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Audiobook Length Calculator

Enter your book's word count and see exactly how long the finished audiobook will run, in hours and minutes, at any narration speed. The default is 150 words per minute, the pace Audible and ACX expect. Below the calculator is a full word-count-to-length table. Free, instant, no account.

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150 words per minute

Enter a word count to see how long the finished audiobook runs. The table below shows common book lengths.

Turn your book into an audiobook
Audiobook length by book word count and narration speed
Book lengthAt 130 wpmAt 150 wpmAt 170 wpm
10,000 words1h 17m1h 7m59m
20,000 words2h 34m2h 13m1h 58m
30,000 words3h 51m3h 20m2h 56m
40,000 words5h 8m4h 27m3h 55m
50,000 words6h 25m5h 33m4h 54m
60,000 words7h 42m6h 40m5h 53m
80,000 words10h 15m8h 53m7h 51m
100,000 words12h 49m11h 7m9h 48m

Most audiobook narrators read at about 150 words per minute, the pace Audible and ACX expect. Slower, careful narration runs near 130, brisk narration near 170. Your finished runtime is simply the word count divided by the pace.

Audiobook length for other book sizes
10,000 words20,000 words30,000 words40,000 words50,000 words60,000 words80,000 words100,000 words

Why it works

Word count to runtime

Type your word count and instantly see the finished audiobook length in hours and minutes, plus a rough estimate of studio recording time.

Adjustable narration speed

The default 150 words per minute matches Audible and ACX. Slide from a slow, careful 130 to a brisk 170 to match your narrator's pace.

From book to audiobook

Once you know the runtime, BookFoundry can narrate your book into a finished audiobook and export it, ready to publish.

How it works

  1. 1

    Enter a word count

    Type your manuscript's length, or the length you are planning for.

  2. 2

    Set the narration speed

    Keep the standard 150 words per minute or adjust for a faster or slower narrator.

  3. 3

    See the finished runtime

    Read the audiobook length in hours and minutes, then create the audiobook with BookFoundry.

Turn your book into an audiobook

How long is an audiobook per word count?

The math is simple: divide your word count by the narration pace, and that is your finished runtime. At the standard 150 words per minute, a 10,000 word book is about 1 hour 7 minutes of audio, a 30,000 word book is about 3 hours 20 minutes, a 50,000 word book is about 5 hours 33 minutes, and an 80,000 word novel is about 8 hours 53 minutes. A 100,000 word book runs roughly 11 hours. Change the pace and the runtime shifts with it, which is why the calculator above lets you slide the narration speed instead of guessing.

What is the right narration speed?

Professional audiobook narration lands around 150 words per minute, and that is the figure Audible and ACX use when they estimate finished hours. Most listeners find that pace clear and easy to follow. Careful, deliberate narration for dense non-fiction can drop to about 130 words per minute, while brisk, energetic reading can reach 170 or more. Pushing much past that starts to feel rushed. If you are hiring a narrator or narrating yourself, record a short sample, count the words, and time it, then use that exact pace in the calculator for a runtime you can trust.

Why audiobook length matters

Runtime shapes both cost and expectations. Studios and narrators are often paid per finished hour, so a longer audiobook costs more to produce, and recording a finished hour typically takes roughly twice that long once you add retakes and editing. Listeners also judge value by length, and retailers list the runtime right on the page. Knowing your finished hours before you record helps you budget, brief a narrator, and price the audiobook correctly. When you are ready, BookFoundry can narrate your manuscript into a complete audiobook and export it, so you go from word count to a finished file without leaving the page.

Frequently asked questions

About 5 hours 33 minutes at the standard narration pace of 150 words per minute. Slower narration near 130 words per minute runs a little longer, and a brisk 170 runs shorter.
Divide the word count by the narration speed in words per minute to get the runtime in minutes, then convert to hours and minutes. At 150 words per minute, a 30,000 word book is 30,000 divided by 150, which is 200 minutes, or 3 hours 20 minutes.
About 150 words per minute. This is the pace Audible and ACX use to estimate finished hours, and it is comfortable for most listeners. Careful narration can slow to 130, and energetic narration can reach 170.
Roughly twice the finished runtime. A 6 hour audiobook usually takes around 12 hours in the studio once you include retakes, pickups, and editing. The calculator shows a rough recording estimate alongside the finished length.
Yes. The calculator and the full word-count-to-length table are free with no account. If you want to turn your book into an audiobook, a free BookFoundry account lets you start and preview it before anything is charged.

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