Voice recording session at Hot Milk Studio Berlin

Service · Spoken word

Audiobooks, Voice-over & Spoken Word in Berlin

At Hot Milk Studio in Berlin you record audiobooks, voice-overs and podcasts in an acoustically measured voice booth – with engineer Robert Cummings at the desk. Editing and mastering come from the same hands, to the specs of Audible/ACX, Spotify or your distributor. Already recorded? Then we'll edit and master your files.

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Services

What We Do for Your Voice

Audiobook recording: you read in the booth while Robert records and listens for slips, tone and consistency across every chapter.
Audiobook editing and mastering: including recordings made elsewhere.
Voice-over and spoken word: for ads, film, explainer videos and e-learning.
Podcast recording: conversations and solo episodes, with editing on request.
Booth rental: without an engineer, with your own laptop and interface.

The booth

A Booth that Adds Nothing

Recording happens in an acoustically measured isolation booth: quiet, dry and free of room sound that gets in the way later in the edit. Robert picks the microphone to suit the voice:

Lauten Audio Clarion (FET)
Neumann TLM 67
Shure SM7 – when a voice or a sound calls for it

Isolation booth at Hot Milk Studio — Isolation booth

Neumann microphone at Hot Milk Studio — Neumann microphone

Audiobooks

From Manuscript to Finished File

Recording: chapter by chapter, with a consistent sound across all sessions
Editing: slips, distracting breaths and noises removed, pauses kept natural
Mastering: room tone, EQ, de-essing, compression and limiting
Delivery: one file per chapter, to the specs of common platforms such as Audible/ACX (for example RMS between −23 and −18 dB, peaks no higher than −3 dBFS, noise floor below −60 dB) and Spotify, or to your distributor's requirements

We produce and master. Uploading and distribution are handled by you or your publisher – you get finished, checked files from us.

Remote

Already Recorded? Send Us Your Files

Upload your recordings to our Nextcloud server or send them via a file-transfer service. We edit, master and deliver to spec – wherever you recorded.

Booth rental

Rent the Voice Booth

Recording yourself? Rent the booth without an engineer. Bring your laptop and audio interface. Microphone, cable, stand and preamp are available as an add-on for a small extra charge.

Pricing

What Spoken-Word Recording Costs

Recording with an engineer (audiobook, voice-over, podcast): €65/hour (2-hour minimum), half day (4 h) €250, full day (8 h) €450
Audiobook editing and mastering: €160 per finished hour
Audiobook mastering (already edited files): €60 per finished hour, one-hour minimum
Full audiobook production (recording, editing, mastering, narrator not included): from €350 per finished hour
Podcast editing: €50/hour
Booth without engineer: €25/hour, half day €90, full day €160; microphone, cable, stand and preamp +€15 per booking

All prices net plus 19% VAT. Larger audiobooks are quoted from the manuscript.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does audiobook production cost at Hot Milk Studio?

A full production with recording, editing and mastering costs from €350 net per finished hour, narrator not included. An audiobook with an eight-hour runtime comes to roughly €2,800 net. Larger projects are quoted from the manuscript.

How many studio hours do I need per finished hour?

As a rule of thumb, experienced narrators need about 1.5 to 2.5 studio hours per finished hour. It depends heavily on the text, preparation and experience.

Do you deliver to Audible/ACX specs?

Yes. We master to the specs of common platforms such as Audible/ACX and Spotify, or to your distributor's delivery sheet. You get one file per chapter.

Do you handle publishing?

No. We produce and master. Uploading to platforms and distribution are handled by you or your publisher.

Can you master recordings made elsewhere?

Yes. Upload your files to our Nextcloud server or send them via a file-transfer service. Mastering already edited audiobook files costs €60 net per finished hour.

What do I need to rent the booth?

Your laptop and audio interface. Microphone, cable, stand and preamp can be added for €15 net per booking.

Let's plan a session together.

Tell us about the music, the players and the sound you'd like to hear back. We'll come back with a plan.

Book a Session

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