I built an audiobook support tool for narrators and editors - FirstPass
Hi. I'm a sound engineer and audiobook producer, and have been working in the industry for about 20 years.
I recently took a few months away from editing to build a tool for my own workflow and I liked it enough that I thought other people might too. It's a simple idea done to a high standard, designed specifically to provide audiobook workflow support to Narrators and Editors and to remove a lot of repetitive admin and file management.
It scans every WAV (or MP3) in a project against ACX thresholds - RMS, true peak, noise floor, head and tail silence length, sample rate, bit depth, file name formatting errors, missing Credits and Sample files - and batch converts to MP3.
It's quicker to show as a video than to explain so check out the demo or head to:
firstpassaudio.com
https://youtu.be/XI4euGTMZ9Y
There are a few other things out there that do incomplete bits of this process - but FirstPass handles the whole audiobook in one place, more comprehensively, quicker, and with deeper insight. And to support audio-inexperienced users, I've built in plain English tooltips explaining every metric and what to do if something Fails.
Even if you have an effective workflow I think FirstPass can save a few hours per project - and might even prevent costly mistakes and rejections.
FirstPass is currently macOS only - but it's designed for Windows too. Please, drop your email address into the Website's Windows form if you're interested. If I see enough demand I can prioritise a Windows version and email you when it's ready.
I've tried to price the app so it's an accessible, easy purchase. $69, one-time, no subscription, free updates.
10% discount code RACX10 until 31st May.
I'm an engineer first and foremost and I'm aware how quickly costs stack up and subscription and AI token fees are everywhere these days - pulling from your wallet every month, ad infinitum. I want to sell the app so you own it on your machine - right next to your DAW. No reliance on cloud services or subscriptions. No limitations on use.
Let me know what you think - I'd love feedback and am happy to answer any questions. Feedback from users will help shape any updates.
Thanks, Andy