Academy Voices Terms and Conditions

1Website Use

Academy Voices provides a platform for voice actors and narrators to showcase their talent and for rights holders to create and publish audiobooks. We do not guarantee any work or income from using our Website.

2Account Registration

Users must create an account, submitting accurate and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and accept responsibility for all activities under your account.

3Content and Conduct

Users are responsible for any content posted, including voice samples, personal details, and comments. Content that is defamatory, offensive, or harmful is strictly prohibited. Academy Voices reserves the right to remove inappropriate content.

4Ownership and Rights

All content on Academy Voices, including but not limited to text, images, logos, and software, is the property of Academy Voices or its content suppliers, protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Users may not reproduce or use our content without written consent.

For Royalty Share projects involving an author or rights holder, narrators retain royalty rights for a period of ten (10) years from the publication date. After 10 years, the narrator's share reverts to the rights holder, who will receive 80% of net revenue going forward. Academy Voices continues to receive 20% for ongoing distribution management.

For internal Academy Voices projects (public domain and Academy Voices-produced works with no external rights holder), narrators retain royalty rights for a period of twenty (20) years from the publication date. After 20 years, all revenue reverts to Academy Voices.

5Project Fees and Payments

Production Fee: A one-time production fee of $350.00 applies to all projects narrated by an Academy Voices narrator — both Royalty Share and Per Finished Hour — and is due once the narrator selected by the author or rights holder signs the contract.

Publishing Fee (Your Own Finished Audio): If you bring your own finished audiobook, a one-time publishing fee of $150.00 applies instead of the production fee. It is due when you submit your audio for review, covers our review, publishing and distribution, and is not refundable. Net royalties are split 80% to the rights holder and 20% to Academy Voices.

Royalty Share Projects: No upfront narrator costs are required beyond the production fee. Payment to all parties is based on shared net revenue once the audiobook is distributed, paid quarterly via PayPal.

Royalty Share Plus Projects: A Royalty Share project on which the author or rights holder also agrees to pay the narrator a one-time payment for the whole project, of $50.00 or more (shared equally if there is more than one narrator). The amount is set by the author when the project is posted and is stated in both agreements. It is paid through Academy Voices after the author approves the finished audiobook and before the audiobook is published, and all of it goes to the narrator. It does not change the royalty split or the royalty period. It is not due if the project is cancelled before the narrator signs the contract, or at any other point before the author approves the finished audiobook; a cancellation after the first 15-minute approval is covered by the cancellation terms of the author's agreement, and this payment is not owed in addition to them.

Per Finished Hour (PFH) Projects: The PFH rate covers the final, fully edited, and mastered hour of audio content. Full narrator payment is due prior to final delivery of completed audio files. Half payment may be made at the beginning of the production process.

All payments are processed through our invoicing system. Academy Voices is not liable for any fees charged by your financial institution.

6Per Finished Hour (PFH) Terms

For PFH projects, the following terms apply:

• PFH Rate: The per finished hour rate reflects the cost for the fully produced, edited, and mastered final hour of audio. This rate is set in advance and includes narration, editing, mastering, and file delivery in a distribution-ready format. Every PFH project is billed for at least one finished hour, so a book under an hour costs one hour at the narrator's rate.
• Quality Standards: All PFH projects are produced to industry-standard specifications, ensuring professional sound quality, accurate file formatting, and compatibility with major distribution platforms.
• Rights and Ownership: Upon full payment, the rights holder retains full ownership of the audiobook. Anthony Pica Productions, LLC and its brands, including Academy Voices and VO’s Journey Academy, may use the audiobook (the complete audiobook where we own it, otherwise excerpts only), its title, cover art and description, and the author’s name or pen name, biography and any photo provided, to promote the audiobook and our brands. This continues after the project ends.
• Approval Process: Rights holders will receive the first 15 minutes of the audiobook for review and feedback before full production proceeds. Approval of this sample is required before production continues. The $350 production fee is due once the narrator signs the contract and is not refundable. Until the sample is approved, the rights holder may ask for a different narrator at no cost; the $350 production fee carries over and the replaced narrator is not paid for the sample.
• Delivery and Payment: Upon completion, all final audio files will be delivered through a secure transfer method. Full narrator payment is due before files can be downloaded. If the project is canceled after the 15-minute approval, production has begun and 50% of the total PFH cost is due to the producer.
• Narrator Payment: Academy Voices pays the narrator's PFH by PayPal after the author's payment has cleared, usually within 7 business days of the author's payment.
• Distribution Revenue (if published through Academy Voices): If the rights holder chooses to distribute through Academy Voices, net royalties are split 80% to the rights holder and 20% to Academy Voices for ongoing distribution management.

7Royalty Share Terms

For Royalty Share projects involving an author or rights holder, the following terms apply:

Revenue Split (applied after retailer or distributor deductions):

• Rights Holder — 40%
• Narrator — 40%
• Academy Voices — 20%

Please note: each retail and distribution platform (e.g., Audible, Spotify, Apple Books, library platforms, etc.) deducts its own fees before revenue reaches Academy Voices. The percentages above apply to net revenue received after those deductions.

Royalty Period: The narrator's royalty share applies for ten (10) years from the date of first publication. After 10 years, the narrator's 40% share reverts to the rights holder, who will receive 80% of net revenue going forward. Academy Voices continues to receive 20%.

Payments: Royalties are calculated and paid quarterly via PayPal, accompanied by a sales report.

Production Fee: A one-time production fee of $350.00 is due once the narrator selected by the author or rights holder signs the contract, regardless of payment model.

Distribution: Royalty Share projects must be published through Academy Voices.

8Royalty Share — Internal & Public Domain Projects

For audiobooks produced entirely by Academy Voices without an external rights holder (e.g., public domain works), the following terms apply:

• Revenue Split: Academy Voices and the narrator split revenue as agreed upon per project.
• Royalty Period: Narrators retain royalty rights for twenty (20) years from the publication date.
• Rights Reversion: After the 20-year royalty period, all rights and revenue revert entirely to Academy Voices. Narrators are no longer entitled to royalty payments.
• No Use for AI: Academy Voices guarantees that no audio from these projects will ever be used for artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning purposes.

9Distribution Channels

Academy Voices distributes audiobooks across a broad range of platforms to maximize reach and accessibility. Distribution channels include, but are not limited to:

Audible / Amazon, Audiobooks.com, Hoopla, The Audiobook Store, Downpour, OverDrive, Libro.fm, Audiobooks Now, Storytel, BookMate, Nextory, Kobo, Everand (formerly Scribd), Nook, 3 Leaf Group, cloudLibrary, Follett Library Resources, Google, Mackin, Anyplay, Odilo, Wheelers Book Club, Apple, 24Symbols, Chirp, Audioteka, UBook, YouScribe, BookBeat, Cliq Digital, Instaread, Divibib, Rahva Raamat, Books-A-Million, Globook, Kids.Radio, Spotify, Speechify, Ulverscroft, Behear, Wehear, Bookwalker, LibraryOne, Apple Music, YouTube Music Premium, Calm Radio, Mofibo, Deezer, Napster / Rhapsody, and Barnes & Noble.com.

Academy Voices Store: We also sell audiobooks on our own website. Titles owned by Academy Voices may be sold there. A royalty share audiobook is sold there, as in every other store we publish to; to remove it from any store, including ours, the author asks us in writing. Any other author-owned audiobook is sold there only after its author switches it on from their project page, and the author can switch it off at any time. Net store sales are split under the same agreement as every other sale.

Academy Voices utilizes trusted distribution partners and platform relationships to expand audiobook reach across retailers, libraries, and streaming services worldwide.

Please note: not every audiobook will qualify for distribution on every platform. Some retailers have specific content, genre, age, or formatting requirements. Academy Voices retains discretion over platform selection.

10Production and Approval Process

• Initial Sample: After contracts are signed, Academy Voices submits the first 15 minutes of the audiobook to the author or rights holder for approval. This approval is required before full production proceeds.
• Timelines: Projects under 50,000 words are estimated to complete within 4–6 weeks of sample approval. Projects over 50,000 words will have a timeline agreed upon in advance. Delays may occur due to revision requests, response time, or technical complexity.
• Payment Due Upon Completion: Full narrator payment is due before final files are delivered.
• Free Recast: Before approving the 15-minute sample, the rights holder may choose a different narrator at no cost. The $350 production fee carries over to the new narrator, and the replaced narrator is not paid for the sample, which is treated as part of the audition.
• Cancellation Policy: If the rights holder cancels after the 15-minute approval, 50% of the total project cost is due to cover Academy Voices' fee and the narrator's compensation for work completed.

11Prohibited Uses: Machine Learning and AI

Voice-over recordings from Academy Voices are never used for training or developing machine learning models or AI systems, voice cloning, or synthetic voice generation, and no one may use them for these purposes. Academy Voices does not grant permission for these uses to anyone, under any circumstances.

Academy Voices commits to using recordings solely for their intended audiobook production and distribution purposes. To check a recording against its script, our Proofing Check tool uses a paid, commercial transcription service. That service does not use recordings to train AI models and deletes them within 30 days.

12Responsibilities of Voice Actors

Voice actors on Academy Voices are independent contractors, not employees. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account for reasons including:

• Non-compliance with these Terms
• Providing false information on profiles or applications
• Inconsistent availability or unprofessional conduct
• Failure to meet project deadlines or quality standards
• Poor customer service or unprofessional interactions
• Unauthorized fee changes or sharing of project terms with clients
• Failure to communicate for 15 or more consecutive days during an active project

Voice actors are not required to maintain an active membership to earn royalties from completed projects. They will retain a link to view earnings and sales reports but will not have access to new auditions or casting opportunities without an active membership.

Narrators may use brief excerpts of their work (up to 5 minutes total) for personal portfolio or promotional purposes unless otherwise restricted in writing.

Anthony Pica Productions, LLC and its brands, including Academy Voices and VO’s Journey Academy, may use any audiobook a narrator records with us (the complete audiobook where we own it, otherwise excerpts only), its title, cover art and description, and the narrator’s name or chosen pen name, biography and any photo provided, to promote the audiobook and our brands. Where a narrator performs under a pen name, only the pen name is used. This continues after the project ends.

Narrators are welcome to share honest opinions and reviews of Academy Voices, good or bad. Narrators must not try to take clients they met through Academy Voices away from Academy Voices. We may remove a narrator from projects, contracts or membership if they make false statements that damage Academy Voices’ reputation (defamation) or harass our clients or staff.

13Membership and Purchases

• Narrator Membership: Membership costs $9/month or $97/year and gives access to auditions, casting and narrator tools. The optional Narrator Tools Bundle is an additional $29/month or $295/year.
• Automatic Renewal: Memberships renew automatically at the end of each month or year, charged to the card or PayPal account you signed up with, until you cancel.
• Cancelling: You can cancel at any time from your Subscription page, or in PayPal if you paid with PayPal. You keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for, and you will not be charged again. You can also cancel by emailing apica@academyvoices.com. If you ask us to cancel before a renewal and we miss it, we'll refund that charge.
• Pausing: Instead of cancelling, you can pause your membership for $1/month. Your account and profile are kept, and access to new auditions stops while paused.
• Refunds: Membership fees are not refunded for partial months or years. One-time purchases (Script Prep at $12 per manuscript, Proofing Check top-ups and Social Clips top-ups) are not refundable once used.
• Audiobook Purchases: An audiobook bought on our website is yours to listen to for your own personal use, in My Library on any device where you log in. It may not be copied, shared or resold.
• Audiobook Refunds: If you bought an audiobook by mistake or something is wrong with the audio, email apica@academyvoices.com within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. We may decline if most of the book has already been listened to. A refunded audiobook is removed from your library.
• Royalties Are Not Affected: You keep earning royalties on completed projects whether or not your membership is active.

14Dispute Resolution

Disputes arising from these Terms or the use of our Website are subject to binding arbitration in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Users waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits.

15Limitation of Liability

Academy Voices is provided "as is" and "as available." We disclaim warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We are not liable for damages related to Website use.

16Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

17Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of our Website after changes are posted implies acceptance of the updated Terms.

18Contact Us

For questions or concerns regarding these Terms, contact us at:

Anthony Pica Productions, LLC
7861 Indian Road, Gloucester, VA 23061
Email: apica@academyvoices.com
Phone: (757) 784-2949