Should I Build It Should I Build It
19 Apr 2025
Audio

I would like to be a sound engineer that records audio books, I will ...

...have minimal equipment but the best of industry standard microphones and audio interfaces.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Swamp

The market has seen several mediocre solutions that nobody loves. Unless you can offer something fundamentally different, you’ll likely struggle to stand out or make money.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.

Your are here

Entering the sound engineering market, specifically for audiobook recording, positions you in a challenging 'Swamp' category. This means there are already many solutions, and it's difficult to stand out unless you offer something radically different. With 14 similar products identified, competition is significant. Engagement in similar product launches is low, averaging only 3 comments per launch, suggesting limited enthusiasm or niche appeal. Since we don't have any specific use or buy signals, it will be difficult to make this work without strong differentiators. You'll need a compelling unique selling proposition to rise above the noise and carve out a viable space for your services. The audiobook market needs something other companies are not providing, and you need to figure out how to do that.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply researching why existing sound engineering services for audiobooks haven't fully satisfied the market. What are the common complaints from authors, narrators, and publishers? Understanding these pain points is crucial for identifying unmet needs and differentiating your services.
  2. Focus on a specific niche within the audiobook market that you can serve exceptionally well. Perhaps you specialize in recording audiobooks for indie authors, self-help guides, or a particular genre like science fiction or romance. Narrowing your focus allows you to tailor your services and marketing efforts effectively.
  3. Instead of directly competing with established sound engineers, consider creating tools or resources that support them. This could involve developing specialized audio editing software, offering training workshops on audiobook recording techniques, or building a platform that connects authors with qualified sound engineers.
  4. Given the competitive landscape, explore adjacent audio production problems that may be more promising. For example, podcast editing, voiceover work, or audio restoration services could offer better opportunities for growth and profitability.
  5. Thoroughly investigate the pricing strategies of your competitors and potential customers in similar spaces. The Teenage Engineering TP-7 recorder faced criticism for its high price point. Clearly understand what premium people are willing to pay for the services you're offering.
  6. Study the launch of ElevenLabs' Projects; the primary criticism was the absence of a product demo in the launch video. Make sure to create demos of you providing your service and/or before and after samples of your work.
  7. Take note of Xound.io and consider their praises for noise reduction, pitch correction, and ease of use, particularly for content creators. Create value propositions that are tailored towards creators and other adjacent demographics.

Questions

  1. What specific, underserved needs exist within the audiobook recording market that your services can uniquely address?
  2. How can you leverage your minimal equipment and industry-standard microphones to offer a demonstrably superior recording quality compared to competitors?
  3. What innovative pricing model can you implement to attract clients while ensuring profitability and sustainability in a competitive market?

Your are here

Entering the sound engineering market, specifically for audiobook recording, positions you in a challenging 'Swamp' category. This means there are already many solutions, and it's difficult to stand out unless you offer something radically different. With 14 similar products identified, competition is significant. Engagement in similar product launches is low, averaging only 3 comments per launch, suggesting limited enthusiasm or niche appeal. Since we don't have any specific use or buy signals, it will be difficult to make this work without strong differentiators. You'll need a compelling unique selling proposition to rise above the noise and carve out a viable space for your services. The audiobook market needs something other companies are not providing, and you need to figure out how to do that.

Recommendations

  1. Begin by deeply researching why existing sound engineering services for audiobooks haven't fully satisfied the market. What are the common complaints from authors, narrators, and publishers? Understanding these pain points is crucial for identifying unmet needs and differentiating your services.
  2. Focus on a specific niche within the audiobook market that you can serve exceptionally well. Perhaps you specialize in recording audiobooks for indie authors, self-help guides, or a particular genre like science fiction or romance. Narrowing your focus allows you to tailor your services and marketing efforts effectively.
  3. Instead of directly competing with established sound engineers, consider creating tools or resources that support them. This could involve developing specialized audio editing software, offering training workshops on audiobook recording techniques, or building a platform that connects authors with qualified sound engineers.
  4. Given the competitive landscape, explore adjacent audio production problems that may be more promising. For example, podcast editing, voiceover work, or audio restoration services could offer better opportunities for growth and profitability.
  5. Thoroughly investigate the pricing strategies of your competitors and potential customers in similar spaces. The Teenage Engineering TP-7 recorder faced criticism for its high price point. Clearly understand what premium people are willing to pay for the services you're offering.
  6. Study the launch of ElevenLabs' Projects; the primary criticism was the absence of a product demo in the launch video. Make sure to create demos of you providing your service and/or before and after samples of your work.
  7. Take note of Xound.io and consider their praises for noise reduction, pitch correction, and ease of use, particularly for content creators. Create value propositions that are tailored towards creators and other adjacent demographics.

Questions

  1. What specific, underserved needs exist within the audiobook recording market that your services can uniquely address?
  2. How can you leverage your minimal equipment and industry-standard microphones to offer a demonstrably superior recording quality compared to competitors?
  3. What innovative pricing model can you implement to attract clients while ensuring profitability and sustainability in a competitive market?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 14
  • Engagement: Low
    • Average number of comments: 3
  • Net use signal: 14.4%
    • Positive use signal: 14.4%
    • Negative use signal: 0.0%
  • Net buy signal: 1.7%
    • Positive buy signal: 1.7%
    • Negative buy signal: 0.0%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.

Similar products

Relevance

Projects by ElevenLabs - Structure, edit, and generate long-form audio with precision

14 Nov 2024 Artificial Intelligence Audio

Creators, publishers and businesses use projects to turn books into audiobooks, scripts into voiceovers, or any text into high quality multi-speaker dialogue.

Users inquired about the availability of a demo location, noting its absence in the launch video. Questions were raised about the possibility of using multiple voices, not just one. The launch received congratulations, with additional inquiries focusing on the tool's potential for creative writing and storytelling applications.

The primary criticism is the absence of a product demo in the launch video. This lack of visual demonstration hinders understanding and engagement with the product.

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217
3
3
217
Relevance

The New Riverside - One place to record, edit & share content with the world

29 Mar 2023 Video Audio Tech

Record with separate audio & video tracks for professional quality. Simplify your workflow with accurate AI-powered transcriptions. Edit content seamlessly with an intuitive text-based editor right in your studio.

Riverside's launch of text-based editing is being lauded as a game-changer, particularly for podcast clips. Users appreciate the platform's innovation and improvements, with some highlighting its increased reliability over the past three years. Many users expressed their love of the platform, while others want to test its efficiency. There are also questions comparing Riverside to Descript. The search bar feature is saving users time. Overall, users are impressed with Riverside's progress in remote podcast recordings.

Users are questioning the product's value proposition compared to established alternatives like Descript. Some express concerns based on past unreliable experiences. While past issues are acknowledged, some users praise the development team's ongoing efforts to improve the product.

Avatar
126
11
45.5%
9.1%
11
126
45.5%
9.1%
Relevance

Xound - AI for perfect sound: clear audio & vocal pitch for creators

07 Dec 2023 Artificial Intelligence Audio Tuning

Great for content creators, Xound.io removes background noise and perfects pitch, delivering clear sound that keeps audiences engaged. It makes listening easier and more enjoyable, holding the listener's attention.

Xound.io, an AI-powered audio enhancement tool, is praised for noise reduction, pitch correction, and ease of use, particularly for content creators. Users find it beneficial for achieving clear audio and appreciate the UI. Questions arose regarding AI fine-tuning, privacy, expansion strategy, and the product's origins. Some users contrasted Xound to industry giants while others pointed out the limitations of audio quality. The launch was met with widespread congratulations and enthusiasm, with many wishing the product success.

Users criticized the Axe video demo for potentially artificial degradation to boost marketing. Concerns were raised about the balance between audio quality and enhancements, and the need to justify the app's sound quality compared to professional microphones. The product must demonstrate its value relative to existing high-end audio solutions.

Avatar
122
22
18.2%
22
122
18.2%
Relevance

TP–7 - the ultra-portable audio recorder

06 Sep 2023 Music Audio

TP–7 is built to record sound, music, interviews and important ideas with zero friction in the highest possible quality. a device engineered in every detail to do only one thing and to do it well. a dedicated piece of hardware for ideas, or just a dirty riff.

Users find the product cool, stylish, and versatile, drawing comparisons to Teenage Engineering. Its aesthetic appeal is a highlighted feature. There's interest in its time usage analysis and productivity capabilities, suggesting users are also considering its practical applications.

The primary criticism revolves around the product's high price point. The heavy price tag is a barrier.

Avatar
88
5
5
88
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