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Retail Sample Maker

Cut a one-to-five-minute retail sample with smooth fades, snapped between sentences and checked against ACX before you download it.

  • Free
  • No upload
  • No sign-up

One to five minutes, smooth fades, 192 kbps CBR MP3 at 44.1 kHz, checked against ACX · nothing is uploaded

Where it runs

Works in a current Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook computers, Android phones, iPhones and iPads. Nothing to install, no account.

The first file loads the audio engine (ffmpeg, about 31 MB) once, and your browser keeps it. Very long books are easiest on a computer, which has more memory than a phone.

How to use it

4 simple steps.

  1. 01

    Drop a chapter or the book

    Any MP3, M4B, M4A, WAV or FLAC. A three-minute sample is suggested a little way in, between sentences.

  2. 02

    Pick the stretch

    Drag the window or its edges. Edges snap to pauses so no word is cut, and the checks update as you move.

  3. 03

    Listen

    Play the sample with its fades, or just its first and last few seconds.

  4. 04

    Download

    Get a 192 kbps CBR MP3 at 44.1 kHz, checked against the retail-sample rules and ACX’s levels.

What makes a good retail sample

The sample is the first thing a listener hears on the store page, and many decide in the first minute. Pick a stretch that shows the narrator at their best and the story moving: an opening scene, a strong voice, a hook. Avoid long descriptions, many characters at once and anything that gives away the plot.

The rules this tool checks

CheckRule
Length1 to 5 minutes
RMS loudness−23 to −18 dB
Peak level−3 dB or lower
Noise floor−60 dB or lower
FormatMP3, 192 kbps constant bitrate, 44.1 kHz

Content rules can’t be measured: no opening or closing credits, no music, nothing explicit. Need to fix the levels of the whole book? Use ACX mastering, then cut the sample from the mastered chapter. audiobook.tools is not affiliated with ACX or Audible.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

How long should an audiobook retail sample be?

ACX asks for a retail sample of no more than five minutes, and between one and five minutes is the accepted range. Three minutes is a common choice: long enough to hear the narrator and the story, short enough to leave listeners wanting more.

What should the sample contain?

Narration only. Start with the story, not opening credits or music, and avoid anything explicit: samples are public and play for everyone. ACX suggests the opening of the book; you can pick another stretch with your rights holder.

Why does the sample start a little way into the file?

Chapter one usually opens with credits or a title. The suggestion skips the first 30 seconds or tenth of the file and starts in a pause, but you can drag it anywhere, including the very start.

Do I need to master the sample?

If your chapters are already mastered, no: the sample is cut from them with the same levels. If the stretch fails ACX’s loudness, peak or noise checks, tick “Bring it to ACX levels” and it goes through the same chain as ACX mastering.

Why add fades?

A short fade-in stops the first breath clicking in, and a fade-out lets the last sentence land instead of cutting off. Half a second in and two seconds out suit most samples.

Is my audio uploaded?

No. The sample is cut, checked and saved in your browser; your files never leave your device.

Keep going

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