is rare); if needed, new fixes are made

Delivery

  • QC delivers a complete package of the final/fixed audio files to the production team to prepare for distribution

Distribution

  • The finished product is delivered by the production team to the distributor, where it is made available to the listener

Listening to the dulcet tones of a familiar voice is an appealing way to work our way through those books we’ve always meant to get around to, but haven’t.

– Clare Thorp

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